Forest bathing at Cwmcarn Forest

Cwmcarn Forest covers the hills above the village of Cwmcarn, once mined and now planted as a working forest owned by Natural Resources Wales. The council runs the visitor centre, car park and the seven-mile Forest Drive, which has eight stopping points with accessible footpaths, a sensory tunnel and a wooden sculpture trail. Above it all sits Twmbarlwm, an Iron Age hillfort with wide views.

The valley floor around the lake and stream is free to enter and is the gentlest place to start, with self-guided walks for most abilities. Stronger walkers can head up through the trees to Twmbarlwm. Cwmcarn is well known for mountain biking, so the singletrack trails can be busy at weekends; the walking routes and the quieter Forest Drive stops are better for sitting still. The ground is mixed, with forest roads, stony footpaths and some steep climbs, and the open hilltop is exposed in poor weather.