Sørstraumen Visitor information

The main information point to Kvænangsbotn and Navitdalen is located just by the E6 highway by Sørstraumen. To get here, you can park at the Sørstraumen local grocery store and walk about 100 meters. Or drive the road Leiraveien directly to the point of entry. There are parking spaces and a visitor information facility. If the weather allows it’s a nice place to stop for a rest. Inside the building Árres, there are public toilets and showers, and a small exhibit of Kvænangens natural environment, culture, and history.

Rundvannet/Jorbajávri

A lean-to and rest area can be found by Rundvannet lake and is an excellent location to bring your children on a warm day to bathe or try your luck fishing in the lake. Close by is the entrance for hikes and trips into Kvænangsdalen. You can get to this entrance by car driving 3 km on the forestry road “Dalveien”. If the road is not open or fit for driving, walking, or riding a bike along the Dalveien road is alternative. This is the end of the road, and you can park your car here, rest, use the toilet, or find information about the area.

The Dalstuen cabins in Kvænangsbotn

The tree old cabins of Kvængangsbotn, also called the Kvænangen Forest Cabins, was traditionally used as shelters during work in the forest or other harvesting in the area. The cabin serves now as a part of the regional Nord-Troms Museum and can be used for recreational purposes. Nearby Statskog (the state landowner) also offers cabins available for rental.

The Dalstien area has been used for harvesting grass for farm animals, and is a historical site displaying some of the traditional culture of the area.

The trip to Dalstuen starts normally at the Rundvannsbekken and follows an old road 3 km into the valley.

For more information, check these pages:

Renting Dalstua cabin (Statskog) – inatur.no (Opens in new tab)

Nord-Troms Museum – ntrm.no/museumsanlegg/dalstuene (Opens in new tab)

Ut i NORD – friluftsraad.utinord.no (Opens in new tab)

Storfossen Waterfall in Kvænangsbotn

Storfossen/ Stuoragorži is a waterfall with a drop of some humble 20-30 meters. Yet, it is still a magnificent sight. The view over Kvænangsdalen from the top of the waterfall is a sight to see.

To get to the falls you can follow a path from Dalstuene cabins further into the valley, for about 3,5 km (total 7km from the starting point). The path is only partially visible and may be difficult to follow. It is also possible to follow the fence used for herding reindeer, south/east of the river, where the path is partially visible but stops below the waterfall. Neither of the paths are marked, so you should be able to navigate by map even if the hike isn’t very difficult or physically demanding.

Gearbbethytta cabin and Gearbbetvannet lake

Gearbbetdalen is a valley next to Kvænangsdalen valley. The trip there is 5 km long and takes you to one of the oldest buildings left in Kvænangen: the Gerbikkhytta cabin, built in 1895. The cabin is one of Statskog’s rental cabins and is located by Gearbbetjávri/Kärpikkärvi.

The trip starts at Gearbbetveien road, which you can get to by driving through the forest for about 1 km from the county road. There is parking, a rest stop, information boards, and a toilet here. The road goes through the forest, and one is left to ponder the amount of work necessary to access the valley’s natural resources in the past.

It’s important to note that when the path crosses under the powerlines you should keep moving southeast along another path, instead of continuing towards the mountain. There are three bridges along the path. The border for the protected area can be passed after 3 km, about 500 meters away from the power lines.

Renting the Gearbbethytta cabin from Statskog – inatur.no (Opens in new tab)

Ut I NORD – utinord.no (Opens in new tab)

Fishing in mountain lakes

There are many lakes with ample fish in the mountains on either side of the Kvænangsdalen valley. For many this is an “hot spot” of fishing locations one could read about in magazines, as long as the weather and fishing luck holds.

You can reach the Gearbbehat mountains northeast of the valley by Gearbbetdalen, during both summer and winter. During the winter there may be an official snow scooter-track which can be followed from Badderen.

More information:

Fishing permits and rules for fishing, Statskog – inatur.no (Opens in new tab)

Scooter tracks – kvanangen.kommune.no (Opens in new tab)

Navitfoss – Starting point

Directly south of Navitfossen waterfall, which is passed by following the county road southward, is a facilitated starting point for trips into Navitdalen valley with parking, benches for relaxing, and a toilet. This is an excellent location for a closer look at the waterfall and the restored head saw or hikes up the valley.

The starting point is next to Navitfoss Camping – read more on their Facebook page.

Hiking to Navitdalen

The most common route for getting to Navitdalen is a path leading from the Navitfoss waterfall, north of the Navitelva river, towards Geitfjellet or to Navitdalen. The hike is about 7 km with a 350-meter incline. The path starts out clearly visible but is harder to find the further up you get. The path ends at a bridge crossing Navitelva river at the northernmost point of the valley. The protected area’s border is just south of the bridge. The entire length of the hike is on private property, and the path coincides with another Ut i NORD-hike to Geitfjellet.

From here you can pick and choose where to go. There are no marked paths, and bringing your own tent is a good idea. There is a “Goahti” (a hut made from wood and turf/peat) by Sáiva which travelers may use, located about 9 km from the starting point if you travel west of the Navitelva river. Hikes in Navitdalen are best suited for travelers bringing their own tents and backpacks, not to mention a fishing pole or a camera!

Røykfossen is a waterfall and a point of interest that is passed on the ascent, less than 1 km away from the road.

Hiking to Navitdalen – Lappinokka

There is an alternate route to Navitdalen along an old road called Lappinokka, leading from Sørfjordbotn and up towards Bollorášša mountain. The path is very steep for the first kilometer, but merges with a road leading to Navitdalen after a while, becoming easier to traverse. The entire hike to the turf hut I Navitdalen valley is about 9 km, which makes it far shorter than following the path north of the river.