The Snowdonia Slate Trail is an 83 mile circular walking route which leads you through the awe-inspiring landscape of Snowdonia National Park. The route has a choice of independent hostels and bunkhouses offering great value self catering accommodation that’s just perfect for walkers.
Snowdonia Slate Trail Hostel and Bunkhouse Accommodation
The Snowdonia Slate Trail is an 83 mile circular walking route that leads you through the awe-inspiring landscape of Snowdonia National Park. As the name implies it takes you through a number of Snowdonia’s slate villages and allows you to explore the rich industrial heritage of the area. The trail leads you through some of the less visited parts of Snowdonia and offers you a variety of experiences. Passing through all the main mountain ranges, you will also walk through forests and valleys, past rivers and lakes. En route, you pass through tiny slumbering hamlets as well as the bustling towns of Llanberis and Betws Coed. The Slate Trail is a walk of contradictions, with plenty to keep you interested.
Industrial heritage on the Snowdonia Slate Trail
The Snowdonia Slate Trail is also a joy for narrow gauge railway enthusiasts, as it visits the Penrhyn Quarry Railway, Llanberis Lake Railway, Snowdon Mountain Railway, and the Welsh Highland Light Railway, and the Ffestiniog Railway. What better way to break up your day’s walking than a ride on a steam train?
The good news is that there is a great choice of Independent Hostels to stay in when you plan to walk the Slate Trail. See a full list of them below.
The Route
The official route starts at Porth Penrhyn near Bangor and ends at Bethesda and takes you through or near the villages of Llanllechid, Bethesda, Dinorwig, Llanberis, Waunfawr, Nantlle, Rhyd Ddu, Beddgelert, Croesor, Ffestiniog and Penmachno. Great for stocking up on provisions and stopping for a well-deserved rest, a cup of tea (or something stronger), and a large slice of cake! Covering 83 miles with a total ascent of 4159m it should take between 5 and 13 days. It’s well worth visiting LDWA and the Snowdonia Slate Trail website for a wealth of information. There is also a detailed book and map of the route.
