Snowdonia, National park in Gwynedd, United Kingdom.
Snowdonia is a national park in Gwynedd, North Wales, stretching across nine mountain ranges and over 70 miles of coastline. The highest peaks rise above the tree line and are cut by deeper valleys where sheep graze and stone walls surround the old fields.
The park was created in 1951 as the third protected area of this kind in Britain. The mountain region served generations of shepherds and later miners who quarried slate from the hillsides until the 20th century.
The Welsh name Eryri means "place of eagles" and recalls the birds of prey that once nested in these mountains. Today you hear Welsh spoken on the trails and in the villages that sit at the edge of the range.
Many trails start from small villages with car parks near the trailheads. The paths cross open terrain and weather changes quickly, so warm clothing is useful even in summer.
The mountains here hold every Welsh peak above 3,000 feet (900 meters), and each shows a different rock formation. On clear days you can see across the sea to Ireland from the highest points.
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