Hiking in Långfjället nature reserve- top 5 routes and hiking tips

Långfjället is a nature reserve in the far northwest of the Swedish Dalarna region. Långfjället nature reserve is located on the border with Norway and together with Rogen nature reserve in Jämtland and Femundmarka National Park in Norway it forms the Gränslandet nature reserve. The ‘borderland’ nature reserve is one of the wildest nature reserves in Scandinavia with more than 2,000 km2 of pure wilderness. Over the past few summers I have visited Långfjället three times and below you will find my favorite hikes in the reserve as well as other tips for hiking in this beautiful region. Enjoy!

About Langfjället nature reserve

Långfjället nature reserve is located in the far northwest of Dalarna and borders Norway. The remote Tofsingdalen National Park is completely enclosed by the nature reserve. A large part of Långfjället lies above the tree line, hence the name fjäll, or mountain area. There are two main entrances to Långfjället, the eastern one at Foskros and the northern one at Grövelsjön. All the trails described in this article I made from Grövelsjön, a mountain village located on the lake of the same name.

In the summer, Grövelsjön is a true hiking paradise, with more than 100 kilometers of marked hiking trails. In the winter you can go skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.

Before you go: get a hiking map

Although Långfjället has a lot of hiking trails, I experienced that many of them are not very well marked. New trails are also constantly being made, which means that the exact hiking trail is sometimes not quite clear. I therefore advise you to buy a fjällkartan (mountain map) with all the trails. These types of hiking maps are a must if you go into the Swedish mountains. Don’t think “I’ll manage with my GPS app” because, I can tell you from experience, not all trails are marked correctly there either.

In addition, you can see on the fjällkartan where there are river crossings and where you might get wet feet in the mires. The fjällkartan is available for purchase at the STF Fjällstation in Grövelsjön.

Markings in the landscape

The hikes that I’ve mentioned below are not all very well signposted. As mentioned, it is best to buy a hiking map and then it is of course also very useful if you know how to use it.

The hiking trails in Sweden are normally marked with orange paintings, unless otherwise stated. This also applies to the trails on Långfjället. Do not follow the red crosses, these are the winter trails and often lead you through swamps and over wide rivers, which are frozen in the winter.

Best hiking trails in Långfjället

Below I describe five different trails that I hiked in Långfjällets naturreservat, varying in difficulty from easy to somewhat more challenging. In general, the routes are not very difficult and/or technical, but the paths are often stony and sometimes wet. Be aware of small river crossings on most hikes, so waterproof hiking boots and hiking poles are useful to bring.

Hiking from Sylen to Grövelsjön

My favorite hiking trail through Långfjällets naturreservat is the trail from Sylen to Grövelsjön. This trail includes part of the Linnéstigen, the route that the famous Swedish scientist Carl Linneaus took during his hike to Rorös in 1734.

The hike between Sylen and Grövelsjön is just nine kilometers but probably one of the most beautiful hiking trails you can do in Sweden. I was told about it by a local in Sälen (an hour south of Grövelsjön) who told me that he thought this was the most beautiful hiking trail ever. Unfortunately, the border between Norway and Sweden was closed for the next two years, but I eventually did the hike from Grövelsjön to Sylen last year and from Sylen to Grövelsjön this year. You can walk it as a return, or take the Experience Grövelsjön boat one way. You need to book this boat in advance, more information can be found here.
 
Insider tips: this route is most beautiful from Grövelsjön to Sylen (so south-north), you then walk towards the high mountains in Norway. Climb the Sjöhögda top on the way for extra beautiful views (no trail, you walk up by feeling) and wear waterproof shoes because of several small stream crossings.

Jakobshöjden – a quick toptour

Jakobshöjden is a peak right behind the Grövelsjön Fjällstation. The trail is just about seven kilometers return and if you are in good shape, you will be back down in about two hours. From the top at 1.103 masl you have beautiful views over the wide surroundings and you can see the high mountains of Norway and the peaks of Nipfjället in the distance. Take the hiking trail from the fjällstation towards Hävlingen, while you walk up you will automatically come across a turnoff to the left, to the top. At the top there is a small shelter.

A tour to Hävlingen

Hävlingen is a lake in the valley behind the Grövelsjöfjällen and can only be reached on foot (or in winter on skis). From the fjällstation you take the wide hiking trail up towards Hävlingen and once above the tree line you have beautiful views over the fjälls of the Långfjället Nature Reserve. You can make the walk as long or short as you like, because you go back on the same path. If you decide to walk all the way to the shores of Hävlingen, the entire route is 26 kilometers return.
 
Insider tip: since you can freedom camp wild in Lånffjället in many places (but not everywhere, so pay attention!) you can also make it a two-day hike. I did this in 2021, you can read all about that adventure here.

Silverfallet

If you have less good weather, which is certainly possible in Sweden, then the hiking trail to Silverfallet is recommended. This ‘silver waterfall’ has a height of three meters and is located on the border with Norway, on the other side of the valley. The trail is quite easy to walk and initially takes you up to the fjäll. After a descent to the river you arrive at a shelter, where I was mainly bothered by a lot of mosquitoes. From here you follow the river and you automatically come to the waterfall. I did not find it super impressive, but nice as a change from the other hiking trails. Follow the river upstream to the reindeer fence and descend from here back to Grövelsjön. The distance is approximately six kilometers.
 
Insider tip: bring a lighter or matches so you can light a fire at the shelter. To keep the mosquitoes away on warm days and to warm up on cooler days.

Hike to Oskarstugan

Last August I did a hiking trail from Lövåsen, a small settlement just south of Grövelsjön. There is a large parking lot with information panels here and this is also where this hike starts. If you look at the hiking map you will see that you can walk a path to the hut. However, we walked a slightly different route. We first followed the route towards Storvätteshågna, the highest mountain in Dalarna. As soon as you turn left from the winter trail, take it towards the cabin. Be careful: the path can be swampy and you sometimes have to walk around small swamps and rivers and/or jump over them. However, the trail is also frequently used by hikers, as we saw from the number of footprints that were left in the mud.

The Oskarstugan is a small shelter in the middle of the rugged nature of Långfjället. We sat outside in the sun on the picnic bench and eventually walked back to Lövåsen via the official route.

More hiking tips for Långfjället

I certainly hope to return to Långfjället several times in the future, because I’m far from done hiking there. I would like to climb Storvätteshågna one day and would also like to do the entire circuit around Grövelsjön with a backpack, a route of 23 kilometers in total. The Södra Kungsleden also crosses the area, a trek that I would like to try one day. So many plans, so little time. Who knows …

Where to stay near Långfjället

The STF Fjällstation is your perfect base for your visit to Grövelsjön and hikes on Långfjället. It’s a hotel and hostel in one: in other words, you have shared rooms and private rooms. There’s a kitchen but you can also eat in the excellent restaurant. There also is a small shop, a sauna and there are hiking maps, tips and other things everywhere that will make your heart beat faster as an outdoor enthusiast. The atmosphere in mountain stations is very relaxed and informal.

If you are a member of STF you get a discount on your stay. Would you rather stay somewhere else? There are a few hotels and some private cabins that you can rent. Camping is possible at the STF camping site or on the shores of the lake. Prices and availability of the Fjällstation can be found here.

How to get to Långfjället

Grövelsjön can easily be reached by car. If you prefer to use public transport, that is also possible, there are several options. From abroad, the fastest option is to fly to Stockholm and from there take the SJ train to Mora. From Mora there are buses to Grövelsjön via Dalatrafik. More information can be found on the website of Dalatrafik. Of course you can also rent a car, check rates and availability here.

Conclusion and disclaimer

Of course you can do many more trails in Dalarna, the most beautiful hiking areas for me are to be found in the fjälls. I have written the following posts about this:

• Hiking in Grövelsjön – my best tips
• All you want to know about Fulufjället National Park
• Freedom camping in Sweden: these are the rules of the ällemansrätten

Alternatively, visit my Sweden homepage with more than 50 articles about Sweden.

This article was written in collaboration with Visit Dalarna. All opinions are of course entirely my own.

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