Parc Padarn Country Park

This is my absolute favourite place to visit. Parc Padarn is a country park that consists of a massive lake surrounded by mountains, which are on the site of a former slate quarry. The Snowdon railway begins from inside Parc Padarn, and there is a good selection of amenities for its many visitors: 2 cafes are near the railway inside the park, with 2 more located just on the outside (1 is in the Electric Mountain visitor centre), toilets are available in the park also, and there is a scattering of shops such as gift shops, shops selling walking clothes, a shop selling hand-made things from slate such as door plates.

There’s a lot to do for everyone at Parc Padarn. There are 5 official walkways, which are colour-coded and vary in difficulty from a short flat walk accessible to wheelchair users, to a more advanced 5 mile walk around the lake with some steep climbs. You’re advised not to stray from the walkways. On the lake there’s opportunities to scuba dive, sail a dinghy or kayak, or to sail a remote control boat. There’s a few childrens’ play areas which are always fairly busy and look well-equipped, and there’s a tree top adenture activitiy. In the main entrence to Parc Padarn there’s a museum, which is free to enter, with several shows and displays of the old slate quarry workings, as well as a few old-fashioned houses to peek into.

I love going here and probably visit a couple of times a week, even throughout the winter.