Hiking in Hemavan

How hiking in Hemavan works

Hiking in Hemavan starts in the village. Three long-distance trails begin at naturum Vindelfjällen, the nature reserve's visitor centre: Kungsleden, Drottningleden and Lapplandsleden. Shorter walks start there too, and in summer the gondola lets you begin higher up.

Kungsleden is marked, but several summits are reached on paths that are hard to follow or not marked at all. For the multi-day hike to Ammarnäs, see Kungsleden from Hemavan.

Short walks and family hikes

• Vacker utsikt ("beautiful view") – a short stretch of Kungsleden from naturum, about 2 km return and under an hour.
• Fjällfinakåtan – about 5 km return and 2–3 hours: Kungsleden for one and a half kilometres, then a blue-marked path to a hut. A good first hike with children.

From the top of the gondola

When the gondola runs in summer, marked hikes start at the top station:

• Storkittelrundan – a loop of about 3.5 km, roughly 2–3 hours, joining Kungsleden.
• Storkittelhobben – 2 km one way to the summit, 1,135 metres above sea level, about 2–3 hours return. Steeper after the small lake.

If the gondola is not running, you can walk up from naturum, about 3 km on Kungsleden. More on the gondola under things to do.

Drottningleden

Drottningleden, the Queen's Trail, runs about 9 km from naturum in Hemavan to Laisaliden. It got its name in 2003, when the Queen of Sweden opened it. Most of it crosses the open fell. It is marked, relatively easy and takes around three hours (1–4 hours depending on pace), with about 200–250 metres of ascent. It is easiest from Laisaliden, where you are quickly out on the open fell.

Drottningleden is not a loop. Walk back the same way, leave a car at each end or book a taxi in advance. Laisaliden is reached by a turn-off about 4 km south of Hemavan on the E12, then about 4 km of steep, winding road to a car park. Do not count on any services there.

From the fell, a signposted branch leads to Murtsertoppen, 1,413 m – about 6.5 km one way and 4–6 hours return, marked only by paint on stones.

Sytertoppen and other summits

Norra Sytertoppen is the highest point in Västerbotten county, usually given as 1,768 metres above sea level. It is a demanding hike over boulder fields and snowfields, exposed to the weather.

The usual route starts at the Viterskalet hut, about 10–11 km from Hemavan on Kungsleden, so many spend a night there and make the summit a day of its own. Going there and back from Hemavan in a day is possible but long, and needs very good fitness.

Södra Sytertoppen, about 1,685 m, is reached straight from Hemavan through the Kobåsdalen valley – about 24 km return and roughly 1,125 metres of ascent, with no marked path.

Go only in stable weather with good visibility and little wind, never alone, with map, compass and solid hiking experience. If you would rather see the peaks than climb them, Gurkfjället (895 m), between Hemavan and Tärnaby, has a view of them on a cairned path of about 6 km return.

Vindelfjällen nature reserve

The trails from naturum lead straight into the Vindelfjällen nature reserve: 564,918 hectares, formed in 1974 and last extended in 2017. According to the County Administrative Board of Västerbotten, which manages it, it is Sweden's largest nature reserve and one of the largest protected areas in Europe. It is also a Natura 2000 site.

The landscape runs from old-growth spruce forest and large bogs to heath, bare fell and glaciers. More than 120 bird species breed here, and the mammals include brown bear, wolverine, lynx and Arctic fox.

Right of public access

Sweden's right of public access (allemansrätten) applies in the reserve, together with its own regulations. You may camp, but pitch your tent away from huts and houses, on ground that can take it, and leave the spot as you found it. Carry out everything you carry in. Avoid lighting fires – use a camping stove – and never light one during a fire ban.

In the reserve it is forbidden to damage rocks and other fixed natural features, to disturb wildlife and reindeer herding and to drive motor vehicles off designated roads and trails. If you meet reindeer, walk around them at a good distance. Avoid Artfjället from mid-April to the end of June, when the reindeer calve there. The County Administrative Board advises keeping dogs on a lead, and from 1 March to 20 August dogs must not run loose.

Safety

• Plan sensibly – the Swedish Mountain Safety Council (Fjällsäkerhetsrådet) suggests 10–15 km a day for adults who are not used to hiking.
• Pack for the fell: layers, rain gear, food, water, map and compass. Mobile coverage is poor.
• Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.
• Turn back in time. Low cloud in the valley often means fog on the open fell.
• Ford with care. Streams rise quickly after rain and during snowmelt. If the water is above your knees or fast-flowing, wait, detour or turn back.
• Emergency – call 112.

When to hike

It depends on the snow. You usually cannot hike from Hemavan until after Midsummer (late June), and some years snow lies on the fell into July. Most hikers come in late July and early September. September brings autumn colours, colder nights and often fewer mosquitoes. See also when to visit Hemavan and where to stay in Hemavan.