Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Femundsmarka National Park
The national park (573 sq km) that stretches east of Femunden, Norway's second-largest
lake, to the Swedish border was formed in 1971 to protect the lake, forests, marshes and
mountain peaks of the area. Sadly overlooked by foreign tourists, the park has been named
one of the best three hiking areas in Norway by the Norwegian hiking association.
The park has long been a source of falcons for use in the European and Asian sport of
falconry, and several places in the park are known as Falkfangerhøgda, which means 'fal-
con hunters' height'. If you're lucky, you may also see wild reindeer grazing in the heights
(as well as easily seen domestic ones) and, in summer, a herd of around 30 musk oxen
roams the area along the Røa and Mugga Rivers (in winter they migrate to the Funäsdalen
area). It's thought that this group split off from an older herd in the Dovrefjell area and
wandered all the way here. There are also a handful of exceedingly rare brown bears, as
well as even rarer lynx and, occasionally, wolves drifting by from other areas.
On the eastern shore of the lake is the tiny village of
Elgå
, which is the main base for
the park. It has campsites (with cabins) and a park information centre.
Activities
This is excellent hiking country and the very helpful national park information centre in
Elgå can provide route suggestions and maps.
One especially fine, and fairly easy, hike is the 3½-hour, 10.5km-return hike up
Mt El-
gåhogna
(1403m). From Elgå, the main village (and only real road access point into the
park) head south for 4km to a small farm building on the left. A hundred metres further
south is a small parking area where the trail begins. The walk is well marked with red dots
painted onto rocks and trees. It starts off passing though stunted woodland before emer-
ging onto a barren tundrascape which climbs moderately upwards. The last part to the
summit is steeper and involves a little scrambling over rocks. All the time the views back
down westward over the lake get steadily better, but this walk saves its best for last - a
view from the summit over Sweden and across endless barren sub-Arctic moorland and
tundra.
Sleeping
