Interesting how some hikes hardly get any attention, despite providing 1st class walking experience… Although Justadtinden is an easy hike and only a couple of minutes drive from Leknes in Lofoten, you won’t find crowds on the trail. Quite the opposite, we found it peaceful, relaxed and quiet.
Justadtinden seems to be totally overshadowed by Haukland and Uttakleiv beach, which are nearby, however we believe it is just as visit-worthy!
Below we’ll try to inspire you to get your feet busy discovering Justadtinden, the most underrated hike in Lofoten!
Hike to Justadtinden in Lofoten
- Height: Justadtinden 738 masl
- Total time: 4 – 5 hours (fast walkers 3 hours)
- Total distance: 13.5 km
- Parking: large car park at Hagskaret/Hagstua (free of charge; facilities: toilet, chemical toilet disposal) (directions)
- Level of difficulty: 2/5 – easy hill walk. Norwegian standards: BLUE – moderate
- Justadtinden weather: weather forecast for Justadtinden
How to get to Justadtinden trail head
Hiking trail to Justadtinden starts at the entry to a large car park near Hagskaret, at the bend of road 815 to Stamsund, less than 10 minutes drive from Leknes.
The trail begins at the gate, as a gravel track to telecom tower and is very easy to find.
The easiest way of getting to Hagskaret is driving, however if you’re based in Leknes you can reach the trailhead by bus number 18-767 Leknes – Stamsund. Ensure to ask the driver to let you out at Hagstua/Hagskaret, as there’s no ‘regular’ bus stop (also ask the driver at what exact spot along the road you can ‘hitchhike’ the bus back to Leknes)
Hiking trail to Justadtinden Lofoten
Having arrived to Hagstua, walk towards the gate at the top of car park and turn into a wide gravel track going thru woodland (trail head exact location). After a couple of hundred metres you’ll pass the telecom tower (on your right), continue straight till the gravel track ends.
Once at the track end, ensure to take the path going to the right; the other fork is fainter and runs thru wet ground; both paths merge further on.
The first 3 km of the trail will take you thru flat-ish terrain, in fact you will gain hardly any height! It’s a splendid warm up thou, a very picturesque walk with view back to Leknes, and as far as hills near Haukland/Uttakleiv beach! On a sunny day, we thoroughly enjoyed this easy walk.
Very soon you’ll come to another path fork, this time keep to the right as well; the other path runs to Kartstaven and Blatinden, much further.
In no time you will come to the pass between Karisteinheia and Steinheia (two small bumps), and the trail changes the character; you’ll finally feel your heart rate jump!
We were surprised by the ‘rockiness’ of the pass; till then we only walked amongst heather and grass, but the pass welcomed us with broken rocks which were a very nice change!
Continue further along the eastern slopes of Steingeia and you’ll enter a new, exciting section of the hike, plentiful in dramatic views! With the flatter 3 km of the hike past you, you will now face a couple of ascents.
As the path takes you up from the swampy dip, you will already feel some burning in thighs!
Just as you’ll need some motivation to keep you going, Justadtinden summit comes in view!
The mountainous landscape of Justadtinden was in great contrast to sights along the initial 3 km of the trail. Rugged ridges and further peaks looked very inviting to us and we instantly felt new energy!
The last kilometre before summit is the hardest part of hike to Justadtinden. It involves 2 short, but steep ascents, one of them a very easy scramble. The summit itself is very spacious and offers stunning view over Skifjorden, if you’re lucky with good weather!
Unfortunately, during our walk to Justadstinden, the weather changed a couple of times and didn’t come in line with the forecast. We started off in low clouds, but as we progressed the clouds gave way to sunshine. We were very hopeful to be able to reach Justadtinden in glorious weather, especially that the summit view is stunning… but only when you can actually see it! With the top shrouded in cloud and mist, we wouldn’t see much. And that’s exactly what happened to us…
Justadtinden summit towers in very close proximity of the ocean, which means that it can often be hidden in clouds, if the weather is unsettled. The clouds usually come and go, but one can never know.
Despite the summit being only ‘slightly shy’ when we first saw it, the clouds only worsened as we progressed and eventually we ended up in thick mist, with very poor visibility. Sadly, this didn’t change although we took time on the summit and waited almost 1 hour in hope that the mist will lift.
Sure, we felt a little bit disappointed by the lack of summit views, however, not all was lost! We did enjoy the stunning scenery throughout the hike, with only exception of the summit, which we felt was still pretty good!
If, like us, you’re hiking to Justadtinden and end up with clouds obscuring the summit view, we recommend waiting for some time, rather than giving up immediately. The mountains’ location guarantees weather to change, only question remains ‘how quick’. But, you should give yourself a chance, have lunch, cool down and see whether conditions improve. Who knows, you may be in luck and clouds will clear.
If you conquer Justadtinden on a clear day and don’t have to worry about summit views, you can consider yourself very lucky! Don’t rush back, enjoy it!
Justadtinden hiking map
Are you into mountain biking?
Although cycling to the very summit of Justadtinden could be too much, the initial 4-5 km are well suitable for the challenge! Especially if you’re a seasoned mountain biker, we recommend giving it a go!
Alternatively, you can cycle along the trail to Kartstaven and Blatinden, as it is longer and rises gentler; with only final sections near the two summits steepening up.
Wild camping near Justadtinden and the nearest campsite
Wild camping is allowed and widely accepted in Norway. By law, everyone is allowed to stay overnight at any spot at least 150 metres from nearby buildings. As much as it sounds great, in reality finding a wild camping spot in Lofoten can be very tricky as they’re relatively highly populated. On many occasions suitable camping spots are blocked or marked as private grounds with camping forbidden.
Luckily finding an overnight stay spot near Hagstua/Justadtinden is really easy!
If you’re travelling in a campervan/motorhome, you’ll be pleased to know that the large car park at the trailhead offers numerous spaces; what is more – there is a toilet with warm water and chemical toiler disposal point. There is only one downsides: the car park area is far from flat.
For those travelling with a tent; there are countless opportunities to camp along the trail to Justadtinden! What is more, the car park picnic areas are relatively flat; we noticed tents pitched overnight at the grassy parts. However, at the same time please note that the car park is intended for rest only (as per the information boards), so if you decide to camp at the car park, try to pitch your tent late and pack up early in the morning, to potentially avoid unpleasant situations.
What we loved about hiking to Justadtinden Lofoten
Despite the lack of summit view, we greatly enjoyed the hike to Justadtinden. We loved being surrounded by rugged mountains, with stunning scenery of valleys and far fjords. Although the hike is lengthy as per Lofoten standards, it does not drag and offers enough excitement to keep one happy. Having previously hiked in other, busier parts of Lofoten, we liked the tranquil and peaceful ambience of Justadtinden and meeting only a couple of other walkers, rather than crowds.
If you’re looking for an easy hike in beautiful surroundings, with stunning views, or you’d like to unwind and hike undisturbed, Justadtinden is perfect. Don’t omit this fine hike from your Lofoten itinerary!
LOOKING FOR OTHER AMAZING WALKS IN LOFOTEN?
If you’re looking for other hiking ideas on Lofoten archipelago, check out these amazing hill and beach walks! All include detailed route descriptions and maps:
VEGGEN – a short, but steep hike to an amazing viewpoint over Uttakleiv and Haukland beach. You may be lucky to spot the pair of eagles nesting in Veggen’s crags!
HERMANNSDALSTINDEN – conquer the highest summit of Moskenesoya island on the western end of Lofoten archipelago! An amazing, 2 day hike thru stunning wild mountains!
TINDSTINDEN– a fine hike to the peak over village A, starting from Sorvagen. A surprisingly adventurous half-day hike with spectacular views!
FLOYA & DJEVELPORTEN – a challenging hike with stunning views to the town and islands of Svolvaer, and a dare-devil spot at Djevelporten boulder. Why not extending the adventure and include another 2 peaks, Blatinden and Tuva?
VAEROY ISLAND – day trip to a small island off Lofoten’s western end. Vaeroy is easily explored on foot or by bike, offers great short hikes as well as a fine local cuisine!
*Level of difficulty explained: 1– easy walk, mostly flat 2– easy hillwalk, good path 3-moderate, possible some steep sections 4-long hillwalk, possibly some scrambling involved, possibly pathless 5-difficult, possibly pathless, long, requires technical skills
NORWEGIAN DIFFICULTY LEVEL EXPLAINED: GREEN – easy , BLUE -moderate, RED – demanding, BLACK -expert
