Coed y Brenin Forest Park

The Gain Waterfall Trail is the flagship walking route at Coed y Brenin, a Forestry Wales site in the southern reaches of Eryri National Park near Dolgellau. This 6.6 km circuit climbs from the visitor centre over the Cefndeuddwr ridge before dropping into the next valley to reach the confluence of the Afon Gain and Afon Mawddach, where the two rivers meet in a series of waterfalls in a sheltered wooded gorge. The descent to the falls is steep and the path narrows considerably, but the reward is one of the quieter and more dramatic waterfall settings in Snowdonia. The 200 m of climbing is concentrated on the ridge crossing, and the return retraces the high ground before descending back to the start.

This is a dog friendly walk that delivers genuine drama in a forest setting. The forest carries a deep, resinous scent of mature conifers that shifts to the fresher mineral smell of the rivers as you descend toward the gorge. Both the Afon Gain and Afon Mawddach offer excellent water access for drinking and swimming. Off-lead potential is high through the forest sections where livestock are largely absent, making this one of the better off-lead options in the national park. The steeper, narrower path down to the falls requires dogs to be managed carefully, with loose surface and unprotected drops into the river gorge demanding caution. A walk that suits confident dogs of most ages and sizes, with the waterfalls providing a spectacular midway reward.