Llyn y Manod is a sheltered, lonely lake nestling at 1,400 feet in a hollow between Manod Bach and Manod Mawr, the mountains on the eastern side of Blaenau Ffestiniog. Footpaths from the town and the A470 ascend to its eastern shore, from where a further ascent can be taken up Manod Mawr. The summit offers panoramic views of Snowdonia. Old slate quarries scar part of the hillside and, during the Second World War, treasures from the National Gallery were stored in huge caverns inside the mountain.