Storhøpiggen Hiking Trail

A long but fairly easy family hike.

The hike starts at Melbysætra and can only be reached by car or with a bike. A 40 minute drive from Ruten Fjellstue.

Route 1: DNT way-marked trail from Melbysetra to Svartbekken, with return via Svarttjønnholet and Storhøglupen. Then a detour to Storhøpiggen (1433 m a.s.l.), approx. 1.5km return, and back to Melbysetra. Route 2: As Route 1 to Svartbekken, then walk south and south-east to approx. 1193m altitude. Return via Svarttjønnholet to Melbysetra. Detour to Storhøpiggen from Storhøglupen. Route 3: From the horse enclosure above Melbysetra, follow the upper trail underneath the south-western hillside towards Storhøpiggen and walk round this towards Reinsknappen. Back through Storhøglupen with detour to Storhøpiggen. All routes offer spectacular views of the northern parts of Langsua National Park and Espedalen Landscape Conservation Area. You will also see most of Hersjømyrin Nature Reserve (44.9 km2), the second largest nature reserve of the six surrounding the national park. By the mountain farms at Storhøli, you will discover a beautiful cultural landscape. The area around the old cattle and horse pasture in Svarttjønnholet show clear signs of human activity. Along the route, you will find a variety of plant and animal species, ranging from the more common to the rare - and occasionally the extremely rare. Preserving these species in a fully functioning ecosystem is one of the purposes of the conservation project. If we are to succeed in protecting the cultural landscape and the species that have adapted through centuries of active farming, the traditional use of the land - with grazing, haying and forestry - has to continue. At some locations of great value, management programmes are in place in order to protect species and vegetation at risk of extinction.