Walks from Aberdare

Easy walk through Aberdare town centre to Aberdare Park, with an optional extension to Dare Valley Country Park.

Aberdare Park: Historic Victorian public park with play areas, wildlife and an ornamental pond.

Dare Valley Country Park: Country park in a reclaimed mining valley to the west of Aberdare; an optional walk extension.

Time: 1h–2h30

1 lunch spot: Aberdare Park Café

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a fifth of the walk.

Walk details: Transport for Wales (tips, photos and turn-by-turn directions).

Mountain paths and with strenuous climbs and descents.

Hilly: a quarter on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Time: 4h30–9h30

Walk details: Railwalks.

Similar walk: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Some great views across the top of the Cynon Valley. A route over reclaimed old industrial workings (spoil heaps and levels) with lots of criss-crossing paths that don't match the map, climbing through Blaencanaid Forest to great views across the Cynon Valley and then forest tracks descending steeply into Aberdare on stony and narrow rocky paths.

Woodland: half under tree cover.

Time: 3h–5h30

Warnings: The criss-crossing paths over the old industrial workings don't match the map, requiring doubling back and route-finding. The descent into Aberdare is steep at times with stony forestry and narrow rocky tracks.

Walk details: Slow Ways.