Loggerheads
Lying
just in between Mold and Ruthin, this may be a 30 minute drive
from
Chester but it is worth it. The park is a huge area of woodland (80
Acres) with a limestone valley running through it, making for some fantastic
scenery. the forest has a wide but shallow river running through it -
so no swimming for the dogs but plenty of opportunity to paddle.
It
has a good parking area (pay and display) and toilets, shops etc. the
shop can provide detailed maps of the area as well as some of the history of
this wonderful parkland
Good points:
The
walks are really well laid out, taking you though the woodland and up onto
the cliffs via a series of steps. The walk can be made as tough as you
want it to be. If you don't fancy the steps then you can stay on the
flat river area and it still makes for a great walk. the site office
has maps showing the routes.
The park is really well maintained. The river is not very deep - no
more than 30-40 cm (just over a foot) deep at any point - great for paddling
but not for swimming. The view from the top of the hills can be
stunning.
When you head into the park, if you head to the far end (the left) then you
will find a hilly but not too steep climb up the hill. If you head to
the right then you will find the stairs - which are very steep but offer
good fitting.
Bad Points:
There
aren't too many other than the area is popular with walkers in general so
beware of none dog owners. Also the entrance to the park is quite
concealed
so be careful not to drive past it. The car park is pay and
display but the pricing is very reasonable and it has the space for around
100 cars. The view from the top can be quite steep- so if you don't
like heights then please beware!!!
Overall
–
It may
be a distance to travel, but loggerheads is a great experience - the dogs
will love the river (clear water with a stony bottom) and the views from up
on the cliffs are quite amazing.
Loggerheads is located on the A494 Mold to Ruthin road:
Click on the Map below for more details on directions: