About the reserve

This ever-changing salt marsh and estuarine reserve is an ideal place to experience nature’s forces at work: the power of the tides, seasons and weather are all keenly felt.  Made up of a patchwork of wet grassland, salt marsh and wet willow woodland that at times can be completely submerged; this flood meadow is a haven for birds. Waders can be seen all year picking their way through the mud; the species changing with the seasons – it’s worth visiting more than once. The unique combination of flooding and brackish water also provides the conditions needed for some of our rarest plants. Stunning views and busy birds make this a great place to enjoy the ebb and flow.

Grazing for grassland

The Wildlife Trust aim to maintain the patchwork of open and wooded areas throughout the reserve.  Cattle graze the site in spring and winter in order to stop the further spread of scrub: in their absence, the grassland would likely be colonised by plants like bramble and gorse and eventually become woodland. Maintaining this diversity in habitat allows as many different species to use the site as possible.

Directions

Traeth Glaslyn is located South East of Porthmadog, at the end of the Cob – park in the layby on the A497 (SH 585 378). The bird hide is accessible via a small gate near the toll cottage. The northern end of reserve can be reached by walking North along the road, then using either a small stile on the Left opposite a high wall or turning Left at the crossroads until you reach the reserve boundary (SH 592 389).