Family Waterfalls in Snowdonia & Gwynedd
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The family waterfalls in Snowdonia & Gwynedd are Ceunant Mawr Waterfall, Rhaeadr Cynfal, Ogwen Falls, Abergynolwyn Waterfall, Pistyll y Cain Waterfall, Pistyll Gwyn, Nantcol Waterfall and Watkin Path Waterfall.
Few corners of Wales pack in as many falling rivers as Snowdonia and Gwynedd, where mountain streams tumble off high ground through oak-shaded gorges and forest valleys. This is waterfall country in the fullest sense, and much of it can be shared with children, though the walking varies enormously from spot to spot.
Some falls sit within a few minutes of a car park or roadside, like Ogwen Falls at the busy gateway to Cwm Idwal. Others, such as the cascades on the Watkin Path below Yr Wyddfa or the remote moorland drop of Pistyll Gwyn, ask for a proper walk and suit families happy to put in the miles or older children with steady legs.
Between the two extremes lie wooded ravine falls like Ceunant Mawr near Llanberis, Rhaeadr Cynfal near Llan Ffestiniog and the terraced Pistyll y Cain in Coed y Brenin forest. We have gathered a mix of easy and adventurous, honest about the effort each one takes.
Here are eight family waterfalls to seek out in Snowdonia & Gwynedd.
Ceunant Mawr Waterfall
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Ceunant Mawr Waterfall drops in two stages into a wooded gorge just outside Llanberis, falling well over a hundred feet through the trees. Many people glimpse it first from the Snowdon Mountain Railway, which crosses on a viaduct just above the fall.
Reaching it means a short uphill walk from the village, over a gate that crosses the railway line, so it suits families happy to manage a brief climb rather than those after a level stroll. The two-step drop and the railway viaduct above make a memorable sight for children.
Time your walk to catch a train rumbling across the top.
Rhaeadr Cynfal
Photo: David M Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Rhaeadr Cynfal tumbles through a deep, wooded gorge on the Afon Cynfal near Llan Ffestiniog, within a national nature reserve. The river drops through a ravine cut into the rock, its potholes and slots worn smooth by the water, and a restored viewing platform lets you get close to the fall.
Rising midstream is a rock stack called Huw Llwyd's Pulpit, named for a seventeenth-century local bard reputed to be a wizard, which older children may enjoy. The gorge holds ancient oak woodland rich in mosses and ferns, reached on a short but steep walk from the village, so it suits families ready for a bit of a climb.
Seek it out after rain when the ravine roars.
Ogwen Falls
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Ogwen Falls Busy Ogwen Cottage, with its car park, warden base and snack bar, is the main gateway for walkers heading up to Cwm Idwal and the peaks of Tryfan and the Glyderau, and the falls tumble right beside it. Here the Afon Ogwen leaves the western end of Llyn Ogwen and drops down rock into the head of the Nant Ffrancon valley, in the heart of Snowdonia, crossed by an old stone bridge and by Telford's early nineteenth-century road bridge.
From the top a long view opens down the glacier-carved valley below. One of the easiest falls hereabouts to reach with a family.
Abergynolwyn Waterfall
Photo: Chris Andrews via Geograph.org.uk
Abergynolwyn Waterfall is not one grand drop but a string of cascades where the Nant Gwernol runs down a steep, wooded ravine at the edge of Abergynolwyn village. Oak woodland cloaks the gorge, and the little Talyllyn Railway ends nearby at Nant Gwernol station.
Waymarked paths climb beside the water, crossing a wooden footbridge and threading between mossy rock. The walking is short but steep, so it suits families happy to put in some effort.
Higher up, the ground opens to the ruins and grey spoil heaps of the old Bryn Eglwys slate quarry, part of a landscape now holding World Heritage status. Seek it out and let the falls unfold one by one.
Pistyll y Cain Waterfall
Photo: Ian Medcalf via Geograph.org.uk
Pistyll y Cain Waterfall sees the Afon Gain drop around twenty metres over a terraced rock face in the Coed y Brenin forest near Ganllwyd, just above where it meets the larger Mawddach river. An iron footbridge stands right in front of the falls, a fine spot to watch the water thunder down after rain.
It is reached on a circular walk of about three miles from a forest car park, so it suits families happy to walk, threading through deep, damp woodland that also passes the bigger Rhaeadr Mawddach and the ruins of an old gold mine. Seek it out when the river runs hard and full.
Pistyll Gwyn
Photo: Rudi Winter via Geograph.org.uk
Pistyll Gwyn, the white waterfall, is a remote upland fall on the moorland edge near Bronaber, between Trawsfynydd and the rugged Rhinog hills. Its peaty, clear water tumbles down the rock, running to a roar after heavy rain and dropping right back in dry spells.
Reaching it means a walk of a few miles along forestry and moorland tracks, with wide views and few other people, so this one is for families happy to walk or older children with steady legs. There are no facilities out here.
Do not confuse it with the taller Pistyll Gwyn at Llanymawddwy, which shares the name. Seek it out on a clear day after rain for it at its fullest.
Nantcol Waterfall
Photo: Michael Westley via Geograph.org.uk
Nantcol Waterfall is a set of falls and rock pools on a mountain river at the foot of the rugged Rhinog hills, in the Cwm Nantcol valley near Llanbedr. The falls sit on private land run as a campsite, so you reach them through the site, usually for a small charge, on flat riverside ground with an easy walk to the water.
That makes it one of the gentler falls here for a family. People sit by the river, paddle and swim in the pools, and the setting is wild, close under the mountains.
The campsite has toilets, showers and pods and tents for staying over. Seek it out on a warm day and settle in beside the water.
Watkin Path Waterfall
Photo: Peter Bond via Geograph.org.uk
Watkin Path Waterfall is a run of cascades and clear pools on the Afon Cwm Llan, on the lower part of the Watkin Path up Yr Wyddfa, above Nant Gwynant. From the Pont Bethania car park, a track climbs through oak woodland for about a mile to reach them, so this fall on the flank of Snowdon suits families happy to walk or older children with steady legs.
The pools are a popular place to swim in summer. Higher up, the path passes the ruins of the old South Snowdon slate works and Gladstone Rock, a boulder marking a speech the Prime Minister gave here in 1892.
Seek it out early to have the pools to yourself.
FAQs
Which family waterfall in Snowdonia is easiest to reach?
Ogwen Falls is among the simplest, sitting right beside the A5 at Ogwen Cottage with a car park and snack bar. Nantcol Waterfalls also offer flat riverside ground with an easy walk to the water, reached through a campsite for a small charge.
Are any of these waterfalls suitable for swimming?
The pools on the Watkin Path below Yr Wyddfa are a popular place to swim in summer, and people paddle and swim in the pools at Nantcol. Always take care, as mountain water is cold and conditions change quickly after rain.
When is the best time to see the waterfalls at their fullest?
Most of these falls run hardest after heavy rain, so autumn and winter or a wet spell in any season bring the biggest flow. Remote falls like Pistyll Gwyn can slow to a trickle in dry spells.
Conclusion
From the easy reach of Ogwen Falls beside the A5 to the long moorland walk in to Pistyll Gwyn, these eight falls show just how much variety the mountains of north-west Wales hold. Some, like Nantcol with its riverside pools or the two-step drop of Ceunant Mawr near Llanberis, can be shared with younger children on gentle ground.
Others, such as the Watkin Path cascades on the flank of Snowdon or the steep ravine of Rhaeadr Cynfal, ask for stronger legs and a willingness to climb. Pick to match your family, check the weather, and remember that most of these falls run hardest after rain.
Go prepared for the walking each one needs and honest about what it takes, and these are the family waterfalls to seek out in Snowdonia & Gwynedd.
