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We arrived at the campsite on bank holiday Monday. The site was very busy, our pitches by the river were just big enough, but we decided to wait for the people next to us to leave that evening so we could fit our tent in without being squashed!
Being by the river was lovely though. The children went up and down in the dingy having great fun.
The facilities were kept nice and clean, never had to wait for showers either.
Very near the town of caenarfon, 2 miles at most. Had lovely Indian takeaway just down the road.
Just a warning if you have dogs. They have to be kept on the lead, even in the special dog walking areas and in the river which could be quite trying at times! Also they're not allowed in the Cafe.
Would have liked to have the Table tennis open in the evening, after a day out the kids wanted to go and play, but it got put away at 5. 15pm when the shop shut.
We left 2 days early because of the rain, would have liked to explore more, but all in all a nice, pretty campsite, kids made friends and played football matches. Owners very helpful.
We arrived on bank holiday Tuesday and we were met by friendly and efficient staff. We had booked an EHU riverside pitch for 5 nights. We were shown to our pitch and it was in a beautiful spot. The pitch size was great for our 7m x 4m tunnel tent and car.
Great kids play area with sandpit and the children could also paddle in the river. There is also a volleyball court, boule court and a table tennis table - all equipment can be borrowed from reception.
BBQ's are allowed as long as they are off the grass. Good toilet and shower facilities - always clean. Dishwashing facilities were also good. We didn't use the cafe on site so can't comment.
The site was busy when we visited but remained quiet and relaxing.
Caernarfon town centre is less than 2 miles away with a good range of shops and a Morrisons supermarket. A chip shop and spar are 1 mile away as you turn left out of the camp site.
We managed a trip to Llandudno and Anglesey while we where there - the kids loved Anglesey Sea Zoo. Llanberis and Beddgelert are also within easy reach.
Due to the heavy rain and rising river we had to cut our trip short and only stayed for 3 nights. The kind lady owner reimbursed the 2 nights we did not stay for.
I would definitely stay here again as we all had a great time. The kids loved it and really didn't want us to go home early.
Just back from our stay here after looking all over for just 2 nights on a bank holiday weekend. On arrival the staff were friendly and helpful, we chose our pitch along side the beautiful river bank. This is a lovely little gem of a site, well planned out with a superb playground in the middle of the site so you can see the children playing all day. A lovely little water garden to sit and enjoy the quiet, a fabulous cafe with a nice menu and very reasonable prices. Spotlessly clean showers and toilets and never a queue for dish washing. The site was busy but not at all noisy, just nice people and large groups having a nice time. We will definitely be going back here again soon.
We stayed on this site for two nights after looking round several others in the area and were very pleased with our choice. The site was originally a garden center and now the owners have gone for the full camp site option. Lovley little site, hook ups for motorhomes, caravans and tents. Very good toilet and shower blocks (included in site fees)River at the lower boundary of the site, children's play and extremley good on site cafe. The cafe serves the full range from snacks to full meals and is very reasonable.
Great base for visting Caernarfon & Llanberis for the Snowdon railway and Electric Mountain.
Would definitely stay on this site again. Good value for the quality and position of the site.
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 are new to camping and we were looking for a nice family campsite for us all to enjoy our first camping trip. 3 adults and 2 kids 8 year old and 10 year old. We found this campsite and read the reviews and decided this looked and sounded just what we were looking for.
I phoned the site and the call was answered by a very helpful lady, before I knew it I had picked my pitch off the campsite map and had our first camping trip booked. I explained we were new to camping and was told if I have any questions or concerned before we arrive just give them a call.
We arrived at the site. I went to reception and got a very warm welcome paid the balance due on arrival. Then the lady gave me some info on the site and showed me where all the facilities were and then took us to our pitch.
As soon as we got out the car the kids were off playing on the playground which is located in the middle of the campsite and made friends in seconds. We got our tent pitched and had a wonder around the site and as another reviewer said the pictures on the website do not do this site the justice it deserves. It is fantastic, the toilets and showers were spotless, the wash-up area was always clean and always had hot water. The river that runs around the site was ideal for the kids to play in as it was shallow.
We will be going back to this site for years to come as we like Wales and this site is ideally located for exploring and is just far enough away from the hustle and bustle for you to have a peaceful relaxing holiday. I was very pleased we found a fantastic campsite for our first camping trip and I would recommend this site to anybody.
I had emailed Brenda the owner prior to booking and the replies were prompt and very helpful.
On arrival we were shown to our pre-booked pitch and given vouchers for the attached garden centre cafe (more of that later).
The site is set in a valley 2 miles outside Caernarfon yet it feels like its in the middle of no-where. The river seiont winds around the edges of the site and you can choose to pitch backing onto the river.
The facilities are fantastic - there is a modern well equipped toilet block with a separate disabled / family shower and toilet which incorporates a baby change. The cleaner was popping in and out from 6. 45am through to about 5pm and there was never any dirt - even when it was raining and mud was being walked in it was never there for longer than about 10 minutes - that lady needs a medal! (She was also very discreet so you didn't feel you were getting in her way at all).
The children's playground has a slide, see-saw, swings, baby swings and climbing rope frame and was just perfect for our children - all children would meet up there, however it was never noisy.
There is a laundry with a wash cycle costing £3. 50 and dryer £1 for 20 minutes. A freezer is provided to freeze ice blocks and again this building was immaculate.
The campsite is adjacent to Seiont garden centre and the garden centre cafe serves a variety of food until 6pm. On arrival we were given a voucher to get £10 off at the cafe as well as various other promotions (free tea with breakfast, free tea with afternoon cakes etc).
The cafe is wonderful - the food is fantastic quality. There is a very good variety of dishes from jacket potato to feta salad or burger and chips - however this is no ordinary 'burger' - it was huge and topped with bacon and cheese, served with a mountain of chips and a side salad that was so fresh and tasty it could have been a meal on its own. The children were well catered for and we had childs breakfast, sausage and chips, pasta bolognaise with grated cheese - all good sized portions. We followed this off with hot chocolate fudge cake, apple pie and bread and butter pudding and were served huge portions.
The cafe itself is very nicely appointed and has some sofas for sitting reading the complimentary newspapers whilst enjoying a cup of coffee.
The site is ideally located and there is a spa shop and chippy just 1 mile away (very reasonably priced chips that were really delicious) - another mile on is Caernarfon which has lots to do with the castle, marina, walled village and also Morrisons and Tesco.
The village of Llanberris is just a couple of miles in the other direction and hosts an array of attractions - we went on the lake steam railway and then into the slate museum. The base of Snowdon is situated here as well as Electric Mountain.
Riverside camping makes an ideal base to explore mid and north Wales or just to go and relax amidst the tranquil scenery.
There was no noise and everyone on the site was extremely friendly - the washing up areas were always left as clean as people found them. There was unlimited hot water and the bins were always being emptied.
Everyone we spoke to were re-booking further stays and we are going to be aiming to go for 2 x stays next year at least.
The reception building sells UHT milk, kids toys and bbqs and also has information leaflets on all local attractions whilst the garden centre shop sells ice lollies, drinks and sweets.
Having stayed just a couple of nights here, we would definitely return - which is unusual for us. We enjoy exploring new sites and locations.
The position of this site is just superb. The river provided perfect fun for the kids (2 x 13yrs and 1 x 10) Net fishing (nets purchased from the on-site garden centre) allowed some easy catching of fish. Caernarfon itself is a beautiful town with castle and harbour. Definately worth an explore if you have never been before. A bit of a trek to most beaches.
As we have a dog, we settled for Dinas Dinlle as a beach stop on the first day, as there is just a small section where the dog is not allowed on the beach. The following day, a trip over to Aberrfraw on Anglesey which is a dog owners haven.
On site, the toilet and shower facilities were always clean and lovely powerful hot showers.
We tested the cakes in the garden centre, but a bit expensive and not overly special, in my view. Although the decking style balcony is lovely to sit out on.
The OS maps show a walk across the river and into the woodland on the other side, which looks lovely, but unfortunately the bridge over the river is condemned - and you can certainly see why. However, I'm sure it would be possible to paddle across the river and take the walk, if you were so inclined.
Visited this site on the August bank holiday after several recommendations and first impressions were good, fantastic location right alongside the river and not too far from the town. Pitch 30 was a good spot, not too far from anything and the cafe was brilliant, great food although a little steep but then you pay for what you get I suppose. Garden centre was nice for a walk round in the afternoon (not very big but well priced)
Facilities at the site are a little dated and unfortunately when we were there despite best efforts were not very clean, at a few times during the weekend it looked like someone had washed off their wellies in the showers and not bothered to clean up after themselves. Unfortunately the weather was not at its best and the site did get a little muddy - not a problem for us but children were playing in the mud.
There are a set of rules you are handed on arrival however there is no-one on hand to monitor these rules and there was regularly noise after the allowed 10pm and campfire (which are 'not' allowed were blazing all round the campsite)
Reception for phones / tv's is non existent as the site is in a valley.
Staff are all friendly and helpful it is just a shame for us that we chose to go at the bank holiday (wouldn't do it again).
Would I return to the site - unsure really if I did it would have to be in low season when the site isn't quite as busy and probably only for a night or 2.
We stayed for two nights at Rivrside. When we booked in at reception we were assisted to our pitch by a very helpful member of staff.
The park is very clean and tidy with showers etc. Being of a high standard, they also encourage you to recycle (they have clearly marked bins for this)
All pitches are set along the river which is wonderful. There is a good play area for children. Also on sight there is a garden centre and a restaurant both well worth a visit.
The park is in an ideal location to visit snowdonia, lleyn peninsula and Anglesey.
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've just returned from a week's camping at riverside, our first time there after two years. To say that it was just as good as we remembered is an understatement - it was even better.
The site is located in a very handy place for the town of caernarfon, which has supermarkets etc. So the lack of a proper camp shop is not an issue. There is an on-site café, which does good food at not unreasonable prices, and cold drinks and ice lollies can be bought at the adjacent garden centre.
The lack of a local pub within easy walking distance (the road upon which the campsite is situated is not very pedestrian-friendly) might be an issue to some, although as the site was largely populated by families, I doubt that too many were bothered.
Riverside has a decent central play area, which kids of all ages seem to enjoy at different times of day; the younger ones play all day with the teens coming out later on to 'hang out'. I'd avoid pitching too close to the play park for that reason (we did this on our first visit, lesson learned), but there are plenty of (electric) pitches that enjoy a great view of the playground so that parents can keep an eye on the children from their tent from a safe distance. There was plenty of space for bat and ball games too, but this might be reduced at busier times.
What really makes this place family friendly is the river seiont that runs around the site. It is not too deep, but deep enough in parts for a swim and mostly shallow enough for younger paddlers. We even had our kids in a rubber dinghy running the 'rapids' after a day of rain… there are plenty of fish, eels and other creatures to be fished for too. Anyone with children who can be left to play in the river unsupervised will have a really relaxing stay, while the kids will have a whale of a time.
The facilities were good. The toilers/showers were certainly cleaned regularly, but while there are two different blocks on site, anyone camping down at the far end of the river had a long walk to the loo. There was free use of a freezer for freezer blocks, which was invaluable, and also a laundry which, to be honest, was a little on the pricy side. There was free wifi in the café, which apparently extended as far as the play area.
We found the site admin to be friendly and helpful. She was regularly on site and was very approachable. The electricity went down across the site for a short while, and when it was restored she toured the site to ensure everyone was back up again. One minor niggle was that we were a bit far from the electric hookup point. In fairness, we had that issue last time we were there, and we were given the use of an extension cable for free.
This time I just bit the bullet and took a trip to snowdonia camping and bought my own ehu extension cable (instead of being about 2m short, I had about 20m left over). If you're going for the first time, measure the length of your ehu cable and ask if it will be long enough, and if not, will they lend you an extension. Another chap was telling me that the ehu system at riverside was among the best he'd been to, able to handle all the toasters, kettles etc without any regular outages.
I could mention all the various things to do in the local area, but as we just stayed on-site the whole time (other than for a visit to cadwalladers ice cream café in porthmadoc), I won't. Instead, I'll point out that we never felt the need to go anywhere else and everyone was happy with that.
When you consider that our four children range from 1 to 13 years old, that's a great compliment to the site and, ultimately, why we won't be leaving it another two years before we return.
This was our first camping trip. We're local to the area and didn't want to go too far from home.
Campsite wasn't too busy and found a space by the river. It was very peaceful to hear the water running :) After putting the tent up we went for a walk around the campsite.
The toilet blocks were kept clean and couldn't fault them in any way. Took the little one to the play area and found a little sand pit there too, our little one loved it!
On the whole we really enjoyed camping and are planning our return trip to Riverside.
We were a party of three adult ladies and two small dogs, arriving with a car and trailer, for a three night stay at Riverside camping. The main objective was to see if the site would be suitable to bring an elderly disabled uncle in a wheelchair, with us, to give him a holiday at a later date.
On arrival we could see at a glance that the photographs printed on the web, did not do justice to the site, it was lovely. We were met by a very friendly lady who went through every thing quickly with us, which we appreciated after a long hot drive here, and we were pointed in the direction of our site (I would like to point out that I had been in communication with this lady by email regarding deposits etc, and also with numerous questions about the site, to which she replied both efficiently, quickly, and in a friendly manner) prior to our arrival. Please note that cards are not accepted at reception only cheques and cash. 10/10 here
We found our pitch with no trouble at all, it was right next to the river which ran around the camp site.
After a long journey the first thing on our minds was to find the Loo's. We did not have to look far, the toilets and showers including a full disabled bathroom was a mere 50 yards in the centre of the site. Also washing up points chemical waste and Laundry provided. We did our first recky and found them to be really nice, very clean, well kept, plenty of mirrors, showers well designed, and supplied with soap if you had forgotten your own. So 10/10 here.
Then we got down to the business of erecting the tent. We always go for electric hook up and it was easy to sort out. We did notice that there was plenty of sites for people who did not want electric hook up, so every one catered for here.
We also took in that all the pitches were flat and very spacious, with plenty of hard standing ones ( which had a covering of grass so as not to spoil the look of the place). For this trip we had taken the smaller tent we own, which is a five man tent with two bedrooms but it is still quite a size, ( the tent we will be bringing next time will be the outwell XXL which has four bedrooms and can cater up to 12 people).
On looking at the pitch it was well big enough to put up our larger tent. ( some camp sites we have been to have made us take two pitches for our outwell XXL, which you can imagine runs up the cost). So we were happy to see that it will not be the case here. 10/10.
Right so once tent was up and bedding sorted, we were able sit down with a nice cuppa and enjoy the view. From our pitch we could see a good sized play area for children, which was pretty central but yet, although there were loads of children on site, the noise level was very low, may be down to the planning of the site and the well sited tree's helped to keep the noise down. No, all we could hear was the lovely running sound of the river, which was extremely peaceful and calming. 10/10
Come the evening we sat round our glowing BBQ coles ( wood burners not allowed for safety reasons, but you can add a little coal as coal does not spit) and watched the sun go down with a nice glass of wine or a few beers and then bed for a peaceful nights sleep. 10/10.
Other amenities on the site is a rather nice garden centre, so if you have green fingers you will be at home here, and just through the garden centre is a great cafe with a balcony so you can sit outside if you want to enjoy the good food they had on offer( even a roast dinner on sunday's), which is up a flight of stairs. We thought this was going to be our first stumbling block, But no, they had thought of every thing, they have a lift to take up wheelchairs and prams, so again 10/10.
Dogs are welcome on site as long as they are kept on a leads or long tethered leads giving them plenty of space to run around, and there is also a lovely dog walk with facilities to put the doggy poop in, so 10/10 there to.
There are plenty of beaches, pubs and historical sites to visit round and about, just in case you get bored with the beautiful site you are pitched on. So in our view 10/10 for this too.
Now the one thing that I personally would have liked to have seen would have been a better stocked shop on site. There is a small shop in reception selling toys, BBQ coals and milk but you have to go a mile in the car to the nearest Spar if you want anything else. Lucky for us we brought enough with us so it was not a main issue, But I would have liked to have one personally myself. So for this I give 9/10.
Finally I have to admit that weather plays a big part in camping, and we were very lucky to have had a glorious weekend, so much so that we have booked for August bank holiday weekend and a week in September. Riverside camping can not control the weather but have done their best to make ones stay what ever the weather a really good one. Rain or shine I will enjoy my holidays here and are looking forward to many more stays.
Nice site this. Highly recommended. Stayed three nights over Easter weekend as part of a party of 8 Adults and 5 Children between 3 and 9 years of age.
Set in a really nice sheltered spot close to Caernarfon and Llanberris. Park owner very friendly and helpful. Site was nice and tidy, campers were well behaved (apart from us!).
Toilet block always really clean, free showers always hot. No negatives on this one. One tip. They don't have a credit card machine.
Not that it was a problem, they just let us pitch anyway, also lent us an extension lead for the EHU as ours was not long enough. Will be back for another brilliant weekend soon.
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Common Questions
Is Riverside Camping child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Riverside Camping? There is a shop within 1 mile View all facilities
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
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 
Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
No 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 
Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop <1 mile 
Bar <5 miles 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing On Site 
Wild Swimming <5 miles 
Indoor Pool <5 miles 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding <5 miles 
Cycle Hire <5 miles 
Golf <5 miles 
Tennis <5 miles 
Beach <5 miles 
Watersports <5 miles 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
Riverside Pitches 
Public Transport On Site
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
We arrived at the campsite on bank holiday Monday. The site was very busy, our pitches by the river were just big enough, but we decided to wait for the people next to us to leave that evening so we could fit our tent in without being squashed! 
