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Access

Most land in the Snowdonia National Park is privately owned and farmed. By showing respect and consideration for the countryside and wildlife and for the people who live and work in Snowdonia, you can help to make sure that the National Park will be here for future generations to enjoy.

Access over privately owned land is by Public Rights of Way:

Public footpaths

Bridleways

Permissive Paths

You also have a legal right of access, on foot, to land which has been mapped as Open Country and Registered Common Land.

These areas are shown on Ordnance Survey Explorer OL Maps. Numbers 17, 18 and 23 cover the Park on scale 1:25,000.

Stiles and gates leading to Open Country are signed with the brown and white logo.

Signifies that you are leaving Open Country. Access is on rights of way only.

From time to time, areas of Open Country may be closed to the public or certain conditions may be imposed. This may be to avoid danger to the public, to benefit wildlife, or to allow farmers to carry out essential work. Details of any closures or restrictions in force are available on the Countryside Council for Wales website: www.ccw.gov.uk/countrysideaccesswales.

Outside Open Country, please keep to rights of way. You will minimise disturbance to farmers and their livestock, wild animals, birds and plants.

Dogs

Dogs often cause injury to farm animals – particularly to sheep – in Snowdonia; causing terrible suffering to the animals, and financial loss to the farmers involved.

Please remember that even a normally well behaved dog can cause death and suffering, without necessarily attacking livestock. Sheep are highly susceptible to disturbance, especially when they are heavily pregnant or have just given birth, and can die as a result of being chased even a short distance. New born lambs need time to find their feed, bond with their mothers and suckle. If they are disturbed they can die. Please keep your dog under control, preferably on a lead, near sheep.

You have a legal duty to keep your dog under control:

On public rights of way you have a legal duty to keep your dog “under close control”.
On Open Country it should be on a lead (no more than 2 metres long) between 1st March and 31st July, and at all times when near livestock.

You are strongly advised to avoid cattle, particularly with young calves at foot, when you are accompanied by dogs. Attacks on both dogs and their owners can occur when cattle feel threatened, or even merely curious.

Camping

To camp anywhere in the National Park, you must have the permission of the landowner or the farmer. Unfenced hill land is no exception. The National Park Authority cannot give you permission; neither can we let the public have the names and addresses of landowners.

A list of licensed camp sites, many of which are small and off the beaten track, is available from the National Park Authority.