Autumn hike at Hovfjället

On one of the last beautiful autumn days of the year, we went to Hovfjället in northern Värmland to hike. This time of year it was incredibly quiet at Hovfjället and most things were still waiting for the winter season to start. We therefore had both the forest and the campsite almost to ourselves. The national park has a number of hiking trails, most of which start from the mountain top. Here you can park your car and start your hike by climbing up the small lookout tower and looking out over the neighbourhood. The trails are between 4 and 13 kilometres long and are well connected so that you can compose your own route. There is also a really long walk of 27 kilometres, but it's not a circular route so it requires you to either be keen to walk back and forth, or have a good friend to pick you up when you get to the end of the trail.

We started our hike up to the top of Högfjället and then chose Björåsrundan because we had been tipped off that this was a beautiful round. The trail is 9 kilometres long and together with the hike up the mountain we got a total of about 15 kilometres. The trail is nice and well-maintained but relatively hilly. However, the steep sections are rewarded with beautiful views and at one of the finest viewpoints there is a bench on display, perfect for a good coffee.

A tip for the road is to bring mosquito repellent and a long-sleeved jumper. I don't know if it was just this year, but there were a lot of mosquitoes and moose flies. I've never had the pleasure of experiencing moose flies before and have only heard of these disgusting little flying things. Now I know... They get in your hair and clothes, bite you so hard you jump up and down and are just scary. We also had a pack full of flies for weeks after we got home.

Since we are now happy motorhome owners, we rolled our little mobile home into Camping 45, a charming little campsite and holiday village at the foot of Hovfjället. The campsite is run by the couple Frank and Doro who have a great commitment to the environment and climate. Around the site there are small notes posted with environmental tips on how to live sustainably and the campsite was actually the first in Sweden to receive the Green Key award. Here you can read more about Camping 45 and see more photos.

Frank and Doro also seem to know the area around Hovfjället like the back of their hand because when we asked for some tips on hiking trails, we were inundated with maps and pictures of ways to go. Frank also seems to know every lichen, moss and bird worth seeing in the area. Should we find any mushrooms during our tour, they also offered to go through the harvest to ensure that we had not accidentally brought any poisonous variety. That's service!

Finally, I would also like to take the opportunity to recommend Vägsjöfors mill, which is located a few kilometres from the campsite along road 45. The weather was not really with us this day so we just passed by, but if you are interested in mill environments, this seems to be an exciting place. The mill was the last active ironworks in Fryksdalen and was closed down in 1893. Most of the old buildings are unfortunately gone, but it is a scenic place with a small walking trail around the area. There you can stroll around and with a lively imagination imagine what it looked like in the heyday of the mill. Adjacent is also the old manor house, which is now a hostel and houses an exhibition about the mill environment and its history.