The best hiking routes in Vesle Hjerkinn landskapsvernområde

Vesle Hjerkinn landskapsvernområde offers a distinct walking experience defined by its high-altitude, gently undulating mountain terrain. Unlike the rugged, steep-sided peaks found in other parts of the Dovre region, this protected area consists of a wide, open plateau dominated by low-growing alpine shrub, dwarf birch, and extensive carpets of light-coloured reindeer lichen. The landscape is shaped by its glacial past, leaving behind smooth ridges and shallow depressions rather than dramatic gorges.

Underfoot, walkers will mostly encounter narrow, natural soil paths and sandy tracks worn into the moraine deposits. Because of the underlying permafrost and slow drainage in the flatter basins, the terrain alternates regularly between dry, gravelly ridges and low-lying peat bogs. In these wetter depressions, simple wooden boardwalks are occasionally laid out to help cross the dampest sections, though many stretches require navigating directly over wet peat and moss.

By late August, the dwarf birch and willow shrubs turn a deep copper red, contrasting sharply with the pale lichen. The area is managed by the Rondane-Dovre nasjonalparkstyre to protect important wild reindeer habitats, meaning walkers must stick strictly to the established paths to avoid disturbing the herds. It is a quiet, understated landscape where the appeal lies in observing subtle alpine vegetation and post-glacial landforms rather than climbing vertical rock faces.