Beddgelert Campsite

We love Snowdonia in Wales.

There are plenty of mountains, forests, and great places to camp. And for us, it’s not too far away either 😉

Despite staying under canvas in the area many times, we had never taken ‘Casper the Caravan’. So, as part of the #5CChallenge, we decided to take in this National Park. And while we were there, our Challenge was to climb Mount Snowdon.

Our challenge was to climb Mount Snowdon.

Camping Among the Trees

The Beddgelert Campsite is a Camping in the Forest location – and yes, you do get to camp in the forest. At least you do if you are on the hard standing pitches.

Our hardstanding pitch under the trees

Arriving and Pitching

Unfortunately, we arrived just after 8 pm and so reception had closed, but a warden was still there to greet us.

You aren’t allocated a pitch. Instead, it’s up to you to find that perfect spot among the trees or in the fields.

Having arrived at dusk, reversing onto the pitch was a little difficult as it’s hard to see the rocks, so try and arrive in good time.

Getting to the Beddgelert Campsite

We took the recommended route from Shrewsbury. This took us much longer than normal (and why we arrived late). Although we still had to tow the caravan up over the mountain pass, the route detours around a lot of the more difficult towing areas, which adds to the journey time.

The A498 from Porthmadog sounds like a decent enough road. However, it is actually single track in many places with tight beds, and warning signs saying unsuitable for long and wide vehicles.

At the end of the road, you’ll reach the village of Beddgelert. This has an old bridge with a sharp 90-degree bend that Camping in the Forest warns about in their directions.

Here are some pictures of the bridge at Beddgelert in case this is a concern to you.

I found the bridge not that difficult as it is wide enough to take the corner and any cars approaching can see you are on the bridge.

On the way home, we instead took the route north along the A4095 to Caernarfon. From there it was almost dual carriageway all the way home. A slightly longer route, but less stressful 😉

Facilities at the Campsite

The facilities might look a little dated, but they are kept clean and working.

There’s also useful laundrette on-site, plus a shop where you can even order items from the on-site bakery (see picture below).

At the campsite

Around the campsite are a few walks through the woodland. There’s plenty for kids to explore though you do need to watch the fast-flowing rivers. There’s also a play park.

The Railway

Proving a great base to explore the area, the campsite even has its own steam railway station.

This is the Welsh Highland Railway that runs from Porthmadog to Caernarfon.