🥾 Walking route
Llyn Ogwen Circular Walk, Carneddau
Conwy
- 📏 5 km · 3.1 mi
- ⛰ +141 m
- ⏱ 1 hr 15 min
- 🐕 On lead
Walk stats
- Distance5 km · 3.1 mi
- Elevation+141 m
- Duration1 hr 15 min
- DifficultyEasy
- Route typeCircular
- TerrainLakeside paths, some rocky and uneven sections, one modest climb
- Best seasonLate spring to early autumn for clearest views
- DogsDog-friendly on leads, livestock likely on surrounding land
About this walk
This gentle circuit around Llyn Ogwen offers some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in Snowdonia without the strenuous ascents usually needed to enjoy it. Starting near YHA Idwal at the western end of the lake, the path traces the shoreline beneath the towering flanks of the Carneddau to the north and the Glyderau to the south.
The route passes Aber Brwyn as streams tumble down from the surrounding slopes to feed the lake. Views open across the water to Pinnacle Ridge and Clogwyn Crach, while behind you the waters of Nant Bochlwyd and Afon Idwal join the flow. At the eastern end you reach Pen y Benglog, where the lake spills spectacularly over Rhaeadr y Benglog, the Benglog Falls, into the Ogwen Valley below.
Returning along the opposite shore, you gain fresh perspectives on the surrounding peaks and the glaciated bowl that cradles the lake. At around 5 km with modest ascent, it is a rewarding introduction to the high country of Eryri.
Route map
Route line drawn from OpenStreetMap footpath data. Numbered markers are waypoints on the route; amber star markers are points of interest a short detour away.
Waypoints along the route
4 waypoints along the way
- 1
YHA Idwal
- 2
Aber Brwyn
- 3
Llyn Ogwen
- 4
Rhaeadr y Benglog
Worth a short detour
Points of interest just off the route, look for the amber markers on the map.
Pen y Benglog
~213 m off the route
Afon Idwal
~225 m off the route
Nant Bochlwyd
~402 m off the route
Pinnacle Ridge
~413 m off the route
Clogwyn Crach
~495 m off the route
Route & waypoint data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).