Llyn Gwynant Campsite: Camping with Lake and River Swimming in Eryri
A campsite pitched between a lake and a river under Yr Wyddfa, where the owners tell you plainly that campers are welcome to swim. Llyn Gwynant in Nant Gwynant is about as literal as on-site swimming gets: the lake is the front garden and the Afon Glaslyn runs through the site.
The stay
Natural camping in the heart of Eryri National Park: grass fields for tents, hardstanding bays for small vans along the hedgerows, and bays near the lake for larger campervans. Cars park around the fields rather than beside the tent, and electric hookup pitches are limited, so pick your pitch type carefully when you book. On site there is a shop, laundry, pizza and other food, a tap room in the woods and boat hire — canoes, kayaks, Canadian canoes and paddleboards by the hour, or bring your own at no charge. Campfires are allowed in raised fire pits, with wood bought on site. Dogs are welcome, two per pitch, and there is a woodland dog-walking area. Everything is card only, and bookings are required for campers and day visitors alike.
Swimming on site
From the campsite’s own swimming page: “Campers at Llyn Gwynant are welcome to swim in the lake and river, and many people do.” They have the water quality tested regularly and describe it as good, with the honest caveat that a sandy bottom means it is not always completely clear. The lake reaches 17m deep near Elephant Rock on the far side, and there is further access from the lay-bys on campsite land alongside the A498.
Their safety notes are the part to read twice. The lake is fed by mountain streams running off the summit of Yr Wyddfa into the Afon Glaslyn, so it is genuinely cold, and water a metre below the surface can be five to ten degrees colder than the top. Children should be supervised at all times. The river deserves more respect than it looks like it needs: the Cwm Dyli hydro station a mile upstream empties into it at unpredictable times, which can suddenly turn the little stream and the pools near the stone bridge turbulent.
Worth knowing
The Watkin, Miners and PyG paths are walkable or a short drive away, so the site doubles as a Yr Wyddfa base camp. The site needs two weeks’ notice of a cancellation to refund camping fees, so travel insurance is the sensible answer to a shaky forecast. Book the pitch type that matches what you are bringing, and pack a tent that fits it.
Bookings and full details: gwynant.uk.
Llyn Gwynant from the Nant Gwynant valley side. Photo: Peter McDermott, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
