The Hemsedalsfjella — the mountains that ring the Hemsedal valley — offer some of the best hiking in central Norway. The peaks here rise above 1,800 metres and the terrain above the treeline is classic Norwegian high mountain: rocky ridges, snowfields that persist into August, and the kind of long, sweeping views that justify the climb. The trails are marked but not crowded.
The most popular route climbs to Skogshorn (1,728 metres), which has a Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) hut at the summit and 360-degree views across multiple mountain ranges. The round trip from the valley takes around four to five hours. More ambitious walkers can link several summits along the ridge for a full-day traverse. The DNT hut system means multi-day hiking with overnight stays in the mountains is straightforward.
The summer trails are also excellent for mountain biking, with dedicated downhill tracks serviced by the ski lifts. Hemsedal has developed a solid summer biking programme that uses the ski area infrastructure.