Fulufjället National Park in Sweden: all you need to know

Fulufjället National Park in Sweden is a bit touristic if you compare it to many other national parks in Sweden, but that is with good reason. In Fulufjället you will find not only the highest waterfall in Sweden, but also an endless supply of hiking trails, mountain bike tours and … the oldest tree in the world! For me, this was reason enough to pay a visit to Fulufjällets Nasjonalpark. In this article you will find all my tips for this special place. Enjoy reading!

Note this post was first published in 2020 and updated after my most recent visit in 2023 when I moved to the north of Sweden.

About Fulufjället National Park

The Fulufjället National Park exists, just like its nearby sister Sonfjället National Park, mostly of a large mountain: a fjäll. Technically, this mountain consists of two national parks because part of it is in Norway, here the park carries the name Fulufjellet National Park. The Swedish one, Fulufjällets Nasjonalpark is one of the 30 national parks in Sweden and is located on the border with Norway in the province of Dalarna. The nearest large place is Särna. Fulufjället National Park Sweden was founded in 2002 and the area is approximately 385 square kilometers.

What to see and do in Fulufjället National Park

Fulufjället is one of the national parks in Sweden with excellent tourist facilities. On the one hand this is a bit of a shame because it also brings in more visitors and makes it busier, on the other hand it is nice that there are ample opportunities to learn more about the area and the origin of the region as well as its wildlife.
 
Start your day with a stop at Naturum Fulufjället: the visitor center near the hamlet of Mökret. This is the most accessible entrance and here you’ll also find the most sights. At the visitor center you can pick up a free hiking map and learn more about the natural environment and history. There is also a small shop and a coffee shop.
 
In the high season (July and August) make sure that arrive early at the parking lot because there is not a lot of space and it would be a shame if you cannot find a spot and will have to miss out. During my first visit in 2018 I traveled in Fulufjället in mid-July and arrived at the entrance around 10 a.m. and by then the parking lot was already pretty full. In the summer of 2022, the parking was full and I had no spot. In 2023 I returned in September and then it was still quite full.

In Naturum you can have a look around and figure out what your plan is going to do for the rest of the time you have to spend there. In any case, I recommend that you view the following sights and / or do things.
 

The highest waterfall in Sweden: Njupskär Vattenfall

The Njupskär Vattenfall is Sweden’s highest waterfall with a height of 93 meters. There is a short walk to the base of the waterfall and you can also choose to walk up to the start of the fall, the Fallet Runt walk (= the orange marked round at the free hiking map ). If you only walk to the base of the waterfall, you will need about an hour and the walk is not too difficult. When you decide to do the full round, you also have to climb steeply over stony terrain, which is definitely something to keep in mind in case you are traveling with kids.
 
The last part of the walk to the Njupskärs Vattenfall is on a boardwalk. At the end you can climb even further over the rocks, but this is very slippery and not always safe. In 2018 there wasn’t much water in the waterfal, however in 2023 it had been raining a lot and it was quite full, you can see the difference below.

 

The oldest tree in the world: Old Tjikko

From the waterfall we walked back to the main trail and climbed up to the fjäll. This is quite hard work, the trail is quite steep in some places and not always clearly marked. Fortunately, once you reach the top, it flattens out considerably and you’ve had the toughest part of your walk. From here, various side paths run to the right. For unclear reasons the exit to Old Tjikko is not indicated, but with the help of other walkers we manage to find it.
 
Although Old Tjikko is also called the oldest tree in the world, this is technically not entirely correct. It is in fact a Norwegian Spruce that clones itself over and over again. The whole story behind this can be read here . Is the tree really very important? Mwah, it has a rope hanging around it, but it wasn’t really that special. But it’s nice to say that we have been to the oldest tree in the world. Other than that, don’t expect too much of it.

In 2023, the top of Old Tjikko was blown off and, after an intensive search, was found further up the fjäll. The top can now be seen hanging in Naturum.
 

 

Fulufjället National Park hiking

Inside the park you will find almost 150 kilometers of marked hiking trails. Keep in mind that ‘marked’ is sometimes a bit of a search and that you can occasionally determine the best route with the help of a compass. I made a half-day hike: the one from the base of the waterfall via Old Tjikko to Rösjöstugorna and back down from here.

Last summer I hiked the route to the top of the waterfall and back down from here. This option is quite challenging because you have to cross a lot of boulders and is therefore not suitable for inexperienced hikers. The descent is also relatively steep in some places.

From the fjäll you eventually descend steeply back to the parking lot. On the way you have beautiful views towards the east, to Nipfjället and Idrefjäll. There are numerous boardwalks to protect the wet ground and help you safely and dryly over the marshes.

 

Sleeping and camping in Fulufjället National Park

In the park are 15 mountains huts that you need to book ahead in case you want to stay here. Freedom camping in the park is only permitted in zones I, II and III and therefore not at the main attractions in the area. Always check the latest rules and updates on this website . It is not allowed to set up a tent in the vicinity of the mountain huts or in the other zones. It applies to all campers that you spend the night according to the ‘leave nothing but footprints’ principle.
 

Other tips for your visit to Fulufjället National Park

The best time to visit the park is from June to August, so during the summer. Most of the trails are then snow-free and passable. In the other seasons, chances are that you will find snow. Take mosquitoes into account in the summer and although it is summer, it can be cool and wet on the mountain at any time. You are in alpine terrain and it is useful if you are familiar with hiking and / or camping in the mountains.
 
There is virtually no mobile phone connection in the national park and apart from the shop at the entrance there is no other possibility of supplying.

The nearest town is Särna, you can camp at Särna Camping. Särna is about half an hour driving away from Naturum. Other accommodations near Fulufjället National Park can be found here.
 

Conclusion and disclaimer

Hopefully you found our tips for your visit to Fulufjället National Park useful. If you have additional questions and / or comments, feel free to ask them! If you want to read more about Sweden, make sure to check out the following posts:

• Driving in Sweden: all you need to know!
• Wild camping in Sweden? These are the rules of the Allemansrätten
• The most beautiful places in Sweden for your bucket list
   

Or vist my Sweden homepage with more than 50 articles about active travel in Sweden, written by a local.

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