Brecon Beacons National Park

Brecon Beacons National Park is a protected upland area in south Wales, United Kingdom, covering moorland, ridges and valleys and designated as a national park in 1957.

Created under the postwar national park movement, the Brecon Beacons were set aside for public enjoyment and landscape conservation in 1957. Over subsequent decades the park has developed trails, visitor centres and conservation programs while retaining largely rural land use.

The park sits in south Wales and spans parts of several counties; it is roughly a 45-minute to two-hour drive north of Cardiff depending on the chosen access point, with Brecon town and other small towns serving as gateways.

• Size and status: Established as a national park in 1957 and covering roughly 1,344 square kilometres, it protects upland moor, ridges and valleys in South Wales.
• Highest peak: Pen y Fan at 886 metres is the highest point in the park and in southern Britain; the summit ridge is busiest in fair weather and at weekends.

What to See #

• Pen y Fan: Pen y Fan, the park's highest peak at 886 metres, forms part of a popular ridgewalk with Corn Du and Cribyn that is a focal point for hikers.
• Black Mountains / Black Mountain: The Black Mountains and Black Mountain (western ranges) provide rugged moorland, ridges and valleys popular for multi-day routes and mountain walking.
• Waterfalls Country: Areas known as 'Waterfalls Country' around Ystradfellte contain a series of notable falls and short walking circuits frequently visited from the southern park fringes.