The best walks and hikes around Newport

Walk Newport’s winding waterways

A historic port city, you’re never far from water on your walks in Newport, no matter where you go. It’s the River Usk that’s the real lifeblood though, as it enters from the northeast and enjoys several sweeping bends before flowing into the Severn Estuary. There are traffic-free trails along most of the river during its time in the city as well as routes leading you through the flats to Uskmouth, where you can see its final push. 

Following the Usk upriver takes you to Caerleon, the site of a former Roman Fort and the remains of an amphitheatre. On Lodge Hill at Caerleon’s northwestern edge lies an even older site, an Iron Age hillfort, just a short walk from the river. 

The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal ends in the city and its towpath and offshoots offer some of the best hiking trails from Newport. It runs to Brecon in the national park and, if you fancy a big adventure, you can walk its entire length with only a couple of detours. 

Strolling alongside the Severn

There are plenty of pretty hikes from Newport southwards, to the shoreline of the Severn Estuary. On the eastern side of the Usk, you can explore the Monmouthshire Levels, a large wetlands area criss-crossed with drainage channels. There are several nature reserves here and it’s an important habitat for resident and migratory birds. At the Newport Wetlands reserve you can spot oystercatchers, hen harriers, lapwing, redshank and ringed plover, to name but a few. 

The landscape is similar as you explore the southwest levels from Newport, with footpaths and trails leading to nearby Cardiff. Blissfully flat, you can hike for as long as you like here, enjoying the vast sky above. 

Seeking out viewpoints

In typical Welsh fashion, despite its huge, flat wetlands, you can also climb some hills on your adventures in Newport. HIking to Allt-yr-Yn nature reserve and the Graig Ddiffaith summit in the west of the city offers 360-degree views and it makes for a quick and easy escape from the busy streets below. To the south at Gaer, you can climb up to a hillfort whilst in the north east you can walk to Christchurch for excellent views over the Usk and Caerleon.