Village near beauty spot forest is gridlocked over Easter Bank Holiday after boost in visitors inspired by viral social media posts

Published: 11:17, 7 April 2026 | Updated: 11:22, 7 April 2026 A village near a beauty spot forest was gridlocked over the Easter weekend after hordes of cars flooded the roads because of viral TikTok videos. Powys County Council said the 'sheer numbers' coming to visit Hafren Forest in Llanidloes, Powys, was a 'wicked problem'. It follows a sudden surge in social media users flocking to the area after viewing clips of the river, waterfalls and popular boardwalk online. Councillor Glyn Preston said the situation was 'really challenging for local people'. He added: 'Our facilities are not suitable for the sheer numbers who are coming up to the Hafren Forest. 'We should welcome tourists to enjoy our area, particularly if they're going to spend money in local shops and businesses, but the situation at the Hafren is really challenging for local people, farmers, and those working in the forestry.' Traffic officers said 'dangerous and obstructive' parking along the road near the car park had also been an issue. In a video uploaded to TikTok last month - which has since amassed tens of thousands of likes - one hiker says: 'I can't believe I've only discovered this place. Powys County Council said the 'sheer numbers' coming to visit Hafren Forest in Llanidloes, Powys, was a 'wicked problem'. Traffic over the Bank Holiday weekend is pictured Traffic officers said 'dangerous and obstructive' parking along the road near the car park had also been an issue Hafren Forest - Mid Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 this place is incredible, one of the nicest hikes we’ve done! The lakeside drive from Llanidloes is a beauty but I wouldn’t do it in snow or ice! Parking at Rhyd -y-Benwch (SY18 6PT) The blue 3.5 mile route we followed leads you to a waterfall called Rhaeadr Blaenhafren which is a beauty! From there you can head all the way to the actual source of the river Severn too! The boardwalk is pretty accessible to all and most of the walk is a nice footpath, great one for the family! This place is so well maintained, make sure we keep it that way and never leave any trace 👍🏞️ Hafren Forest🌳 Mid Wales - Parking can be found at Rhyd-y Benwch, it’s free! and has toilets! This walk is stunning and super easy! 🥾@Hafren Forest @Love2StayMidwales #hafrenforest #wales #naturewalks #hikingadventures #creatorsearchinsights 'If you love forest walks, waterfalls and amazing scenery, you're gonna love this one.' In another, a woman says: 'This incredible forest walk needs to be added to your 2026 to-do-list. 'This is Hafren Forest and it's considered the UK's best board walk.' A series of clips then showcase the stunning forest views. Dyfed-Powys Police has suggested introducing a clearway order - a restriction preventing stopping and parking. Environment body Natural Resources Wales (NRW), which owns the site, was asked to fund the order and the cost of new signage. It comes as neighbours have also raised separate concerns about an ice cream van trading near the car park. New signs were installed to direct traffic to Hafren Forest via a safer route. But some older signs remain in place - leading to confusion and ongoing use of the unsuitable route. Mr Preston said: 'They are going to be removed. All the signs will uniformly direct traffic via Staylittle.  'It's still not an ideal road, but it is better than the Old Hall valley.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.