Camping in Bala, Wales with Kids

Our very first family camping trip took us to Wales. After much research we chose the gorgeous area of Bala, an historic market town in Snowdonia National Park. It was the perfect mix of adventure and comfort for our first attempt at family camping!

Campsite

We camped on the lakeside at Glanllyn Lakeside Caravan and Camping Park for £18 per night. Of course, we arrived very late, in the dark to a torrential downpour which soaked us through as we battled the wind and rain to put our tent up!

The next morning we discovered that we had pitched up in the most beautiful campsite, right on the lakeside. Children splashed in the little stream while the adults cooked breakfast – it was very idyllic. There was WiFi, nice clean toilets and hot showers available which made our stay a bit more comfortable! It was a world away from our wild camping days in the Peak District but the amenities were great for Fin.

Top three things to do with kids

1. Row your boat

Lake Bala has a huge range of water sports available from sailing to kayaking. We hired a small wooden row boat (£30 for an hour from Bala Watersports) and headed out onto the peaceful waters for some wonderful views.

2. Bala Steam Train

Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake Railway) runs a one hour / nine mile return journey along Bala Lake, through the beautiful Snowdonia National Park (£12 return). The small steam trains give excellent views of the lake and the gorgeous scenery. The train crew and guards dress in period clothing and your traditional tickets get punched when you board the train. It was Fins favourite part of our Bala stay!

3. Hike to the waterfalls

Surrounded by natural beauty, you can hike in any direction from Bala to take in the views! We took a short drive to Coed-y-Brenin forest which has a network of hiking trails, mountain bike courses and a visitors centre with playground.

We took on the 10k hike to Pistyll Cain Waterfall which was beautiful. It is definitely not a swimmable waterfall though!

Getting Around

As you can imagine, camping in rural Wales is not the most pushchair friendly activity! We took our carrier for some hiking and used the car to get around.