Three walking/hiking trails in North Wales have been named among the best family-friendly walks in the UK.

AllTrails - one of the most trusted and used outdoor platforms/apps in the world and recently named Apple's iPhone App of the Year - has released its ‘Year on the Trails’ report.

The report gave a comprehensive overview of the app’s highest-rated trails of 2023.

It showed the "best of" the more than 420,000 curated trails AllTrails has compiled worldwide based on input from the app’s community of more than 60 million walkers, hikers and nature enthusiasts.

Chief Marketing Officer at AllTrails, Carly Smith, said: "The ‘2023 Year on the Trails’ report allows us to celebrate an exciting year of discovery and adventure.

"Our global community of trail-goers shared valuable insights about their time outside by reviewing more than 250 thousand trails, from Great Britain to Peru and from Canada to Australia. 

"Each and every one of these adventures serve as helpful guidance or exciting inspiration for others planning their trail activities."

Chief Executive Officer at AllTrails, Ron Schneidermann, added: "We’re excited to make it even easier and more fun for users to share reviews in 2024 — stay tuned."

The report showed off everything from the most popular and most beautiful trails in the UK to the family favourites and best walks with a pub.

Several trails located in North Wales are featured within the report, with three included among the most popular among families.

The top 5 best family-friendly trails in the UK

The top 5 best family-friendly walking trails in the UK from 2023, according to AllTrails, are:

  1. Fewston Reservoir Circular (Otley, West Yorkshire)
  2. Mawddach Trail: Penmaenpool and Barmouth (Dolgellau, Gwynedd)
  3. Meillionen to Beddgelert (Beddgelert, Gwynedd)
  4. Rhaeadr Fawr (Aber Falls) (Abergwyngregyn, Conwy)
  5. Rendlesham Forest UFO  (Suffolk, Woodbridge)

     

North Wales Pioneer: The Mawddach Trail: Penmaenpool and Barmouth is the most popular walk in Wales among families.The Mawddach Trail: Penmaenpool and Barmouth is the most popular walk in Wales among families. (Image: Getty Images)

North Wales trails revealed among best family-friendly walks in the UK

The Mawddach and Meillionen to Beddgelert trails in Gwynedd and Rhaeadr Fawr (Aber Falls) in Conwy all featured among the top 5 best family-friendly walks in the UK.

Mawddach Trail (Dollgellau)

The Mawddach trail is a 23.2km out-and-back trail which takes around five hours to complete and is considered moderately challenging, according to AllTrails.

It is described as a popular trail for birding, camping, and hiking, is dog friendly and has a 4.6 (out of 5) rating from 91 reviews on AllTrails.

The best time to visit this trail, according to the outdoor experts, is between March and September.

Meillionen to Beddgelert (Beddgelert)

The Meillionen to Beddgelert trail is a 5km out-and-back trail which takes around one hour and 20 minutes to complete and is considered an easy route, according to AllTrails.

It is described as a popular trail for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking, is dog friendly and has a 4.8 rating from 36 reviews on AllTrails.

The trail is open all year round and the worldwide trail experts said it is "beautiful to visit anytime".


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Rhaeadr Fawr (Aber Falls) (Abergwyngregyn)

The Rhaeadr Fawr (Aber Falls) trail is a 4.2km out-and-back trail which takes around one hour and 15 minutes to complete and is considered an easy route, according to AllTrails.

It is described as a popular trail for hiking, running, and walking, is dog friendly and has a 4.6 rating from 570 reviews on AllTrails.

The best time to visit this trail, according to the outdoor experts, is between April and September.