There’s a few options for camping in Bala but not many that really get things right. Bwch Yn Uchaf has something for everyone though. Camp by a river, caravan with electric hook-up or even stay in their beautiful bed and breakfast accomodation, it’s a unique camp site. We first visited back in 2017 and been back since, we really do think it’s a bit of a gem.
Where is it?
Who can pitch there?
11 Tent Pitches over two fields. 7 in the Coed Field and 4 in the Afon Field. There’s also a camper van pitch or two. There’s also a bunkhouse that sleeps 10. We didn’t go in, but it looks pretty good. Especially if you’ve got a large group looking for a base in Wales for a few days.
How much does it cost?
Adults: £8
Children (3-16): £4
Dogs: £1
Electric Hook Up: £4
Fire basket, logs: £3, £4
You can check out their price list here.
Can we have a campfire?
Yep, using your own off the ground fire pit or hire one from the site. Logs are available on site too.
Can we have a BBQ?
Absolutely.
Can we take our dog?
Yep, £1 a night 🙂
I’ve been writing a whole bunch about some of the amazing, cheap gadgets and camping gear I’ve been using. You can read about them here!
Our Stay
After the success of the birthday wild camp we did 4 days prior we decided to try and squeeze another one-nighter in before the kids went back to school. This time with some friends. We stumbled upon Bwch Yn Uchaf whilst searching for a site not too far away but far enough to feel like a bit of an adventure still.
We pass through Bala and Llyn Tegid (the lake) on our way to various parts of Wales from where we live on the Wirral. We’ve never actually stayed there though and Bwch Yn Uchaf is just outside in the village of Llanuwchllyn. The site itself is on the banks of the River Twrch (LOLZ) and adjacent to Llanuwchllyn Narrow Gauge Railway Station which has small steam trains running along the lake.
It’s Ideal for Us
We generally have a few set criteria for a campsite, mainly though it’s got to be by water (beach/river/lake) or have some unique natural element such as an incredible view. Bwch Yn Uchaf ticks both boxes. We pitched in the lower section of the site which is unallocated (another big deal for us) so we got right next to the river. It was pretty quiet with it still being April and a bit chilly so we really did almost have the place to ourselves.
Great Value for the Location
For the whole family it worked out at £24 for the one night. The pricing is based on £8pppn for Sarah and myself and £4pppn for each of the kids. We decided to leave our fire pit at home too and hired one for £3 (we actually bought logs to on site for £4). It’s not the cheapest, but it’s not the most expensive either and you are getting a pretty special location.
There’s a big toilet/shower block near the top field, it’s got 7 toilets, 5 showers and washing facilities too. There’s a disabled toilet/family room too which could probably be super useful if we were all in the river all day and needed hosing down. There are 10 electric hookup pitches too.
What’s Nearby?
After we pitched up we walked through Llanuwchllyn and headed up the nearest hill, mapless and I was wearing sandals (I’m going to blame it on the sun putting me in “AUGUST HOLIDAY MODE”). I immediately stepped in a bog and had to walk the rest with the dreaded brown bog foot.
Fortunately the walk was worth it and we got some incredible views after 20 minutes of walking up a big grassy hill.
Clocaenog Forest is 15000 acres of woodland situated not far from Bala too. Amazingly beautiful and lots of circular walks. You can find out more about it from our vlog here.
After returning back to camp we got the firepit going (an old car wheel) and had dinner, it got a bit chilly but the kids, as usual, were happy as larry chucking rocks into the river and playing with our new Wubble ball (get one!) The sunsets over the river behind the hills making for a great photo.
We ended up extending our stay for an extra day because the weather was great initially. Though in classic Snowdonia fashion after we’d paid for the second night, mist and fog swept in out of nowhere. It didn’t really change our plans however, we headed over to the east side of Llyn Tegid and went for walk in the hills. There’s a fair bit to do in the surrounding area. It’s ideally placed for Snowdonia walk/hikes etc and not too far from the likes of Zip World, Surf Snowdonia etc. There’s a pub 10 min walk away too.
Great site, I reckon its probably good for a last minute jaunt as there’s plenty of space. You can book online too. Next time we’re going to get on that railway too, looks super fun.
Thanks for having us Bwch Yn Uchaf! 🙂
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