Where to go · Caerphilly
Forest bathing at Parc Penallta
A former coal tip near Ystrad Mynach turned into woodland, ponds and meadows, with long views and a giant earth sculpture.
Parc Penallta was a black coal tip only about thirty years ago. It has been reshaped into a mix of young woodland, ponds, marsh and flowering meadow, and is best known for Sultan the Pit Pony, a 200-metre earth sculpture named after a show pony from Penallta Colliery. Goldfinches feed on the alder cones in autumn, green woodpeckers and bullfinches are often seen, and several orchids flower in early summer.
Three waymarked trails start from the main car park off Penalltau Road: Sultan (1.6 km), Skylark (2.1 km), which takes in a quieter part of the site, and Woodpecker (3.7 km). Around the main car park the paths are fairly flat stone dust; the paths that link the upper and lower parts of the park are steep and rough. This is more open than most woods, so come for the mix of trees, water and sky, and for the views on a clear day.
Practical
- Managed by
- Caerphilly County Borough Council
- Parking
- Main car park off Penalltau Road; Fforest car park off the A472 (barrier closes early evening)
- Terrain
- Stone dust paths, rough in places; steep links between upper and lower areas; tarmac cycle route in the valley
- Nearest station
- Ystrad Mynach, about a 10-minute walk
- Facilities
- Compost toilet, picnic tables, benches, observatory viewpoint
- Opening and entry
- Open all year, free
- Official page
- greenspacescaerphilly.co.uk
Last updated 4 November 2026. Paths, parking and access can change, so check before you visit. Spotted something out of date? Please let us know.
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Bargoed Woodland ParkRiverside woodland on reclaimed colliery land, a few minutes' walk from Bargoed station
Coed Craig RuperraCommunity-owned hillside wood near Draethen, returning to broadleaves, with a hillfort on top
Cwmcarn ForestForest on former mining hills, with a valley-floor lake, a forest drive and a climb to Twmbarlwm hillfortPhotos: Bargoed Woodland Park, M J Roscoe (CC BY-SA 2.0); Coed Craig Ruperra, Philip Halling (CC BY-SA 2.0); Cwmcarn Forest, M J Roscoe (CC BY-SA 2.0).