Graig Wen - Wild Snowdonia Escapes

Situated in the south-west corner of the Snowdonia National Park, there’s no doubt that Graig Wen enjoys one of the best campsite locations in the whole of Wales. Set among some 45 acres of its own wild woods and meadows, and with amazing views over the Mawddach Estuary curling down to Cardigan Bay below, this established spot plays host to happy campers and ample wildlife alike. It’s not surprising, then, that it has won the Green Snowdonia Award for ‘Most Sustainable Campsite’, along with a clutch of other gongs, including ‘The Best Camping and Glamping Site’ according to Go North Wales. Yet for all the awards, Graig Wen remains a wonderfully peaceful and unpretentious spot to stay.

At the heart of the campsite’s success is its owners’ paired passion to constantly improve the site while preserving its wild nature. To accompany their small collection of touring pitches, Sarah and John have hand-built two yurts from ash trees found on the land, kitting them out with quirky furniture and textiles, while two more pop-up yurts have been designed to move around the site depending on the season (closer to loos, showers and the comforts of electricity in winter). As recently as 2019 they added a cute new shepherd’s hut and there’s also a small holiday cottage.  Their newest additions are two quarry wagons. Cosy whatever the weather, the wagons are in a little less secluded than our yurts and shepherd’s hut, giving you easy access to a few more mod cons and parking close by.

For tent campers, however, the real highlight here is found down a short but steep track. Below the year-round touring site, several fields run right up to the edge of the estuary, available to pitch in from May to September. There’s a spacious family field, nearest to the parking, as well as more secluded spots with enticing names like Ash Corner, Mawddach View and Wild Cherry. Campfires are allowed and there’s ample space to go around, with enough choice for every camper to find the right amount of views, shelter, space or isolation, to suit their taste. In keeping with its award-winning status, Graig Wen’s well-maintained facilities are always spick and span, with hot showers and sparkling toilets. Viewing benches overlooking the Mawddach Estuary offer the best seat in the house come sunset o’clock – especially given Snowdonia’s ‘International Dark Sky Reserve’ status – and a simple camp shop stocks local ales and other essentials.

If you want to explore the campsite’s various streams and stretches of woodland, there’s an engaging geocache trail, which also subtly teaches you about the area’s slate-mining heritage along the way. More intrepid explorers, meanwhile, can tackle Cader Idris – the spectacular mountain at the back of Graig Wen. It’s the highest peak in southern Snowdonia but the crowds tend to be much smaller than on the summit of famous Snowdon in the north. According to legend, if you spend the night on the summit, you’ll come down a poet. Or a madman.

From a gate at the bottom of the campsite you can also cycle all the way to the beaches at Fairbourne or Barmouth without ever seeing a road, and virtually the entire route to Dolgellau in the other direction is road-free, too. It’s a fitting way to get around from the campsite; a place where cars belong safely in the car park and nature, in all its glory, takes centre stage.