Hike the Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail June 2024

The Coast Path is a well-maintained trail along the rugged and often-lonely coast of the county of Pembrokeshire in Wales, UK. It is 186 miles long and stays close to the coastline, sometimes on the beach, very often at the top of the coastal cliffs, and sometimes through towns on roads. It is fully way-marked and signposted, though the markings are sometimes subtle in towns. The Ordinance Survey maps (1:25000 OS Explorer OL35 and OL36, OS Maps phone app recommended) show the path.

We visited in June after a reportedly-rainy May and it was extremely green, with many wildflowers. The weather along the coast is generally mild, but greatly influenced by the wind, so it can be tough. The site Weatherspark noted the closest weather analog distant to Wales is Ocean Shores, Washington. So, cool, moderate temperatures, windy, and exposed to storms. The wind is the major weather factor on the trail. Sometimes it is in your face and sometimes at your back as you round points and enter bays. A light day is 5-10 mph. We experienced days of 25-30 mph.

The route is well-maintained, and was actively being maintained as we walked it. We met several crews mowing, hacking, and trimming. However, we had several long stretches of trail that the trail crews had not yet reached. This meant wading through knee-high, sometimes waist-high brush, mostly grasses and herbs, seldom woody. Some found this troubling, as the tread was not fully visible, and when accompanied by the wind, which was frequently brisk, even dizzying. Many of the irritating plants along the trail are familiar to us in the PNW, including Himalaya blackberry, thistle, and stinging nettle, as well as the unfamiliar but widespread gorse. Long pants and long sleeves are recommended.

The tread itself is quite good–soft and smooth–overall. There were rough and rocky parts, but these aren’t extensive. The trail was dry when we visited, so we had little mud. After an extended rain, many parts of the trail could be slick or muddy.

There is a lot of up and down on the trail, amounting to approximately 30,000’ of gain, though all in small samples. The highest point of the trail is just under 600’, while nearly all of the trail tops out below 300’. Many of the climbs are steep, if short. Switchbacks are rare. There are 273 flights of stairs, 25 styles, and 475 gates along the route.

The route is quite attracted to the coastline. It often is perched between a fence or hedgerow and the edge of the slope or cliff down to the water 200’ below. While no one in our group found this overly concerning, fear of exposure or vertigo might make this trail difficult. There were places where woody shrubs grew up along the cliff side of the trail –wind pruned shoreward and hand pruned landward–and provided some security, as if a handrail.

Most of the route is along the empty coast, along or through pastures and cultivated fields. About 10% is on roads. Around Milford Haven, the route is through cities (Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven town) and industrial areas. Smaller towns along the coast, like Tenby and Sandersfoot, characterize the southern part of the trail. There are several segments that cross beaches, which, depending on the sand, can be a chore or a delight. There are two spots between Milford Haven and Dale where timing the tides is important to avoid long detours. For a few hours around low tide, these are crossable on concrete causeway-bridge structures.

In summary, this is a beautiful, interesting, challenging, well-marked route.