Country Parks

If you’re looking for a place for a picnic or somewhere to kick a ball, a sunny spot to sit in, dappled woods to wander through, or riverbanks to ramble down, space to fly a kite or safe paths to cycle along then look no further than one of our country parks in Caerphilly county borough.

Visiting our country parks couldn’t be easier as we are open all year round and there's no entry fee. They are great places to visit with woods, meadows, wetlands, breath-taking views, an amphitheatre and unexpected artworks all to discover. There's even a giant horse!

Our parks are varied and each offer something a little bit different with reminders of past times at Pen-y-Fan Pond to vibrant new community green spaces like Bargoed Woodland Park.  Regular users and dog walkers will appreciate the large network of paths on our larger country parks that will add variety each time you visit. We welcome dogs and their responsible owners but please keep your dog under control, particularly if there are other people around or farm animals are present. Please do remember to clean up after them.

The landscape of our green spaces varies from the flat Riverside Park to the steeper slopes of the parks that climb the valley sides. Here, such as at Parc Penallta, you will be rewarded with fantastic views on a clear day. Many of the paths in the parks are surfaced and in good condition so pushing a pram and exploring for the less able is easy but other paths and tracks may prove more of a challenge. Many of the paths are multi-use allowing walking, cycling and horse riding such as at Sirhowy Valley Country Park so please respect other users. And if you're looking to extend your visit to more than one day why not take advantage of the campsite at Parc Cwm Darran.

For nature lovers our parks are rich in wildlife and home to a wide range of birds, plants and insects. Several of our country parks include special Wildlife Sites within them. You may be lucky to see some of our rarer species such as skylarks, lapwings, orchids, butterflies and dragonflies. For your best chances of seeing our wildlife the quieter periods will be more rewarding. Please let us know if you spot something interesting.

There's plenty to keep you active at all our sites but they are also great bases for exploring the wider countryside. Several routes of the National Cycle Network and other local cycle paths pass through the parks so it’s safe cycling for families. For the walker a number of our longer distance trails start from our country park car parks. See our Walking page for more details.

Not only are our country parks a place for informal recreation and enjoyment they are also a place to learn too. Speak to one of our friendly and knowledgeable rangers and they can give you advice on what to see and do. We offer an Education Service for schools and groups, as well as running Junior Ranger and Teen Ranger clubs. See our section on Learning for more information on what we can offer. 

Whether you want to photograph the bluebells, view the artworks or take part in one of the many Events and activities we put on throughout the year there's so much for you to do. It's out there! Discover it!