Whether you’re looking for a great picnic spot, or somewhere to take a refreshing dip, the Blaen-y-Glyn Waterfalls are the perfect choice. There are a series of waterfalls and cascades - most of which have small pools at the base - as well as plenty of rock platforms to relax beside the water.
The walk between the main falls is really easy, but there are options to extend the trail, if you’re looking for something a little more adventurous.
Here’s exactly what to expect when visiting the Blaen-y-Glyn Waterfalls.
The Blaen-y-Glyn Waterfalls Walk
The stats
Distance: 1 mile (1.6km) circuit
Elevation gain: 70m
Difficulty: Easy
In this guide we’re describing the easy circuit route around the falls. You can extend the walk up to the ridge lines of Fan y Big and Pen y Fan if you’re looking for something more challenging. Or you can make a longer circuit route up on to the ridges beside the falls, but it’s said to be a little precarious.
Personally, we visited on a hot day and we really wanted to make the most of the gorgeous swimming holes!
If you only walk the easy track described below, you won’t encounter any tricky terrain. There’s one hill to climb at the beginning of the walk, but it’s not overly steep.
Starting the trail: to the first set of waterfalls
As the walk is a circuit you can go in either direction. The plunge pools and majority of waterfalls are all on the eastern side of the track, for this reason we decided to walk in a clockwise direction. This means you climb the hill first and can then make your way down the other half of the loop (the eastern side), stopping at all the plunge pools on the way back to the car park.
When heading in a clockwise direction you’ll begin the walk on a well graded gravel path. It does head uphill, but it’s never overly steep.
After 500m you’ll see a set of cascades on the left. There are a couple of waterfalls you can visit using the obvious dirt trail heading up the hill to the right of the creek.
You’ll pass a few cascades and after 70m you’ll arrive at the bigger waterfall.
We were visiting during a pretty long dry spell, so the flow at the falls was minimal. It will definitely look a lot more impressive if you’re visiting after rain.
We carried on up the hill a little to see the next waterfall, but it was almost bone dry and there was a log jam in front of it, which would have obscured it even if it was flowing. It’s only 80m from the other falls, but the path deteriorates a bit and becomes rocky, with some loose soil and tree roots.
In dry weather it’s not too bad, but could be quite slippery when wet. Unless the logs and debris move, it’s probably not worth venturing on.
To the biggest waterfall
Once you’re back on the main trail again, the path continues for a further 50m, before it curves right and heads briefly downhill (it’s signposted).
You’ll pass through the little wooden gate and carry on heading straight - don’t cross the bridge.
To reach the biggest falls of the track, Blaen-y-Glyn Waterfall, you need to follow the rocky river bed.
After 50m you’ll come to the falls (930m into the walk if you took the detour to the falls on the left side of the river).
The rocks here can be slippery when wet, but it’s generally very easy - in times of low flow anyway!
Blaen-y-Glyn Waterfall sits in a grotto like setting and it’s a lovely spot, with plenty of room to relax on the rocks. There’s only a very tiny pool at the base of the falls (although perhaps it’s bigger in wetter times) so it’s not as good for swimming as the falls further down the trail, but it’s the most impressive in terms of height.
To the first set of swimming holes
From Blaen-y-Glyn Waterfall you retrace your steps back to the little wooden bridge, this time you cross it and continue along the trail on the other side of the water.
About 30 seconds from the end of the bridge you’ll see a small cascade and a discreet path leading down to the pool. It’s not a proper path and requires climbing over a big rock, but it’s still very easy.
This is one of the most secluded pools on the track. People seem to walk right past it to the more open falls further downhill, but it’s a pretty little spot for a first dip.
It’s very straightforward to get into the water and though it’s never that deep, you can completely submerge yourself once you’re close to the cascade.
It’s also nice and shady if you don’t want to swim in some of the more exposed pools. The water is cold, but it’s not freezing by Welsh standards - not nearly as cold as the swimming spots along the Four Waterfalls Trail!
After this first pool, you continue on the main track heading downhill and within minutes you will come to two of the most popular swimming spots.
The water is actually really shallow, much more so than some of the other pools, but they are fully exposed to the sun and therefore warmer!
Both sets of falls are picturesque and very easy to access, being just a few steps off trail. These are also the best spots for picnics, with wide level rock platforms to spread out on.
To the tiny hidden plunge pool
We skipped swimming in the two popular pools and instead crossed the river beside the first waterfall and headed left looking for a spot without an audience.
If you head for a minute down the grassy bank, you’ll soon come to a tiny little plunge pool which has an almost gorge like feel.
It really is tiny, so it’s one for a plunge not a swim, but it does actually get deep near the cascade!
No one came down this way, despite the fact the other falls above were quite busy, so we enjoyed the fact it felt like a little hidden spot!
From here you can cross back over the river and then continue on the main path to the most impressive swimming area along the trail.
The biggest swimming holes
Less than 100m along from the popular pools you’ll reach the biggest swimming holes. The dirt path down to the pool has footholds worn into it, so when dry it’s easy, but it does get a little muddy when wet.
It takes just a minute to get down though and then you’ll be at the base of a large pool, with several smaller pools just above it. All of which are quite easy to climb into.
There is a series of cascades which make it feel quite dramatic and there was a decent flow despite the dry conditions. The pools are under the shady forest canopy and are cool but not freezing.
In the other direction there’s what would be a beautiful woodland infinity pool, but the trees are a little too overgrown, so I preferred the cascade pools.
Roughly 50m beyond these pools (back on the main trail) you’ll reach the last of the waterfall swimming holes. This is a much smaller pool, but the falls are lovely.
The path to reach it is another dirt trail, but again it’s really only a few steps.
Completing the circuit
From the final waterfall the trail continues downhill and you’ll come to a potential river crossing after 350m.
If water levels are low, it’s really easy to rock hop over the river, which is a good short cut as the car park is directly over the water from here (just over the stile).
If the rocks are submerged it’s going to be better to continue along the main trail and then circle back along the road to the car park.
Where to park for the Blaen-y-Glyn Waterfalls
Using the shortest route as described above you need to park at the Blaen-y-Glyn Isaf car park. It’s free of charge and there is no time limit. It’s not a massive car park and can fill up quickly on summer weekends and school holidays.
There are no facilities, and that includes toilets.
The Blaen-y-Glyn Isaf car park is a 25 minute drive from Merthyr Tydfil, 30 minutes from Brecon, 45 minutes from Abergavenny and just over an hour from Cardiff.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come. We sadly saw a lot of litter around certain popular spots in the Brecons and thankfully this wasn’t one of them. Let’s keep it that way.
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