A Guide to Waterfall Country in the Brecon Beacons National Park
Waterfall Country is an area of over a dozen waterfalls between Pontneddfechan and Ystradfellte in the southwestern part of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
They may not be the most tropical or the biggest waterfalls in the world, but their scale, location and the fact that you can walk behind several of the waterfalls makes them some of the most spectacular you’ll lay eyes on.
In this guide, I have written a detailed description of each waterfall and how to reach them, including where to park.
I have grouped waterfalls into two categories, individual falls; single waterfalls which require very little time and effort to reach and Waterfall hikes; a collection of several waterfalls linked by a trail which require more time and effort.
Individual Waterfalls
Henrhyd Falls - a 90ft Waterfall and the crown jewel of the region
Melincourt falls- A lesser-known, 80ft high waterfall
Waterfall county hikes
Four Waterfalls walk - A 6km loop which visits four different waterfalls, including Sgwd yr Eira.
Elidir trail - A 4km out & back woodland trail which passes four different waterfalls including Sgwd Gwladus.
Sychryd Gorge waterfall walk - A short walk 2km walk which takes you to Sychryd Falls.
The Waterfall county loop - A nine mile loop which links up the Sychryd Gorge walk, Four Falls trail, and Elidir Trail.
Sgwd yr Eira on the four Falls trail
Henrhyd Waterfall
The crown jewel of waterfall county in the Brecon Beacons and one which you must visit if you are in the region.
At 90ft, it’s the tallest waterfall in South Wales and was used as a filming location for the final scene of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises where it doubled as the entrance for the Batcave.
It’s a spectacular waterfall, specially after a period of heavy rain, and can visited in less than 45 minutes.
For more information on the waterfall including where to park and how to reach it check out my blog below.
Melincourt Waterfall
A lesser-known, 80ft high waterfall located just outside of the Brecon Beacons national park boundary near the town of Resolven.
Under-appreciated and under-visited, It’s a beautiful set of waterfalls (there is a smaller waterfall to the right if the main falls) which shares a resemblance to the mighty Henrhyd falls.
Unfortunately, you cannot walk behind this waterfall, but its secluded location and lack of visitors certainly make up for this.
The waterfalls are extremely easy to access from the car park. Simply cross the main road and follow the path alongside the eastern bank (right-hand side) of the river upstream for 500m.
Four Waterfalls walk
An absolute gem of a walk and another highlight of waterfall country.
This 5km circular loop cuts through some the ancient woodland of the Brecon Beacons and stops by four spectacular waterfalls: Sgwd Clun-Gwyn, Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn, Sgwd Y Pannwr and the magnificent Sgwd yr Eira, a waterfall which you can stand directly behind.
Sgwd yr Eira - The ‘Waterfall of Snow’ is a broad, 30ft waterfall which you can walk behind.
The route is well maintained, well signposted and not at all difficult making it suitable for even young children.
Rather than clog this blog post up with the route details, I have written a dedicated blog post on the Four Waterfalls walk route below, including the best place to park and a more adventurous and alternative route to get back to the start point.
The Elidir trail
Another majestical woodland walk which passes three beautiful waterfalls alongside a dozen other small cascades on the way to the breathtaking Sgwd Gwladus, a 20ft cascade of water which spills over an overhanging sandstone rock lip.
Sgwd Ddwli Isaf, the "Lower gushing Falls’’
The walk isn’t at all difficult and involves following a well-maintained trail, which can get muddy but is suitable for young children. If you are feeling adventurous you can extend this walk to reach the hidden gem that is Sgwd Einion Gam.
The waterfall lies a further half a mile upstream from Sgwd Gwladus and is a bit of a mission to reach, involving two river crossings, navigating unmarked woodland and an extremely precarious path.
The reward for trekking onwards to find this spot will (hopefully) be that you have this majestic waterfall all to yourself.
For a detailed guide on the Elidir trail, including how to reach the fabled Sgwd Einion Gam and the best place to park, check out my blog post below.
Sgwd Einion Gam
Sychryd Waterfall
Hidden away in the Sychryd gorge is a small secluded set of falls traversed by a wooden footbridge.
This isn’t the biggest or most impressive set of falls in Brecon Beacon waterfall country but its secluded nature, fairytale-esq surroundings, and lack of other visitors make it a perfect waterfall to visit if you’re looking to escape the crowds.
There’s also a couple of abandoned silica mines nearby which you can poke your head in and explore.
The Ultimate Waterfall country loop
If you have eaten your Weetabix and have a little more energy in the legs then why not combine all three of the above hikes to complete one mega 9 nine mile loop of waterfall county.
This wonderful waterfall walk visits nine waterfalls, two of which you can stand behind and is one epic day out, especially if the weather isn’t the best. For more details on the walk check out my guide below.
Which waterfalls to visit?
Whilst all the waterfalls are worthy of a visit, you may not have the time or stamina to do so.
If you are visiting for one day and have time for a big adventure then I would recommend tackling the Waterfall country loop as this takes in the best of the region. You’ll also have far less trouble parking at Dinas rock and will actually get some solitude on sections of the walk, which is rare in waterfall county
If you only have the time to complete one hike, then I would recommend the Four Waterfalls trail over the Elidir Trail. Being able to walk directly behind a waterfall is an experience you wont forget.
That being said both walks are fantastic and you won’t be disappointed with either.
Make sure you take the time to visit the magnificent Henrhyd Falls, which is only a short 20-minute drive from both the Four Waterfalls walk & Elidir Trail.
Just don’t make the mistake of visiting Henrhyd falls first, as this will probably make all of the other waterfalls seem rather underwhelming.
Did you find the blog useful or have you visited Waterfall country before?
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You can find more Welsh hiking inspiration in the following blogs
For more travel, & photography inspiration around Wales check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite regions below.
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