Hiking route: Oftenåsen with the worlds largest garden chair

The world’s largest garden chair rises above Steinkjer from the top of Oftenåsen, offering magnificent views over the town, the fjord, Ogndalen and south towards Lake Leksdalsvatnet, with Mount Hermannssnasa standing prominently in the background.

Around the hill, you will find an extensive network of well-marked and well-maintained walking trails. There are five different starting points, all with free parking. Several route options make it easy to adjust the walk in terms of both distance and difficulty. Along the way, you will also find rest areas where you can take your time and enjoy the surroundings.

Follow the Troll Trail to the top!

In this suggested route, you start at Skotvoldgruva. From the car park, it is only 2.3 km to the summit. Along the way, carved troll and fairytale figures appear around almost every corner, making the walk especially exciting for children. A hike to the world’s largest garden chair via the Troll Trail is a must for families visiting Steinkjer.

You can return to Skotvoldgruva via the Ainnervein trail (2.7 km), giving you a circular route of around 5 km.

The trail is fairly steep but not particularly long, and no special skills are required. Ordinary trainers are perfectly suitable.

Once at the top, it is also recommended to take the short walk to the transmitter—just a couple of hundred metres further—for even better views to the north.

The Oftenåsen Staircase

Another attraction is the Oftenåsen staircase, which starts at the Troll Trail near the junction “Siste Utvei” and continues all the way up to the top by Peilehytta and the large chair. The climb covers 190 metres in elevation and consists of 327 steps.

At the top of the staircase, you will also find a large red heart sculpture with a golden arrow. It is positioned so that, when standing at the back of the platform, the town of Steinkjer is perfectly framed within the heart – a very popular photo spot.

Peilehytta kiosk

Peilehytta is open every Sunday from 11:00 to 15:00 throughout the year (except public holidays). Here you can buy coffee, waffles, ice cream and drinks.

The cabin kiosk is also open during summer:

2026: Daily from Monday 22 June to Saturday 8 August, 11:00–15:00

Barbecuing

If you wish to barbecue, you will need to bring your own charcoal and firelighters. There are two barbecues and a fire pit available at Peilehytta. Visitors are strongly encouraged not to use disposable barbecues.

Directions to the parking lot / starting point Skotvoldgruva

The main access to Oftenåsen is Skotvoldgruva, located within Trana farm on the city side of Steinkjer. To reach the parking lot at Skotvoldgruva from Steinkjer town centre, take off from rv 762 towards Ogndal from Kongensgate.

Then turn right onto Otto Sverdrups veg (in the middle of a sharp turn). Follow this road which further on becomes Tranaskogvegen. Continue straight until you reach the parking lot on your right. From there, there are marked trails up to Oftenåsen.



Click here to view the GPS track.

See here the hiking description at ut.no