A perfect day in the Ånderdalen national park

On our way from the north of Norway to Lofoten we made a short diversion and stopped on the Senja Island. Senja is the second largest Norwegian island and is located above the Arctic Circle. It therefore provides you with the opportunity to enjoy the Midnight Sun in the summer and the Northern Lights in the winter. Senja is as well a great place for those who love fishing. That is however not our case. On Senja we wanted to visit the Ånderdalen National Park and enjoy a trek in a beautiful nature.  

Discover the Åndervatnet Lake

Although the rough western coast of the island offers the most breathtaking views we have decided to make a shorter track to the Åndervatnet Lake.  We have started from a parking space located opposite the Tranøybotn camping. According to the trail signs the trek should have been 6km long. In fact, it was 7,5km. The trail was very good marked; it was impossible to get lost. The terrain was mostly wet and on many spots the trail crossed swamps. Fortunately, these stretches of the trail were equipped with wooden footpaths.  

If you decide to do this trek we highly recommend taking waterproof shoes with you. The terrain here is very wet. It was a funny feeling to walk on it as it reminded us of a sponge full of water. Each step was accompanied by a funny squelch sound. We anyway survived the trek without getting too wet or too muddy.

During the trek we appreciated the high quality of services provided for the tourists trekking in the Ånderdalen National Park. Approximately on the half way to the Åndervatnet Lake there was a fully equipped resting area. It offered a table with benches, a fire place, sufficient supply of wood and even a tea kettle.

At the Åndervatnet Lake we found a tourist cabin that absolutely amazed us. The cabin was open (i.e. it is usually not locked and so you do not have to pick up the keys before starting the trek) and it was in a great condition. Its interior was fully equipped with everything you need for an overnight stay or to hide away from bad weather. It is very practical especially if you e.g. decide to make a more-day trek to the western coast of the island.

Enjoy the nature

We enjoyed the trek to the Åndervatnet Lake to a maximum. We had beautiful weather. The sky was blue and the sun was shining and giving warmth even. That the sun is giving warmth is absolutely natural for us living in the temperate zones. It is however not so common above the Arctic Circle and so you have to appreciate it accordingly.

We enjoyed the beautiful views that the landscape offered during the trek. Although we were going through a completely flat land the views were breathtaking. For the first time we realized that you do not have to be somewhere high in order to be able to enjoy a view.  

Since we already had plans for the upcoming days we decided not stay overnight in the cabin located next to the Åndervatnet Lake but to turn back to our starting point. If you decide differently on your trek, all necessary information related to the tourist cabins in Norway is available on the site of the Norwegian Trekking Association.

Most of the time we spent in Norway we wild camped. So we did here. Being slightly tired after the 15km trek we left the national park and found a romantic place just a couple of kilometers away from the trek start. We parked our car on the beach and raised our tent on the only flat spot we found. Afterwards we made the absolutely wet wood burn which was not an easy task. We however needed to get warm. The sun was down and it had not been giving any warmth anymore. We needed to prepare some dinner as well.

To have a fire was quite an extraordinary occasion for us and so we adjusted the dinner menu accordingly. Bacon brought from home barbecued on the fire served with bread and onions. Yummy!

Watch the video

And finally we add a short video that will take you with us on the trek to the Åndervatnet Lake.