Four Waterfalls Walk in the Brecon Beacons | Detailed guide with video blog
The four falls trail is an absolute gem of a walk and one of the highlights of waterfall country in the Brecon beacons.
The 7km circular loop cuts through the ancient woodland of the Brecon Beacons and stops by four spectacular waterfalls including the magnificent Sgwd yr Eira a waterfall which you can stand directly behind, alongside several other cascades.
This blog post outlines the four falls trail route including alternative way to start the hike and a more adventurous way to get back to your car which will give you an incredible view of the mighty Sgwd Isaf Clun -Gwyn.
Key Information
Hike distance: 4 miles /7km
Hike Difficulty: Moderate
Hike duration: 2-4 hours
Elevation gain: 235m
Car park and start point: Comin Y Rhos
What Three Words: staked.anyway.intention
Things to note before tackling this walk
The four waterfalls hike should take between 2-3 hours but allow more time for exploring
The only toilets and facilities on this loop are located at the waterfall centre in Pontneddfechan. So for this reason I would recommend packing water and snacks
I’d recommend tackling this hike after a period of heavy rain or during the shoulder seasons. This should mean the waterfalls will be in full flow and the crowds will be a little bit smaller.
Although this isn’t the most technical of trails the paths can get very muddy and slippery underfoot so appropriate and grippy footwear is advised.
Alongside the four waterfalls there will be plenty of plunge pools and smaller cascades for you to take a rather chilly dip in. Pack your swimwear and a towel and don’t be afraid to brave the cold water.
Where to Park
The start point of this hike is a free small car park to the west of the falls (What Three Words: staked.anyway.intention), as opposed to the designated car parks at Cwm Porth or Gwaun Hepste.
Parking here is not only free, but saves you around two miles of unnecessary woodland walking and places you within a 5-minute drive of the Elidir trail start point at the waterfall centre.
Be warned the car park is very small (<8 cars) and fills up very quickly so get there early (or late) to avoid missing out.
There’s sometimes an overflow car park open but if there isn’t you’ll have to head back down the hill for around 400m until the road widens and it’s safe to park on the side of the road.
The Route
From the small car park head down the concrete road, after passing a large information sign displaying the map of the area there will be a metal gate swing gate on your right, go through it and follow the gravel path passing through a second swing gate before descending into the forest.
After around 400m you’ll see the first waterfall, Sgwd Clun-Gwyn, down to your right-hand side. At this point, to the bemusement of other walkers, you’ll be on the other side of the river to the official ‘Four waterfalls walk’.
In order to reach the opposite viewpoint simply walk upstream for around 200m until you reach a small wooden footbridge, cross over the river, head right and follow the trail back on yourself until you reach marker #15 displayed on the map below.
This map will act as a reference for the hike and is found throughout the trail however I have edited it to help outline the extra routes. You will follow marker #16 through to #36, then from #36 you will double back on yourself to marker #25 before following the trail down to #32 then onwards to #15
Waterfall 1 - Sgwd Clun-Gwyn
This translates to the ‘The upper fall of the wide meadow ‘ and plummets around 40 ft over two ledges. For the more adventurous walkers amongst you, I would recommend scrambling down the side the falls to view the waterfall from below
From Sgwd Clun-Gwyn, head back up the rocky hill to marker #16 and then follow the red dotted trail along the valley ridge line towards marker #17.
Continue to follow the red arrows, ignoring the path that branches off down the hill to at marker #25. After 1.4km you’ll reach the marker #35 and the signpost for Sgwd yr Eira, from here begin the steep 100m descent down to the waterfall via the 170 horribly steep steps.
The view from below the falls
The view of the waterfall from Marker #15
Waterfall 2: Sgwd yr Eira
Sgwd yr Eira, or ‘Waterfall of Snow’ is the most impressive of the four waterfalls on the walk, It’s a broad, 30ft waterfall which can resemble a curtain of water after a heavy period of rain.
What makes the waterfall so special is the path which allows you to walk directly behind the waterfall. If the rainfall has been heavy I’d recommend packing a decent waterproof jacket and some grippy shoes as you are bound to get wetter than a haddocks bathing costume.
From Sgwd yr Eira, head back up the 170 steps and after taking a quick breather on the benches which I can only assume have been put there for people to have a cardiac arrest on, retrace your steps back towards the first waterfall.
When you reach marker #25, take the path that descends down to the left into the valley following the green markers until you’ll eventually reach the third waterfall at marker #30.
Waterfall 3 - Sgwd y Pannwr
Sgwd y Pannwr which translates to ‘Fall of the woollen washer’, is a wide cascading 15m waterfall. It is probably the least impressive of the four but is still beautiful and worth visiting.
You will initially be stood looking over the waterfall however you are able to climb down a small gorge to view the waterfalls from below.
From Sgwd y Pannwr, follow the river upstream for a couple of hundred yards over some wooden boardwalks and a small rocky section until you reach the fourth and final waterfall.
Waterfall 4 - Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn
My favourite waterfall on the walk. Translated to the ‘lower fall of the white meadows’ this is actually a sequence of waterfalls, separated by several ledges and deep pools which you can actually swim in.
You’ll initially only be able to see the smaller lower section of waterfalls, however, if you scramble up the bank covered in tree roots to the right of the river you will be able to reach a viewpoint for the upper part of the falls, which is a beautiful wide cascade of water.
The lower section. On the far right of the image is the bank you have to scramble up to reach the upper falls
The upper section of Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn.
How to get back to your car
To complete the route and get back to the first waterfall, carry on scrambling up the right-hand side of the Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn waterfall (Marker #32). You’ll eventually see a narrow path on your left which runs alongside the valley cliff face. This path sticks to the eastern bank (right side) of the river and will take you back upstream to the first set of waterfalls at marker #15.
The path is no longer signposted but is easy to follow indicated by a clear, well-trodden path. The initial section of the path is very exposed, so caution should be advised when walking this route. Howver the path is wide and flat enough that you do not need to be close to the edge
You might pass a sign saying the route is unsafe and to turn back. It really isn’t and as long as you stick to the path you will be perfectly fine. Once you reach the first waterfall simply retrace your steps over the footbridge and back to the car park.
How to see Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn from a different perspective
As previously mentioned, there is an alternative viewpoint on the western side of the riverbank.
On the gravel path leading back out out the woods on the way back to the car park there should be two wooden pillars. From these pillars follow the grassy path for around 100m until you reach a wooden fence perched on a cliff top overlooking the waterfalls. From here bear left and scramble down the precarious goat like trail to the top of the waterfalls.
A birds-eye view of the route
Once at the top of Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn you can either scramble down the side of the waterfall to its base or walk through the woods to view it from directly opposite .
To get back to your car simply retrace your steps to the path and continue back to the car park. However If that sounds confusing I have created a vlog outlining the route.
So there we have it, a hike guide to the Four Falls trail. You can actually combine this hike with the Elidir Trail to create arguabley the best waterfall walk in the Brecon Beacons you can find that guide below.
If you did find it helpful, I’d appreciate you giving it a share or giving me a follow on social media, every bit of support goes a long way.
You can find more Welsh hiking inspiration in the following blogs
For more travel, & photography inspiration around Wales check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite regions below.