Norway has 41 national parks, 34 on the mainland and seven on Svalbard. From underwater wonders to high mountainous areas, these parks offer a variety of landscapes and a wide range of exciting outdoors experiences.

Marked trails

Several national parks have arrangements for outdoor activities with a network of marked paths and trails and overnight accommodation in either staffed lodges or self-service cabins.

In vulnerable areas where it is desirable to limit the impact of visitors, paths and accommodation are minimal. General regulations concerning free access and special regulations concerning preservation in the individual parks may limit what is allowed.

Wildlife in the parks

National parks are particularly important for species that need relatively large and undisturbed areas to survive, such as wild reindeer, predators and birds of prey. Many of these are at great risk from human intervention and some are even threatened with extinction. Norway has an international responsibility to look after endangered species and their habitats.

Nearly 85 per cent of Norway's national parks  are mountains. The mountain landscape varies from endless gently rolling high plateaus to sharp peaks, ravines and glaciers.

Norway's national parks

Mainland Norway

• Blåfjella-Skjækerfjella
• Breheimen
• Børgefjell
• Dovre
• Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella
• Femundsmarka
• Folgefonna
• Forollhogna
• Gutulia
• Hallingskarvet
• Hardangervidda
• Jostedalsbreen
• Jotunheimen
• Junkerdal
• Langsua
• Lierne
• Lomsdal-Visten
• Møysalen
• Rago
• Reinheimen
• Reisa
• Rohkunborri
• Rondane
• Saltfjellet-Svartisen
• Seiland
• Sjunkhatten
• Skarvan og Roltdalen
• Stabbursdalen
• Varangerhalvøya
• Ytre Hvaler
• Øvre Anárjohka
• Øvre Dividal
• Øvre Pasvik
• Ånderdalen

Svalbard

• Forlandet
• Indre Wijdefjorden
• Nordenskiöld Land
• Nordre Isfjorden
• Nordvest-Spitsbergen
• Sassen-Bünsow Land
• Sør-Spitsbergen

National park visitor centres

There are 14 national park visitor centres in Norway. These offer information on Norwegian national parks in general, with extra focus on one or two parks locally, as well as information on outdoor activities, local natural history and cultural heritage.

You can also get assistance in planning trips in the national park and elsewhere in the district. You will find a map showing the location of the centres online. 

The right of access

In Norway everyone has the right of access ("allemannsretten") to the countryside - including the national parks. The national park visitor centres can provide further information.