The Lonely Tree Llanberis in Snowdonia National Park North Wales must surely be of of the most photographed trees in the UK and with its stunning setting on Llyn Padarn with the backdrop of Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa it’s easy to see why. Finding the Lonely Tree is also one of the most popular web searches for Snowdonia so I thought, as a local North Wales photographer very familair with this stunning photo location, I’d just create a short blog to help visitors looking for the tree to find it more easily, or indeed photographers wanting to capture the best Lonely Tree photo make the best of their visit.
A Guide To Photographing The Lonely Tree Llanberis
Autumn sunrise at the Llanberis Lonely tree
Glimpses of sunlight at the Lonely Tree in Snowdonia
How do I find the Lonely Tree Llanberis?
Suprisingly, despite the frequent questions on social media, the tree is actually in a very easy spot to find and reach with almost no effort required - which probably does also account for the literally thousands of photos you’ll see of it!
Directions for Snowdonia’s Lonely Tree:
Driving west through Llanberis, heading towards Caernarfon of the A4086 just take the last right hand turn onto Ystad Ddiwydiannol Y Glyn and after just 100metres turn right into the large parking area (now a camper van park - for good or worse I’ll let you decide!). To find the tree just head through the gap in the shoreline trees to the west of the parking area and on reaching the shores of Llyn Padarn you can’t miss spotting the tree standing alone in the lake. Jut a short walk around the shoreline takes you to the popular viewpoint. At busy times just look for the crowd of people and that’s the spot!
Best times to visit and photograph the Llanberis Lone Tree
I think it’s important to mention for any keen landscape photographers that if you’re looking for solitude or a unique perspective of Snowdonia (Eryri) then this place definitely isn’t for you. If however you don’t mind dropping your tripod feet in the same holes as hundreds of others then you’ll be fine and ultimately “a good view is a good view”, clearly the reason you see so many photos of Snowdonia’s most popular photo location.
If you’re looking to time your visit to capture the lonely tree at its most striking then I’d say that an autumn sunrise is definitely the best time to visit Llyn Padarn. The tree, whilst small in stature, still looks more photogenic with autumn leaves and it just so happens that at this time of year the sun rises directly behind the Llanberis Pass creating the potential for some beautiful backlighting.
Where’s the best place to photograph the Lone Tree on Llyn Padarn?
This is an easy one - literally straight in front of the tree, there’s a bench nearby just stand centrally onto the tree and setup your shot, if no-one’s already beat you to it. Placement of the tree in relationship to the V shape of the Llanberis Pass can make a difference with the composition so give that some thought, otherwise there’s genuinely not much to think about.
Are there any interesting compositions that don’t include the Snowdonia Lonely Tree?
Simple answer - definitely yes. I appreciate the pull of the famous tree is irresistable but do make sure you explore the nearby shoreline and try different angles. Composing your shot from a slightly different angle does give another perspective on this popular photography location and even better, if you can find a good view without the tree included then you’re certainly going to get a more unusual photo than the vast number of visitors to Snowdonia’s Lonely Tree.
The rising sun directly behind the Llanberis Lonely Tree in winter
One of my favourite photos of the Llanberis Lonely Tree - without it!
Photographing Other Beautiful Views Of Llyn Padarn
If you visit Llyn Padarn and only photograph Snowdonia’s Lonely Tree then you’re missing out on some other beautiful views of the Eryri Snowdonia scenery, as a short drive to the bottom of the lake to the the viewpoint at Pont Penllyn at Brynrefail gives another stunning perspective of Llyn Padarn and the distant mountains, it’s also another fantastic photography location for an autumn or winter sunrise.
Directions for Brynrefail:
Reaching the viewpoint at Llyn Padarn in Brynrefail from the Llanberis Lonely Tree is easy. Just leave the car park to rejoin the A4086 and head west out of Llanberis towards Caernarfon. You quickly reach a large roundabout where you take the right turn onto the A4244 and then just 100metres further take the right turn to reach Pont Penllyn on your left with plenty of parking nearby.
