Is it possible to go on a day trip to Fulufjället and Njupeskär from Sälen?

Njupeskär from Sälen is one of those excursions that makes a week in the mountains feel twice as rewarding. Sweden’s highest waterfall is situated in Fulufjället National Park, north of Sälen towards Särna, and it’s perfectly possible to do the excursion in a single day, using Sälen as your base. This guide explains how to plan your day: route choices, the trail to the waterfall, what else the national park has to offer, and when during the year the trip is at its best. Would you like cottages in Sälen as a base for the excursions They come in all sizes – and an extra night makes the day trip much more relaxed.

We have compiled a separate guide listing the protected areas in the region and their status, which can be found in the guide on nature reserves and national parks near Sälen. This is all about the outing itself.

Short answer: yes – it’s a perfectly doable day trip

Fulufjället is close enough to Sälen for a day trip to be manageable without any stress, provided you set aside a whole day rather than just an afternoon. The route most people choose is to set off in the morning, walk the trail to Njupeskär at a leisurely pace, have a packed lunch in the national park and be back at the cottage by evening. If you want to see more than just the waterfall – for example, head up to the Fulufjället plateau – you’ll need to set off early and ideally make the most of the daylight. An option that many people enjoy is to combine the walk with a stop along the way, as the route passes through some of Dalarna’s most beautiful woodland scenery.

Journey time and route options from Sälen

Drive north from Sälen towards Särna and from there on to the national park entrance at Njupeskär. The roads are in good condition but are standard country roads; in summer the journey is quick, whilst in winter journey times can be considerably longer. Check the current distance and journey time on the map before you set off, and allow time for stops – this is a journey through sparsely populated countryside where petrol stations and amenities are few and far between. Fill up with petrol before you leave Sälen. There is a car park and visitor information centre at the national park entrance; parking conditions and any charges may vary between seasons, so check the Swedish National Parks website before your visit. Mobile coverage is patchy along the route, so download the map offline.

The trail to Njupeskär – distance, duration and difficulty

A well-marked and well-used path leads from the car park to the waterfall. It is one of the most accessible mountain experiences in the country – expect a walk rather than a mountain hike, with footbridges over wetter sections and steps on the steeper parts. Families with children can manage it without any problems, although the final sections are steeper and the ground is stony. Up-to-date information on distance, duration and accessibility is displayed at the entrance and published by the national park authority; please check this before your visit, as the trail routes and footbridges are rebuilt at regular intervals. Bring sturdy footwear even for the short walk – the ground can be slippery when wet, and it usually is near a waterfall.

More in the national park: the bare mountain and Old Tjikko

Njupeskär is the gateway, but Fulufjället has more to offer those who stay longer. Up on the plateau, a barren mountain landscape opens up that is markedly different from Sälenfjällens: vast, barren and almost deafeningly quiet. There is a network of trails here for those wishing to go on a longer day’s hike, and for many, the combination of the waterfall and the plateau is the complete experience. The mountain is also known for Old Tjikko, a spruce whose root system has been dated back thousands of years and which is usually counted amongst the world’s oldest known living trees. It is situated high up on the mountain and is not signposted as a tourist attraction in the usual sense – if you really want to see it, a guided tour is the safest way. Please respect the fact that this is a sensitive site.

The best time of year for the trip

Waterfalls are at their most impressive when there is plenty of water, which means that early summer, during the snowmelt, offers the most spectacular views. July and August provide the most pleasant conditions, with the longest daylight hours and the best access to the entire trail network. September offers autumn colours and clear air, with the combination of low light and red birch making the bare mountain an unforgettable sight. In winter, the excursion takes on a different character – the waterfall freezes into a wall of ice – but this requires different planning, different equipment and checking which routes are passable. Our guide to when the hiking season is at its best applies broadly here as well, and the page on summer in Sälen shows you what you can get up to for the rest of the week.

Rules in the national park – what sets it apart from ordinary mountain terrain

In a national park, the area’s own regulations take precedence over the general principles of the right of public access, and they are stricter. Common restrictions relate to camping, lighting fires, walking dogs, cycling off the marked trails, flying drones and picking plants. Stick to marked trails and footbridges – the vegetation on the bare mountain is easily damaged and takes a long time to recover – and take all your rubbish away with you. The regulations are displayed at the entrance and published by the County Administrative Board and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency; read them before you set off to avoid any surprises when you arrive. The difference compared with the usual mountain terrain around Sälen is real, and we have gone through the rules in protected natural areas in a separate article.

More nature walks in the local area

The trip to Njupeskär from Sälen usually leaves you wanting more, and the region certainly delivers. Further north lie more protected areas and mountain landscapes, each with their own unique character, whilst closer to Sälen there are nature reserves that can be explored in a morning. A good way to plan your week is to alternate: a big day out, a quiet day at home, a day on the slopes or cycling. It is precisely this rhythm that makes a week in the mountains feel longer than seven days. If you’re travelling with children, it’s worth doing the long car journey early in the week, whilst everyone’s still patient – and making sure you pack plenty of packed lunches, as the range of places to eat in the national park area is limited.

Summary – planning your day trip

Here’s how to plan your trip to Njupeskär from Sälen:

• Set aside a whole day, not just an afternoon – and check the journey time on the map before you set off.
• Fill up with Sälen and download the map offline; coverage is patchy along the route.
• The path to the waterfall is well signposted and manageable for most people, but do make sure you wear proper footwear.
• If you want to go up to the plateau or see Old Tjikko, you’ll need to set off early – or hire a guide.
• Early summer offers the most water; July–August offer the best conditions; September has the most beautiful light.
• The national park’s regulations take precedence over the right of public access – please read them before you set off.

With Sälen as your base, Sweden’s highest waterfall is within reach for a day trip – and that’s the sort of outing people are still talking about long after their holiday has ended.