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We have just come back from a three day camping trip over the spring bank holiday and all I can say is we have all returned back home with hundreds of midges bites, you cant sit outside your tent at night for more than an hour at the most and the shop do a roaring trade in all things connected to this big problem.
We arrived early on Friday and as advised due to the fact we have a family tent purchased two pitches at a cost of £180 and we wish we had not bothered because there was tents bigger that had not bothered to do this and paid a lot less.
We ended up on the grass outside the main shop and to be honest it was the best place on the site the wardens where friendly and just left us to it, at 12 oclock on the friday we heard a lot of banging and woke up to find a tent pitched less than a couple of foot away from are front door.
We returned back to the tent from a day out and they had squeezed a few more on to the point where you couldn't move without fear of stepping on a tent in the middle of the night its the only campsite I have been on that tents have been pitched outside the toilet block front and back so everyone going for a shower walked past there tents.
The good points
Pizza and bread made on the site was out of this world
The river was lovely and nice for the children to play in
Toilets ok but not enough showers
Thats it really I wouldn't return it far to painful
We stayed here for 6 nights over a very wet and windy Easter, and had the misfortune of our van breaking down on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. The staff were very helpful, gave us telephone numbers for local garages and as the site is out of mobile phone range, gave us their phone number as a contact for the RAC.
We were travelling with two small children who enjoyed the play area, the trains running through the campsite and the walks in the woods. They spent a lot of time playing by the river and on a small island, building a little stone age village out of rocks.
We walked into Beddgelert village a couple of times (about 15 minutes with children) which has a couple of nice touristy shops, chippy and two pub/hotels where you can get food, there is also a very good outdoor shop and a pizza restaurant, but not much in the way of groceries. There is a big Tesco in nearby Porthmadog. The shop on site keeps a few essentials, gas and a small selection of fresh baked bread. The staff baked us some baguettes for our lunch on one of the days we were stuck which was very kind and greatly appreciated. On the whole the site facilities were warm, clean and maintained but I did think it was a bit on the expensive side, it will be interesting to see what happens now the C&CC has taken it over.
We loved the forest style site, the pitches are not flat as billiard tables, you do need rock pegs (and a couple of big boulders), you will need a pair of walking boots which will get muddy, but then again we don't like those grass and concrete sites which are laid out like car parks. If you want to stay somewhere with character, want to be close to the slopes and like to have a bit of nature about you, I would recommend this site.
I've just stayed for 3 nights at this site,in a motorhome on a pitch with electric hook-up.
I found the staff very friendly and helpful.
The reception & shop opening times were not clear. During my stay the gate locking time was changed to half an hour earlier than I was notified on arrival. The on-site directions were confusing with no clear 'exit' signage.
The facilities were clean, with warm water in the showers and hot water for washing-up.
There was a useful motorhome service point.
The main purposes of my visit were to do a day's voluntary work on the Welsh Highland Railway, which has a halt at the campsite, and a couple of off-road bike rides in the Forest and near Caernarfon.
The railway is wonderful (but I'm biased!). If you don't want a long journey just go down the Aberglaslyn Pass and back up to Rhyd Ddu (to the tea shop) or Waunfawr (for real ale or pony trekking).
Peter at Beddgelert Bikes couldn't have been nicer, and the forest looked beautiful with its autumn colours.
However, what should have been a thoroughly enjoyable break was ruined by my bike being stolen from the pitch whilst I'd gone to the cinema in Porthmadoc for the evening. So, cyclists be warned, take a padlock & chain.
Glanllyn is situated on the shore of Lake Bala in Wales. 16 acres of natural parkland and spectacular views of nearby hills and mountains make it an idyllic spot to pitch a caravan, motorhome, tent or campervan with level grass or hardstanding pitches. For water sports enthusiasts there is a private shingle beach with easy launching area for windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, fishing and paddle boarding. Camp shop, wifi, laundrette, excellent heated toilet & shower facilities. The market town of Bala is 3 miles away with plenty of small shops, pubs & retaurants, cinema and a leisure centre. Find out more here
We found most of the site quite gloomy and univiting - but it is a forest so I guess it would suite you if you like that kind of environment. Finding somewhere flat also seemed a bit of a challenge.
It was certainly a bit of a midge-fest.
The site has some delinquent squirrels (which I thought was quite endearing) so make sure your tent is squirrel proof if you are out for the day.
Staff didn't seem too friendly.
Overall
I guess we prefer open, flat, grassy campsites so perhaps we made a poor choice this time. We live and learn.
Local Attractions
We tend to walk or go to the seaside rather than visiting 'attractions' but did go to the 'electric mountain' at Llanberis on a previous visit to the area - we weren't impressed. On the other hand, the italian ice cream shop in Llanberis was awesome, and there is quite a good camping/walking discount store there too.
And Harlech is one of the best beaches in the country!
Arrived in the morning for two day stay and was warmly welcomed by a lady who I subsequently found out wasn't feeling too well. She efficently sorted out where we needed to go and soon we were pitching the tent. This was the only down side to the stay, we wasn't told that we needed rock pegs (nothing on their website and nothing said when welcomed, and didn't know about this website until after the stay). Anyway we sorted the tent out and still had enough time to go on the ffestiniog railway in the evening.
The facilities were adequate for our requirements, the toilets and showers were kept clean and tidy.
My son very much enjoyed the children's park, this became very useful when my wife was cooking and wanted him out of the way.
The Welsh Highland Railway passes through the campsite and this was an added bonus for my son, he loves steam trains.
Overall we were very pleased with our stay and would not hesitate to book this campsite again.
It was a busy weekend because of good weather, but reception was closed when I arrived, so I went straight on in search of somewhere to pitch. After driving round and round several times, I failed to find anywhere that met my expectations, and I reluctantly set up on a grass verge under some trees, which dripped on my tent after a shower, and covered my flysheet with falling leaves.
I have been using this camp site for occasional one night or short stays for 35 years now, and on this most recent visit I couldn't help but reflect that not only has it not improved in all that time, but in fact is has gone downhill.
Why was finding a decent pitch such a problem? Well, in my opinion too much of the site is now tree covered, they have grown over the years and some thinning is needed. Worse still, there doesn't appear to have been any work done to create more level, grassy spots, or to improve the existing ones which are either hard standing or churned up, sloping or uneven. The net result is, there actually appear to be fewer usable spots than there used to be.
Coupled with the above, on the left of the site after you have entered it, there is a large open green taken up with big, permanent-looking frame tents, holiday rentals perhaps? That is one area now out of bounds to anyone else. Downhill beyond this is a large, open grassy area which I have used in the past, but this was bollarded off. On the right of the site when you go in is an area of 'Premium Pitches' - also no good for my solo tent. The big grass area by the entrance now has logs around it to prevent campers' cars from spoiling it, rightly so, however this results in their cars now permanently filling the big parking bay by the shop and reception buildings.
It would be nice to see some of the site's income being ploughed back in to improving it and making it more attractive, but that doesn't seem to be happening. Are we to assume they are only just making ends meet? In the meantime, from my position as a camper, the place is becoming a poor choice.
We found it quite stressful towing our 24ft caravan along almost 8 miles of very narrow and windy roads from the main Caernarfon Road (with the most spectacular views) but we arrived to the most beautiful site we’ve been to in our few years of caravanning, which made the journey completely worth while! Upon arrival on site we found that the office was closed for lunch but there was a sign on the window instructing us to find a pitch and pay any outstanding fees by 10am the following morning. As we set off on our plight to find a nice pitch we were then flagged down by a couple who reprimanded us for continuing into the site and told us we should wait 2 hours until the lunch break was over! I informed them of the sign in the window advising us to find a pitch so they marched off to check if we were telling the truth. We carried on to find a nice pitch after driving round a couple of times (be warned its quite bumpy) but worth having a good look round for the best spot!
There was a handy little general store on site, which offered your usual bread, milk and sweets for the children. We didn’t need to use the toilets and showers so can’t comment on the condition of them. Our pitch was fairly close to the steam train station which was lovely to watch the trains coming in and out and listening out for the toots!
The campsite offered nature walks and clubs for the children but we nearly had heart failure when we saw how much they wanted to charge, I cant quite remember what the fees were now as its taken me a while to get round to leaving this review but we were horrified to find that the children weren’t able to attend these walks without a parent and of course there was a hefty charge for us too! There is an abundance of wildlife in the forest and lovely streams so we were happy enough to look for it for free instead!
There is a nice wooden play area on site and benches to sit on to watch the children. Don’t go without Wellington boots and waterproofs, the site gets quite boggy and it hardly stopped raining the whole time we were there, it didn’t spoil things though as you do get shelter from the trees in the forest and the kids loved paddling about in the stream with their waterproofs on! There were lots of midgies but we took advice off some fellow campers and lit incense sticks, they seemed to do the trick!
The journey by car into Beddgelert was only minutes away and well worth a trip, what a beautiful village with fantastic scenery! Make sure you don’t forget your camera!
The weather would be classed as 'threatening' when we arrived so I really wanted to be able to get the tent up as soon as possible (especially as our tent goes up inner-tent first), but when we arrived at 13:15 we found the reception had closed at 13:00 for an hour and we couldn't book in until it re-opened. I did grab a couple of rangers that were wandering around but they said we'd have to wait. I wasn't happy!. But after fifteen minutes they came back and told us, as we had pre-booked, we could pitch but the lower field was water logged so our choices were severely limited. I'd wandered round the site whilst waiting and none of the available tent pitches seemed suitable for our tent, but the wardens said our best bet was the raised area in front of the reception area. I was a bit dubious about this as it seems to be the middle of an traffic island and we'd be bothered by traffic, but this didn't actually happen.
We started pitching on a likely looking spot, luckily we hadn't got further than having the inner-tent laid out when a ranger came over and told us we'd have to move. He did explain that they have a lot of people booked in so he needs to maximise the space so it was understandable. We moved to a spot round the edge, which was acceptable. We managed to get everything up without it raining and we had view of the play-area so the kids were out of our hair :-)
Shop was well-stocked and useful and the staff were generally helpful. Would have liked to have spent more time in the woods but the ground was water-logged. There's a train, with a stop on site, that can take you down into Bedgellert or over Canarfon (quite expensive!).
I'd visit the site again, but at a less peak time.
Glanllyn is situated on the shore of Lake Bala in Wales. 16 acres of natural parkland and spectacular views of nearby hills and mountains make it an idyllic spot to pitch a caravan, motorhome, tent or campervan with level grass or hardstanding pitches. For water sports enthusiasts there is a private shingle beach with easy launching area for windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, fishing and paddle boarding. Camp shop, wifi, laundrette, excellent heated toilet & shower facilities. The market town of Bala is 3 miles away with plenty of small shops, pubs & retaurants, cinema and a leisure centre. Find out more here
I will keep this short as there are a lot of reviews on here which I agree with.
We where at the end of our two and a half week holiday touring Ireland and despite the railway which we loved and the ability to walk from the site onto the most beautiful country side we where all very disappointed.
Midges, yes, but not too bad. The site was a bit dark and dreary, I guess that's what you get for being right in the forest. Just a shame there where not more open areas.
Must also add that the wardens where all a bit uninterested.
Will not be returning to the site but would return to the area.
Of the campsites we've stayed at (four so far) this was our least favourite.
When we were there the weather had been particularly bad and they said a lot of the site was waterlogged. Most of the pitches were in amongst the woods, as you would expect, but the pitches weren't great. It was hard to find decent sized pitches that were flat / rock free to pitch a tent of any size. It also seemed very gloomy at times.
The facilities were ok but I think due to the weather and the fact that it's in a forest were in a worse state than normal.
You couldn't walk outside the campsite along the main road as there was absolutely no pavement so you couldn't really go anywhere unless you went in the car. There is however a little wooden railway station on the site that has a steam train stopping at it. This was nice but very cramped when we got on.
Where we were there wasn't much of a view either so all in all not the best campsite we've been to.
The staff I found very friendly and the fellow campers were too so we did have a good time but I think this campsite would benefit from some TLC. If the right work was put into the pitches and roads it could be a great site.
We arrived at noon to find nobody around to welcome us, everything was closed, not a good start. After phoning Forest Holidays's helpline, they advised us just to choose a pitch and pay later. We eventually located a cosy area in amongst tightly packed trees, the site was quite densely populated. Yes, you need rock pegs but the ground was free-draining.
The facilities are super and spacious with a much needed launderette. Unfortunately if you don't have the right coinage you'll get very little sympathy from the indifferent camp or shop staff.
The shop is very useful but misses out on a few things (loaves of bread and washing up liquid).
I assumed we could walk forest tracks to Beddgelert but no, be warned, you may get lost and stuck in peet bogs. The only way is on a very dangerous road with no footpath. You can catch the wonderfull steam train from the campsite though!
This site is so close to perfection,if the camp staff cheered up and campers were not so crammed in, they'd achieve it.
We have just arrived back from this site and although,after reading the previous reviews we were quite apprehensive about going in the first place.
The site itself is unbelievably stunning, we opted for a select pitch and after checking in we were advised to simply choose a pitch anywhere marked select and handed a map. The pitches were v roomy and once settled it felt as if we were completely alone and secluded in the forest.
Personally, I didn't find any problems with midges although being in caravan rather than a tent, that could be why. Having said that, our 5 yr old son was outside permanently whilst we were at the site and I can't say I've found a single bite on him and we didn't use any repellent! To be honest though if you don't want to come into contact with nature, don't camp in a forest.
We didn't use the main toilet blocks as we were pitched in the area past the bridge but there were smaller shower/toilet blocks in our part.
The first couple of days, despite the downpour, the toilet and shower blocks were immaculate, . However towards the last couple of days it didn't look like they had been cleaned in 24 hours, although there is a mop and bucket to hand.
We only ever used the showers at night but the showers in our block were not too hot, which has been mentioned previously. If anything I would have turned them up a touch.
Didn't use the shop as it didn't seem open v much. My son adored the play park and all the kids seem v friendly.It's rare that I feel at ease letting our son just go off on his own to play and explore but this was a childs paradise and v safe.
I did think that the tents seem to be packed onto the site and not v private whereas the caravan pitches seemed better placed and v private.
We loved the place, the local village is nice and there is so much to see nearby, Snowdonia, Portmerion, Caernarfon etc. We will definitely be back and intend to stay longer next time.
Even if you read no more reviews of this site note the following: ROCK PEGS!
First of all this is a stunning location. You can't even see the campsite from the road! Really close to Beddgelert and lots of things to do nearby but I recommend admiring the scenery. Site was teeming with wildlife, there is a lovely play park, rivers streams lovely walks.
When we arrived the site was chocca. There really was only one choice for pitching and it wasn't great! There had been a lot of rain (obviously not the campsite's fault) and were advised not to pitch near the river (this little gem of info only offered after I asked). As it happens I would have driven home rather than pitch there - it was almost a bog! We ended up on a stoney pitch (hence the rock pegs, which you can get from the shop for 80p each but the shop might not be open when you need them) at a fork in the road near the toilets which created a goldfish bowl effect with people walking passed to use the facilities. Again just a sypmtom of the time of year we chose to go.
Midges: yes there were quite a few, bit annoying. Take antihistamine and employ bug screens on your tents. It was a bit of a shame but it really didn't spoil our holiday. Having said that I was not bitten more than a couple of times and even then it was only AFTER I had put the repellent on so the previous review might have a point about them liking it! We found the midgies liked the bit by the play park where our friends were camped more than they liked our bit.
Facilities were nice and clean, some of the showers DID have temp controls but I agree with the wife who said the ones that didn't were very hot!
As a slight aside we were pitched near the 'pre pitched' cabanons which (I believe are about £300 a week). They are old, dirty on the outside and dingy looking, occupants also complained of them being very damp and miserable when it rained and as we were packing away some of the people who had been staying in one of them was complaining to the manager. I would be disappointed in the extreme to get one of them, especially for that kind of money.
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Common Questions
Is Beddgelert Campsite child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Beddgelert Campsite? There is a shop on site View all facilities
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
All reviews and comments are the personal opinion of the review author only , and as such do not represent the view of the UK Camp Site.co.uk.
The facilities shown on this website are a guide only, and you should check with the campsite direct before making any booking. The UKCampsite.co.uk will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions
Tent Pitches 
Caravan Pitches 
Motorhome Pitches 
Small Campervans 
No Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
Hardstanding Pitches 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
Rallies Welcome 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Motorbikers Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
Baby Changing Facilities 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
No Bar 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
No Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing <1 mile 
Wild Swimming On Site 
No Indoor Pool 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding <5 miles 
Cycle Hire <1 mile 
No Golf 
No Tennis 
Beach <10 miles 
Watersports <1 mile 
Boat Launch / Mooring <1 mile 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
Open All Year 
Riverside Pitches 
Public Transport On Site
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
Electric Car Charging Point
We have just come back from a three day camping trip over the spring bank holiday and all I can say is we have all returned back home with hundreds of midges bites, you cant sit outside your tent at night for more than an hour at the most and the shop do a roaring trade in all things connected to this big problem. 
