Caernarfon’s biggest
Y Morfa
Playing field
3.4 ha (8 acres)
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Nilfanion · CC BY-SA 4.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Caernarfon · parks, paths & countryside
Caernarfon is on the coast, on the Wales Coast Path
The sea makes up 13% of the area within 5 km. The Ynys Mon/anglesey National Landscape begins 0.3 mi from the town’s edge. Footpaths add up to 27 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 1.4 for every square kilometre. Caernarfon grades B− for the outdoors: #10 of 13 in Gwynedd. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
83%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
27 km
1.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
14%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Ynys Mon/anglesey National Landscape
The sea
13%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Caernarfon?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast13% of the area within 5 km is sea; 2 beaches mapped.Countryside both waysYnys Mon/anglesey starts 0.3 mi north-west, Snowdonia 3.7 mi south-east.On a National TrailThe Wales Coast Path passes through.Few mapped footpaths1.4 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
Caernarfon’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by two protected landscapes close by. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Caernarfon grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Caernarfon, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B−
Better than 55% of UK towns#10 of 13 in Gwynedd · 33rd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
34out of
100
100
A park within a walk83%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
53out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape14%of the land within 5 km
74out of
100
100
Footpaths1.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
14out of
100
100
The sea13%of the area within 5 km
87out of
100
100
Graded, never part of the overall grade (like History and Civic life). It measures what is mapped: OS Open Greenspace leaves out woodland and open-access land that isn’t a park, and OpenStreetMap’s rural paths are more complete in some places than others.
Towns its size
Caernarfon is 33rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 9,300 to 10,500 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Outdoors score: the share of UK towns each one beats
Footpath, km per km²
Caernarfon1.4
Towns its size3.1
Gwynedd towns1.8
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Caernarfon1.7
Towns its size2.4
Gwynedd towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Caernarfon83%
Towns its size84%
Gwynedd towns83%
All UK towns83%
Caernarfon falls furthest behind on path per km², where 56 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caldicot Gwent | A+ | 4.2 | 92% | 3 | 2% |
| 2 | Bordon Hampshire | A | 8.6 | 54% | 6.7 | 49% |
| 3 | Beccles Suffolk | A | 4.5 | 87% | 3.2 | 20% |
| 4 | South Merstham Surrey | A | 3.7 | 84% | 3.7 | 20% |
| 5 | Nuthall and Watnall Nottinghamshire | A | 6.3 | 97% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 6 | Bradford-on-Avon Wiltshire | A | 2.8 | 88% | 3.7 | 21% |
| 7 | Southborough Kent | A− | 2.8 | 94% | 2.5 | 57% |
| 8 | Whiteley Hampshire | A− | 3 | 52% | 4.4 | 2% |
| 9 | Thurmaston Leicestershire | A− | 10.4 | 89% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 10 | Esher Surrey | A− | 6.9 | 86% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Kings Hill Kent | A− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 7% |
| 12 | Padiham Lancashire | A− | 1.5 | 95% | 4.5 | 18% |
| 13 | Bingham Nottinghamshire | A− | 3.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 14 | Egglescliffe County Durham | A− | 4.9 | 94% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 15 | Aveley Essex | A− | 3.4 | 84% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 16 | Irthlingborough Northamptonshire | A− | 4.7 | 94% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Yarm North Yorkshire | A− | 3.3 | 96% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Corfe Mullen Dorset | B+ | 3.1 | 72% | 3.5 | 13% |
| 19 | Woodbridge Suffolk | B+ | 1.7 | 80% | 3.9 | 30% |
| 20 | Sandiacre Derbyshire | B+ | 2.6 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 21 | Cranleigh Surrey | B | 2.5 | 20% | 4.3 | 38% |
| 22 | Shildon County Durham | B | 2.8 | 93% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Pontllanfraith Gwent | B | 3.7 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 24 | Ludlow Shropshire | B | 2.3 | 92% | 2.1 | 16% |
| 25 | North Wingfield and Holmewood Derbyshire | B | 2.7 | 84% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 26 | Great Dunmow Essex | B | 2 | 92% | 4 | 0% |
| 27 | Queensbury West Yorkshire | B | 2.6 | 91% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Tiptree Essex | B | 2.7 | 90% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Immingham Lincolnshire | B | 2 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Perton Staffordshire | B | 2.4 | 93% | 3 | 0% |
| 31 | Pembroke Dock Dyfed | B− | 1.7 | 80% | 1.1 | 25% |
| 32 | Yaxley Cambridgeshire | B− | 2.6 | 90% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 33 | Caernarfon Gwynedd | B− | 1.7 | 83% | 1.4 | 14% |
| 34 | Horbury West Yorkshire | B− | 2.5 | 75% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Mildenhall Suffolk | B− | 2.1 | 91% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 36 | Monmouth Gwent | B− | 1.5 | 69% | 3.1 | 45% |
| 37 | Radstock Somerset | B− | 1.1 | 93% | 2.9 | 1% |
| 38 | Knottingley West Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 88% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Whitchurch Shropshire | B− | 2.7 | 86% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Mold Clwyd | C+ | 1.9 | 86% | 1.6 | 17% |
| 41 | Brandon County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 42 | Raunds Northamptonshire | C+ | 4.7 | 74% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Crook County Durham | C+ | 1.5 | 85% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Lydney Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.1 | 52% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Abertillery Gwent | C | 2.4 | 69% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Diss Norfolk | C | 1.5 | 80% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Barnham West Sussex | C | 1.3 | 70% | 2.3 | 32% |
| 48 | Kippax West Yorkshire | C | 1.4 | 80% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Shepton Mallet Somerset | C | 1.2 | 70% | 2.8 | 1% |
| 50 | Catshill Worcestershire | C | 1.4 | 82% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Prudhoe Northumberland | C− | 1.7 | 37% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Polegate East Sussex | C− | 0.8 | 64% | 2.2 | 24% |
| 53 | West Moors Dorset | C− | 0.9 | 33% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 54 | Haxby North Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 59% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Sherborne Dorset | D | 1.2 | 76% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Broughton Astley Leicestershire | D | 1 | 82% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Burton Latimer Northamptonshire | D | 0.9 | 62% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Pocklington East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.6 | 65% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Pheasey West Midlands | D− | 0.9 | 40% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Ponteland Northumberland | D− | 1.1 | 36% | 1.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Caernarfon’s built-up area.
Green space: parks, gardens, playing fields and play spaces, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · Contains OS data © Crown copyright · Natural England / NRW
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Caernarfon
The biggest is Y Morfa, 3.4 ha (8 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
8 in 10 Caernarfon residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Each square is 1 in 100 residents: green lives within 400 m of a public park, garden or playing field (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace).
Within 400 m (83%)Further (17%)
Caernarfon83%
Towns its size84%
Gwynedd towns83%
All UK towns83%
About 1,600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 20 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 492 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Ynys Mon/anglesey and Snowdonia both start about 4 miles from Caernarfon
Protected landscapes within 30 km, by direction and distance from the edge of the built-up area; circle size shows each one’s area. National Landscapes were called Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty until 2023.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
National Landscape
Ynys Mon/anglesey
0.3 mi north-west219 km²since 196714% of the land within 5 km
National Park
Snowdonia
3.7 mi south-east2,140 km²since 1951
National Landscape
Llyn
6.7 mi south160 km²since 1957
14% of the land within 5 km of Caernarfon is National Park or National Landscape, more than 73% of UK towns. Snowdonia National Park covers 2,140 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Caernarfon is on the Wales Coast Path
27 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Caernarfon and the kilometre around it, 1.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegional
Wales Coast Path (North Wales) main route6.3 km
Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path6.3 km
Llŷn Coastal Path2.2 km
The Wales Coast Path, a national route, passes Caernarfon. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path and Llŷn Coastal Path.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A registered historic park in Caernarfon
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Caernarfon’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIMorfa Common Park1.1 ha
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Caernarfon: May to September
The town’s 1991–2020 averages (Met Office HadUK-Grid) and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15 °C or more and little rain for the town.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.1 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.5 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 123 | 107 | 98 | 87 | 78 | 90 | 112 | 110 | 121 | 155 | 182 | 165 |
May is the driest month (78 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 182 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 18 nights a year. The climate in Caernarfon →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Caernarfon
13% of the area within 5 km of Caernarfon is sea. 2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 1 with a name.
Traeth Abermenai2.3 mi from town
DirectionsThe Wales Coast Path passes the town.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
Things to do
20 playgrounds
Mapped within 2 km of the town in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK town its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Twt Hill61 m (199 ft) · in town
DirectionsCoed Helen Hill48 m (157 ft) · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 20
Plus 20 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
BethelLlanrugY FelinheliClwt-y-bontGaerwenLlanberisCaernarfon
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caernarfon | B− | 1.7 | 83% | 14% |
| Bethel 3.1 mi | B+ | 1.6 | 100% | 10% |
| Llanrug 3.2 mi | A− | 1.7 | 100% | 6% |
| Y Felinheli 3.8 mi | B+ | 4.9 | 65% | 10% |
| Clwt-y-bont 5.6 mi | B− | 0.8 | 100% | 19% |
| Gaerwen 5.7 mi | C+ | 1.5 | 100% | 7% |
| Llanberis 5.8 mi | A+ | 33.7 | 100% | 49% |
Llanberis, 5.8 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Y Felinheli and Llanberis have at least twice Caernarfon’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Caernarfon
What is the biggest park in Caernarfon?
Y Morfa, 3.4 ha (8 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Caernarfon near a National Park?
Yes. Snowdonia National Park begins 3.7 mi south-east of the town’s edge. It covers 2,140 km² and has been a National Park since 1951. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Ynys Mon/anglesey National Landscape, 0.3 mi away.
What are the best walks near Caernarfon?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Wales Coast Path (North Wales) main route, Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path and Llŷn Coastal Path.
How many people in Caernarfon live near a park?
83% of residents live within 400 m, about a 5-minute walk, of a public park, garden or playing field (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace). The typical UK town is 83%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Caernarfon?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Caernarfon are historic?
Morfa Common Park (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Caernarfon good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 14% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 34% (1.7 ha per 1,000 residents).
How is the Outdoors Grade worked out?
From five measures, each placed among UK towns of 1,000 or more: public green space per resident, the share living near a park, National Park or National Landscape within 5 km, footpaths per square kilometre, and the sea within 5 km. It is a character grade and isn’t part of Caernarfon’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Caernarfon’s outdoors figures come from
- Parks and green space: Ordnance Survey OS Open Greenspace (parks and gardens, playing fields, play spaces, and their access points). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- National Parks and National Landscapes: Natural England and Natural Resources Wales boundaries, areas and designation dates, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Footpaths, walking routes, beaches and things to do: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License (ODbL), via Geofabrik, 16 October 2026.
- Historic parks, listed buildings and monuments: Historic England, National Heritage List for England, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Rain and temperature: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the town; daylight calculated from its latitude.
- The sea: ONS Countries (December 2024) boundaries clipped to mean high water. Residents near a park: ONS Census 2021 output areas.
- Grade: TownRatings’ Outdoors Grade, ranked against UK towns only.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.