Denbighshire is a county of rolling hills and green valleys in north-east Wales. The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty runs through it, and the landscape is easier to walk than the mountains of Eryri to the west.

The Clwydian Range. A line of heather-topped hills, each crowned with an Iron Age hillfort, runs north to south above the Vale of Clwyd. Moel Famau, at 554 metres, is the highest and has the ruined Jubilee Tower on its summit. Offa’s Dyke Path begins at the seaside town of Prestatyn and follows the ridge for much of its length.

Llangollen and the Dee Valley. Llangollen sits in a steep-sided valley, with the River Dee, a canal towpath and Castell Dinas Brân on the hill above. The Horseshoe Falls, where the canal leaves the river, are a short walk from the town, and the limestone edge of the Eglwyseg escarpment gives wide views.

Ruthin and Denbigh. The market towns of Ruthin and Denbigh sit in the Vale of Clwyd and make good bases for woodland and farmland walks, while Loggerheads Country Park near Mold offers riverside paths and old lead mining remains.

Hilltops are exposed and can be windy, so carry layers and a map even on short routes.