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Eight of the best autumn nature experiences to enjoy in Wales

04 Oct 2026 4 minute read

Sunshine filtering through the morning mist above the Skating Pond at Bodnant Garden, Conwy. Image: Iolo Penri

Autumn is bringing a range of seasonal wildlife and natural sights to Wales, from fungi and rutting deer to red squirrels and seal pups.

Across the National Trust’s 46,000 hectares of countryside, 160 miles of coastline and collection of castles and gardens in Wales, the changing season is transforming the landscapes and bringing new wildlife into view.

To celebrate all things autumn, the independent conservation charity has highlighted eight sights to look out for across the country this season, along with some of the best places to see them.

1. Fungi

Children take a closer look at a mushroom at Dyffryn Gardens. Image: Aled Llywelyn

Fungi can be found in a wide range of colours, sizes and shapes, with autumn a particularly good time to spot mushrooms and waxcaps among fallen leaves and grassy areas. The best places to look include Chirk Castle near Wrexham and Llanerchaeron near Aberaeron.

2. Red squirrels

Red squirrels are rare and endangered in Wales, but they can sometimes be spotted at Plas Newydd House and Garden on the island of Ynys Môn. They don’t hibernate over winter, so as the leaves begin to fall there’s a better chance of seeing these shy creatures that live in the garden and woodlands.

3. Rutting deer

Fallow Deer in the Park surrounding Dinefwr Castle, Carmarthenshire. Image: Paul Harris

In October, the echoing bellows of male bucks can be heard during the deer rut as they compete for the attention of females. The medieval Deer Park at Dinefwr near Llandeilo is home to a herd of fallow deer that can be seen roaming through the ancient parkland.

4. Autumnal arboretums

The changing season also brings autumn colour to trees across National Trust Cymru sites. At Bodnant Garden near Conwy, the acer trees turn shades of red, amber and gold, while at Dyffryn Gardens near Cardiff, falling leaves from the Katsura trees produce a distinctive sweet scent.

5. Seal pups

A grey seal and pup. Image: Justin Minns

Grey seals come ashore to breed from August to November, when the parents and their newly born white pups can be spotted on beaches around Pembrokeshire. The Wales Coast Path offers vantage points for spotting them, but visitors should keep quiet and stay out of sight on the cliffs to avoid disturbing the seals.

6. Apple orchards

Apple tree heavy with fruit at Powis Castle and Garden. Image: Paul Harris

The orchard at Tredegar House near Newport and the trained fruit trees in the Edwardian Garden at Powis Castle and Garden in Welshpool are at their best in autumn. Walk among the apple-laden trees and look out for birds such as blackbirds and robins feeding on the fallen fruit.

7. Seasonal birdlife

Autumn brings a variety of wildfowl to the lakes at Stackpole Estate in Pembrokeshire, where visitors can spot goosander and gadwall alongside resident little grebes and moorhens. Further north, the ponds and parkland surrounding Erddig Hall and Garden in Wrexham are home to grey herons, dippers and kingfishers.

8. Weather watching

View of The Old Rectory holiday cottage situated on Rhosili Bay on the Gower Peninsula. Image: Chris Lacey

Head out onto the Welsh coast or explore the countryside this month for some fresh air and weather watching, from misty mornings to storms followed by rainbows. The National Trust recommends Rhosili on the Gower for wild seascapes and Penrhyn Castle and Garden near Bangor to watch the weather change across the distant summits of Eryri.

For more information and to plan your visit, head to National Trust Cymru’s site here.

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