The island of Senja is located above the Arctic Circle in Norway. This compact island, also known as Little Norway, offers a varied landscape that is best known for its rugged landscape with steep mountains, impressive cliffs and challenging hikes to the top. But Senja also has a quiet and more peaceful side with forests, valleys and lakes. You will find this landscape in Ånderdalen National Park. With well-marked trails, little elevation gain and facilities for camping and picnics, Ånderdalen is the ideal destination for lovers of nature, camping and hiking that are less challenging. In this blog I will tell you more about Ånderdalen National Park and share my best tip for an easy hike to a beautiful viewpoint in the park!
Ånderdalen National Park in Norway
Ånderdalen is a national park located on the island of Senja in northern Norway. The park was founded in 1970 and was subsequently expanded twice to the almost 125 square kilometers that it is today. The landscape within the park varies from forests (scots pine and birch), peat, fjords and hilly and mountainous areas. But the park is mainly known for the forests and the many plant and animal species that live there. There are more than 200 plant species and 90 bird species, and you can encounter moose, reindeer, fox and ermine, among others. Because large parts of the park do not have such large height differences as the rest of Senja, it’s a popular place among nature lovers looking for peace and quiet and an easy walk. Because many hikes in Senja are relatively long and difficult, because they go up towards the tops of mountains and cliffs. However, this is not necessary in Ånderdalen National Park. The hiking trails are well laid out, well marked and are largely flat or have few elevation changes. So you can walk in the park, but you can also kayak, make multi-day trips and ski or snowshoe during the winter season. And are you coming to Ånderdalen at the end of summer/beginning of autumn? Then pay close attention, because you will find a lot of blueberries along the paths. At the end of August and September these are ripe enough to eat and are delicious to snack on!
Hiking in Ånderdalen
From the entrance to the parking lot you walk via a well-constructed gravel path of approximately 2 km long, which is also suitable for people with disabilities, to the real entrance of the park. Here you will find a small information center and on some days there is a cozy campfire at the picnic area. From this information center you can choose to walk via a small loop to a beautiful viewpoint or to follow the popular walk to Lake Åndervatnet and continue into the park from there if want. If you follow the loop to the viewpoint, you will find a picnic area with wood for a fire and a place to sit out of the wind with a view of Ånderdalen. According to good Norwegian custom, this ‘shelter’ is in style with a noteworthy design. If you want to take a longer or multi-day walk, you can continue to Lake Åndervatnet. From the parking lot this is about 6 km with a picnic area, place to pitch a tent and a (peat/open) hut. You can spend the night at the lake in the Ånderbu hut, but due to possible occupancy, it’s recommended to bring your own tent and set it up on the designated site.
*Note: hunting and fishing is only allowed in the park if you have a permit.
How do you get there?
Ånderdalen National Park is located above the Arctic Circle in Norway on the island of Senja, also known as Norway in miniature. The small island is located between Lofoten (about 5 hours’ drive) and the city of Tromsø (about 3 hours’ drive), with Ånderdalen National Park in the southern part of Senja. Senja is therefore an ideal stopover on the way to the north or to pack as an extra (recommended!) if you plan to visit the popular Lofoten Islands. One of the first stops on your ‘tour’ to Senja is also Ånderdalen National Park, although many people skip the park to drive straight to the other highlights of the island. A shame, because the park is a nice change from all the rugged and impressive things the Lofoten and the rest of Senja have to offer. Moreover, you can drive there in no time and a visit is easy. Ånderdalen National Park has several entrances with access to the park, but the easiest is Tranøybotn, located on the east side of the park. Here you will find a good parking space and also start an easy walk towards a beautiful viewpoint where you can enjoy a picnic around a self-made campfire.
In the vicinity of Ånderdalen National Park
Are you interested in Senja and the local culture? Then visit the Sážžá Nature Center and Museum (you will pass it on the route to the park) with exhibitions and displays about the Sami and the traditional way of life they had on Senja. In addition, the ‘Senja Traverse trail’ runs straight through Ånderdalen. This is a marked long-distance (summer) walk over the entire Senja island and highly recommended for those who enjoy long-distance hikes with lots of variety!