Castell Coch is situated in an ancient woodland and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) owned by CADW (a Welsh Government agency). It forms part of a larger native Beech woodland, the most westerly in the UK, along with Fforest Fawr, Fforest Ganol, and Garth Woods.
The woodlands can be accessed in several ways:
- Through the castle grounds from Castle Road
- On the north side of the woodland via the Taff Trail in Taff’s Well
- Via the trails of Fforest Fawr
The woodlands is a popular spot for walking and horse riding as well as mountain biking.