Caerphilly County Borough, South Wales
The Caerphilly mountain walk is a convenient but short, hiking opportunity for those who fancy stretching their legs without venturing too far from Cardiff and surrounding areas
Caerphilly Mountain Circular Walk
In all the years I have lived in South Wales, I have only ventured up to Caerphilly a few times. However, I had never visited Caerphilly Mountain (Welsh: Mynydd Caerffili).
So, when I was asked to look after my nephew, William, for the afternoon, I decided that this would be the ideal opportunity to experience the Caerphilly Mountain climb for the first time. I had a feeling that he would be more than happy to join me as he very much enjoyed climbing Sugarloaf Mountain with us in 2017.
Besides, my fellow Roaming Spice was not available as she was studying hard on her next psychology assignment.
How to Get There?
Caerphilly Mountain is located just a short distance south of Caerphilly town centre, in South Wales. It is also less than 10 miles from the centre of Cardiff. If you require Caerphilly Mountain directions, simply click the ‘directions’ link on the map below and enter your location. Allow Google to guide you directly to the Caerphilly Mountain car park.
Caerphilly Mountain Parking
The Caerphilly Mountain car park is the same car park used for the Caerphilly Mountain Snack Bar. The car park is located on the east side of the B4263, a short distance from its junction with A469 (Thornhill Road).
The car park has the capacity for approximately 50 cars and is located right across the road from the access path to Caerphilly Mountain.
The Caerphilly Mountain postcode and full address is: Mountain Road, Caerphilly CF83 1HJ.
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Mountain Walk Route – Step by Step
To get started on the Caerphilly Mountain circular walk, simply cross the road from the car park and follow the well-made path up the gentle incline to the crest of the hill. This section of the Caerphilly Mountain trail runs parallel with the A469, just off to your left.
Soon, the path begins to sweep around to the right. This will lead you to the trig point at the summit of Caerphilly Mountain. Do not follow this path. Instead, you will notice a smaller, clearly less trafficked path, that continues straight along the southerly ridge of the mountain.
Follow this path and soon it drops down and meets a private gravel driveway. Cross directly over this driveway and the trail continues into a peaceful wooded area. At this point, the track begins to wind its way to the north and away from the main road, slowly losing the traffic noise as it does so.
The Caerphilly Mountain walk trail soon breaks out of the woods and onto the open north-westerly slope of the mountain. This section offers far-reaching views across Caerphilly Golf Course, the town and mountains to the north.
Continue following the track as it gradually works its way around the perimeter of the mountain. Before long you will once again catch sight of the B4263 and the Cafe indicating the starting point.
Once the trail intercepts the track upon which you started, turn right but this time follow the path as it sweeps right to the summit of the mountain. Once you have taken the time to enjoy the views, retrace your track the short distance back to the car park.
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Common Questions & Answers
How long does it take to walk up Caerphilly Mountain?
From the car park to the trig point at the summit takes about 10-15 minutes in each direction. To replicate the Caerphilly Mountain circular walk that I have described here, it will take approximately 1 hour.
How far is the circular walk around Caerphilly Mountain?
The route that we have described here, measured using the ViewRanger hiking app, is 1.86 miles (2.99 km).
How high is Caerphilly Mountain?
Caerphilly Mountain height: 271 metres (889 ft) above sea-level.
How difficult is the Caerphilly Mountain Walk?
If you have a basic level of fitness, you should find this walk a total breeze!
Caerphilly Mountain Walk – Our Thoughts
If you are looking for a convenient location and a short brisk walk to blow those cobwebs away, this may suit you fine. If on the other hand, you are on the lookout for a bit of a challenge, this is most definitely not one for you!
If I am out in nature, the last thing I want to hear is the sound of traffic. With main roads running along two sides of Caerphilly Mountain, the sound is traffic is far too prominent for my liking.
That said, the stretch of the trail around the northerly section of the mountain is peaceful and offers nice views. However, it is not particularly varied or exciting. I am glad that I experienced the walk but I am certainly in no hurry to return to Caerphilly Mountain any time soon.
If you are looking for a pleasant hike in close proximity to Cardiff, I would recommend the Garth Mountain walk over Caerphilly Mountain, all day long!
Of course, this is just my opinion. If you would like to read what others are saying about their experience, head over to the Caerphilly Mountain TripAdvisor page.
If you have been to Caerphilly Mountain and would like to share your experience or thoughts, please do so in the comment box below:
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