Hiking in Norway

Norway is a wonderland for hikers, for more than one reason:

• The Norwegian countryside is stunningly beautiful, with a vast array of mountains, fjords, forests, and tundra to explore.
• In the Arctic part of Norway, during summer the Midnight Sun makes possible hiking in full daylight at any hour.
• Norwegian law provides very generous wilderness land access rights to the hiking public.
• Norway has an extensive system of well marked and mapped hiking trails, with much of the basic trail information available online.
• Norway's numerous mountain lodges and cabins provide places where a hiker could stop for a break or stay overnight during an outing.

Whether your interests involve day trips or longer treks, the choices are quite extensive and exciting.

Example Hikes

Here are some recent day trip hikes I took on an autumn trip to Norway:

• Reindalseter – a DNT trail to the lodge at Reindalseter, in the mountains of Tafjord.
• Valldal – in the mountains over Valldal, in Norddal.
• Runde – on the bird island of Runde, west of Ålesund.

These examples only scratch the surface of what you can do hiking in Norway.

The Norwegian Trekking Association

In planning a trip to Norway, any visitor interested in hiking should get familiar with The Norwegian Trekking Association (Den Norske Turistforening, or simply DNT).

• Trails – DNT maintains around 20,000 km of hiking trails, with each trail marked with a painted red letter 'T' at regular intervals. There is no charge to the public for the use of these trails.
• Cabins and Lodges – They also maintain hundreds of cabins of different types, including staffed lodges where food and drink are served. One can pay for lodging using a debit or credit card on site. Note that you need to be a DNT member and give a deposit before your outing to obtain a key for many of their cabins.
• Guided Tours – DNT also offers guided trekking tours for a fee, some with English speaking guides.
• Other Information – Consult DNT's website for the details needed to plan a trip, including descriptions of their trail routes, cabins and lodges throughout Norway. Be aware that many DNT facilities have seasonal periods where they are closed or unstaffed, as noted in the DNT website. Plan your trip accordingly.

Printed Trail Maps

For a visitor planning a hiking trip, a good map to take with you is essential. Printed maps, typically at 1:50000 scale, are available to show trail routes and detailed topography. Such maps can readily be bought in bookstores within Norway.

Two major publishers of such maps include Ugland IT (which publishes the DNT's trail route maps), and Statens Kartverk. Keep in mind that maps may show, and distinguish, marked and unmarked trails.

Maps of Norway at this scale seem hard to find outside of Norway. You may be able to find them for sale online, for example at mapsworldwide.com. If you can't get a suitable printed map before you arrive, you could plan using the online map resources below, and buy a printed map when you arrive.

Online Trail Maps

While you should always get a printed map to take with you on a hike, there are some online maps available that show hiking trails in enough detail to help you decide where you want to go:

• The DNT website provides interactive maps showing their trail routes and cabin and lodge locations. Look under "Routes and cabins", select "Mountain areas", then select a specific area, and you have the option to show a map.
• Statens Kartverk makes detailed maps available online through its Norgeskart map service. These maps are quite detailed and show many hiking trails and terrain relief details in addition to roads, place names and structures.

Once you get to Norway, buy a good printed map of the area you intend to hike in.

Right of Access

Anyone planning to hike in Norway should understand their basic rights and responsibilities under the Norwegian Allemannsrett ("Right of access") law.

For the outdoor lover, this law is one of the best things about Norway. It applies to uncultivated land in the countryside, including private property, and gives everyone in Norway the right of access and passage through such land. But in return it applies to hikers certain responsibilities including leaving no trace of their passage.

Make sure to read it, so you know your responsibilities as you enjoy the fantastic hiking environment Norway provides.