Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park

Dovrefjell has long stood for something solid in Norway. When the men at Eidsvoll swore their oath in 1814, it was "united and loyal until Dovre falls". The park covers 1.830 km² of it, on both sides of the E6 and the Dovre railway, from wide rolling plateaus in the east to sharp peaks and deep valleys towards Sunndalen in the west. In the middle stands Snøhetta, 2.286 m. The park was created in 2002 out of the old Dovrefjell National Park from 1974, and in 2018 most of the former Hjerkinn military range was added. The wild reindeer in the Snøhetta and Knutshø areas are the most original in Norway and extra shy. Arctic foxes have been brought back, and some 600 plant species grow here.

Local knowledge: the musk oxen are not native, at least not in our time. In 1913 railway workers building the line over Dovrefjell found two fossil musk ox vertebrae in a gravel pit near Berkåk, and that gave people the idea of bringing the animal back. In September 1932 the polar scientist Adolf Hoel had 10 musk oxen shipped from Greenland to Dovrefjell. They were hunted out during the Second World War, and new animals were released from 1947. Don't let their sleepy look fool you. A musk ox that feels threatened attacks instead of running, and a man was killed by one in Åmotsdalen in 1964.

Visiting: the E6 takes you straight to Hjerkinn, at the highest point of the road between Dombås and Oppdal, where Fv 29 from Alvdal joins. The wild reindeer visitor centre has a car park and an outdoor exhibition. A signposted gravel road leads up to Viewpoint Snøhetta on Tverrfjellet, a 3,1 km return walk with a big glass wall facing Snøhetta, open in summer. A shuttle bus runs from Hjerkinn to Snøheim, the start for Snøhetta. Keep at least 200 m from musk oxen. Go on a guided safari or follow the marked Moskusstien trail. E-bikes, drones and cycling on the trails are not allowed, and dogs must be on a lead from 1 April to 20 August. Links: the park's own website and the park's official page.