Allt y Benglog

The waterfall at Allt y Benglog thunders down a narrow gorge just outside Dolgellau, and it's one of those Welsh water features that properly announces itself - you hear it before you see it. The walk to reach it takes roughly thirty to forty minutes from the nearest car park, following a path that winds through woodland with the sound of water growing louder as you approach. Once there, you're standing beneath a decent cascade that drops into a rocky pool, surrounded by moss-covered stone and the kind of green that only happens in North Wales.

This is walker territory, straightforward. Families with older kids will manage fine; toddlers will struggle with the uneven ground and the lack of facilities. The waterfall itself isn't massive - don't expect a thundering torrent - but there's something satisfying about the effort-to-reward ratio. On a wet day, it's considerably more impressive.

It's a free walk, and you can do it in under two hours return, making it a decent morning or afternoon activity when you're based at one of the local parks. Llwyn yr Helm and Coed y Brenin are both within easy reach, so you could pair this with exploring the wider Coed y Brenin Forest trails. Torrent Walk Campsite sits even closer, roughly five miles away. Go midweek if you can - summer weekends see enough traffic to take the edge off the solitude. The path can be boggy after heavy rain, so decent boots matter.