The King’s Trail: one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the world

By Malin Norman

Early autumn is ideal for hiking in Swedish Lapland, with shifting colours and fewer mosquitos. One of the world’s most famous hiking trails is located here, above the Arctic Circle. Stretching from Abisko to Hemavan, the King’s Trail is around 450 kilometres long – a satisfying challenge for newbie hikers and mountain veterans, who can get up close with the spectacular wilderness.

Established by the Swedish Tourist Association (Svenska Turistföreningen, STF) at the beginning of the 20th century, the King’s Trail (Kungsleden in Swedish) passes scenic landscapes of Swedish Lapland, from dramatic high mountains to primeval forests, beautiful lakes and river deltas. The entire length of the trail stretches through Sápmi, the land of the indigenous people, and no less than four national parks: Abisko, Stora Sjöfallet, Sarek and Pieljekaise.

Photo: Alexander Hall/imagebank.sweden.se

Despite being located above the Arctic Circle, the well-maintained King’s Trail is suitable for first-time hikers as well as experienced mountain adventurers – many people even bring their kids along. The trail starts in Abisko in the north and finishes in Hemavan in the south, with the highest point being the Tjäktja Pass at 1,150 metres above sea level.

Naturvårdsverket. Photo: Mikael Gustafsson, TT-bild

Hiking the entire trail takes about a month, but with multiple entry and exit points you can easily tailor your own route. STF maintains some 16 mountain cabins along the trail, most of which are manned during the summer months and with the possibility of purchasing food, sitting about 10 to 20 kilometres apart; the ideal distance for a day’s hike.

In 2018, Swedish trail runner Emelie Forsberg famously completed the King’s Trail in just 4 days and 21 hours – currently the Fastest Known Time (FKT) by a female runner for the whole trail. There is no need to stress though, take your time and choose the section that suits you best.

Photo: Per Lundström/Imagebank.sweden.se

Abisko National Park and Kebnekaise

The most popular and northernmost section is around 105 kilometres long, from Abisko to Nikkaluokta, and will take a week or so to cover. On this route, the most-travelled in Sweden, you will pass through Abisko National Park with its varied landscape and wilderness: expect vast open plains, lakes and fast-flowing streams, and views of Sweden’s highest mountains.

Abisko National Park is located almost 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and attracts many people who want to experience the Northern Lights in winter – this is one of the best places in the world to spot aurora borealis – and the Midnight Sun in summer. Here, you can also see the U-shaped valley Gate of Lapland (Lapporten), one of the most famous and most photographed sights for hikers, as well as Scandinavia’s largest alpine lake, Torneträsk.

Photo: Moa Karlberg/imagebank.sweden.se

Along the Abisko to Nikkaluokta section, STF provides five cabin facilities, as well as the Kebnekaise mountain station. Indeed, when hiking here you can also take the opportunity to scale the summit of Sweden’s highest mountain (Kebnekaise stands at 2,097 metres above sea level), if you wish. In addition to hiking, other popular activities in the area are snowshoeing, dog sledding, and learning about reindeer herding.

Photo: Wangkun/Fjällräven/imagebank.sweden.se

Stora Sjöfallet and the grandiose Sarek

The King’s Trail also passes through Stora Sjöfallet, also called Stuor Muorkke National Park, the third-largest national park in Sweden. Located close to the Norwegian border, it covers 1,278 square kilometres and surrounds the Akkajaure reservoir.

The name of the park, meaning great waterfall, comes from a five-level waterfall on the Lule River. This is a varied national park with imposing mountain ridges, deep valleys and old pine forests. The majestic Akka massif in the south, with its glaciers, is known as the Queen of Lapland.

Along the middle section of the King’s Trail, you will find the plateau of Sarek National Park. This is one of Sweden’s most inaccessible national parks, only reachable by foot or on skis, so it is no surprise that this is often called Western Europe’s last wilderness. Keep an eye out for elk, lynx, wolverine and the endangered Arctic fox if you pay a visit.

Sarek National Park has six of Sweden’s highest mountains and almost 100 glaciers. When here, you can hike up the Skierfe cliff, a dramatic rock face rising nearly 700 metres, with sweeping vistas over the park and the delta landscape below. Some say that this is one of the best views in Scandinavia.

Photo: Göran Strand/imagebank.sweden.se

Pieljekaise and Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve

According to STF, the scenic route between Kvikkjokk and Ammarnäs is the least walked part of the King’s Trail. Different from other sections of the trail, it passes small villages, cabins and cottages, and through Pieljekaise National Park.

The park lies off the beaten track and the low mountain area offers untouched, vast birch forests connecting the valleys. The highest mountain here is Pieljekaise (1,138 metres above sea level), which has given the park its name.

If you explore this path you will need to camp some nights, and expect a few longer boat transfers, but these can often be arranged on site. The leg to Ammarnäs goes along an extended ridge, offering stunning views of Älvdalen.

The southernmost section of the King’s Trail, between Ammarnäs and Hemavan, travels through Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve, one of the largest protected areas in Europe. The U-bottomed Viterskalet is known locally as the Southern Gate of Lapland (Södra Lapporten). Norra Sytertoppen rises beside Viterskalet, and with its 1,766 metres, this is the highest peak in the Vindel mountains.

For more inspiration and tips, you can check out www.visitsweden.com and www.swedishtouristassociation.com

Photo: Martin Svalander/imagebank.sweden.se

Sweden’s National Parks In 1909, Sweden was the first country in Europe to establish national parks, with nine in total: Hamra, Garphyttan, Ängsö, Gotska Sandön, Abisko, Pieljekaise, Sarek, Stora Sjöfallet and Sonfjället. More have been added over the years and today, Sweden is home to 31 national parks. Source: www.sverigesnationalparker.se

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