The best hiking routes in Mørkridsdalen landskapsvernområde

Mørkridsdalen landskapsvernområde offers a transition from a deep, glacier-carved valley floor to high mountain plateaus. Unlike the dry pine forests of eastern Norway, this western valley is characterized by steep, moisture-dripping rock walls, dense birch woods, and a powerful river system fed by the melting ice of the high plateau. Walkers should expect a landscape dominated by rushing water, where the sound of waterfalls like Drivandefossen accompanies the lower sections of the trail.

Underfoot, the terrain changes rapidly. The initial tracks along the valley floor are relatively flat and gravelly, but as you climb toward the summer farms like Åset, the path becomes a steep, rugged track over wet soil, exposed tree roots, and slick granite slabs. There are no manicured gravel paths or boardwalks here; the route requires careful stepping over natural obstacles and occasional muddy patches where small streams cross the trail.

By late June, the snow has usually cleared from the lower valley, revealing vibrant green meadows, though the higher tarns and bogs near the plateau boundary remain cold and boggy well into July. This area is not a dry, easy stroll, nor does it offer a gentle rolling landscape; it is a steep, vertical climb from a lush valley into a stark, rocky alpine environment where the transition is visible in the changing vegetation from tall ferns to stunted mountain shrubs.