The 28-sq-mile Gwydyr Forest, planted since the 1920s with oak, beech and larch, encircles Betws-y-Coed and is scattered with the remnants of lead and zinc mine workings. It's ideal for a day's walking, though it gets very muddy in wet weather. Walks Around Betws-y-Coyd (£5), available from the National Park Information Centre, details several circular forest walks.
The northern section of the park is home to the Marin Trail, a challenging 15.5-mile mountain-biking loop, starting immediately southwest of Llanrwst, 3.5 miles north of Betws. For more on mountain biking and horse riding in the southern part of the park, see Penmachno.
