Bala River Valley and Forest Loop

A loop that starts in the green valley of a fast Welsh river, then climbs north onto open moorland and into one of the largest conifer forests in North Wales. Farmland, small stone villages and dark plantation trees take turns, with wind turbines on the skyline and the odd glimpse of red squirrel country.

Roughly a third of the day is on unnumbered lanes through the forest and the hills beyond it, where the pace is steady and the junctions are frequent. The valley road at the start is relaxed and the way home is quick and open, so it suits a rider who wants variety without a major mountain pass. Ride it in a dry spell between spring and early autumn, when the lanes are clear of mud and leaf.