Find your next dog walk in Wales
There are plenty of dog-friendly places to visit in Wales. From mountains and beaches, to gardens and parklands, discover where to walk and explore.
Visiting the Gower with your dog
Come and explore the UK’s first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with your canine companion. There are a number of dog-friendly beaches along our beaches, coastal paths and woodlands. Please help us look after our beaches by cleaning up after your dog and disposing your litter responsibly.
Our Pawprint Rating System
We’ve been working on making it easier for you to find out how dog-friendly your visit will be before you and your four-legged friend arrive. To help with this, we've created a new pawprint rating system and given all the places in our care a rating. You can find this information in the National Trust members’ handbook.
The Gower is a one pawprint rated place.
Dogs are welcome here, but facilities are limited. They’ll be able to stretch their legs in the car park and walk in the nearby open spaces, depending on the season. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.
Where can my dog go on the Gower?
- Rhosili and South Gower Coast
- The beaches along Rhosili and the South Gower Coast are dog-friendly all year around. With three miles of sandy shoreline to choose from, it’s the paw-fect place for your four-legged friend to run around. Several walking trails within the area give visitor an ideal way to see all the beautiful landscapes at Rhosili Bay, but please be mindful of wildlife, in particular grey seals sunning themselves on the rocks, or livestock on higher ground, and keep your dog on a short lead where necessary. Plan your visit to Rhosili
- Pennard, Pwll Du and Bishopston Valley
- If exploring our industrial heritage is more your thing, why not head to Pennard, Pwll Du and Bishopston Valley. There are two caves, as well as numerous archaeological features and ancient woodland for you and your dog to explore. Livestock graze freely across Pennard Burrows, therefore please be mindful when near, ensuring all dogs are kept on short leads. Plan your visit to Pennard, Pwll Du and Bishopston Valley
The Canine Code
We’ve worked with our partner Forthglade to come up with this Canine Code, which helps to make sure everyone can enjoy their day:
- Keep them close: using a short lead helps to keep your dog from disturbing ground-nesting birds and farm animals. It's essential to use a short lead around sheep. But if cattle approach you, it's best to let your dog off the lead, and call them back when it's safe to do so.
- Pick up the poo: please always clear up after your dog. If you can't find a bin nearby, take the poo bags home with you.
- Watch the signs: keep an eye on local signs and notices wherever you're walking. They'll tell you if a beach has a dog ban, for instance, or if a path has been diverted, or if you're in an area where dogs can run off-lead.
- Stay on the ball: remember that not everyone loves dogs, and some people fear them. So make sure your dog doesn't run up to other people, especially children.
Keeping control of your dog
Our definition of close or effective control is:
- Being able to recall your dogs in any situation at the first call
- Being able to clearly see your dog at all times (not just knowing they have gone into the undergrowth or over the crest of the hill). In practice, this means keeping them on a footpath if the surrounding vegetation is too dense for your dog to be visible
- Not allowing them to approach other visitors without their consent
- Having a lead with you to use if you encounter livestock or wildlife, or if you are asked to use one
Our partners
We've partnered with natural pet food maker Forthglade so that you and your dog can get even more out of the special places we care for.
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