Autumn colors in Muddus National Park

A three-day long weekend hike sleeping in huts

Hike in Muddus National Park and experience magical old forests, great wetlands and spectacular waterfalls. Muddus National Park was inaugurated in 1942 to protect the then almost extinct whooper swan. People have lived here for thousands of years side by side with the animals and nature, and if we look carefully we can still see traces of old hearths, forest fires and old-fashioned forestry. Even today, Muddus National Park is an important grassing area for reindeers and a popular place for wildlife such as moose, bear, grouse and capercaillie.

Muddus National Park is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Laponia and called one of the most silent place in Sweden. Even if it is only an hour outside Jokkmokk, you can often hike for hours without hearing any other sounds than the rustling of the trees and the rippling streams. In Muddus National Park, you’ll find some of the oldest pine threes in Sweden and they are full of hanging lichens that reindeer can eat if the winter becomes extra difficult. During our hike in Muddus National Park we spend the nights in huts along the trail and cook together over the open fire.

Our idea is to take a break from our everyday life and go on an active but relaxing weekend hike in the old forest of Muddus National Park

This hike is for you who…

…wants to get out of town for the weekend and would like to experience the old forest in Muddus national park. To hike in Muddus you must be able to hike 7-15 kilometers per day and carry a backpack of around 10 kg. Recommended age from 16 years old. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding your physical ability or experience level.

Join us and experience:

• Hiking among trees that are more than hundreds years old
• Cooking tasty meals together over the open fire
• Experiencing the autumn colors
• The silence and tranquility
• To log out and relax

Hike in small groups with a local guide

We want you to have the best experience possible on your hike in Muddus National Park. Therefore, we travel in small groups of maximum 6 guests in total. All our guides have long experience from hiking in the area and can tell you stories about the culture and history in Laponia. They are all certified guides trained in wilderness first aid or live up to the same standard or higher.

Solo travelers

Many of our guests travel on their own and don’t know anyone else in the team when arriving Jokkmokk. It is a great opportunity to find new outdoor friends. Solo travelers are of course welcome to book the tour, but we will need a minimum of three guests in total to go.

Information

Accommodation and comfort

On our hike in Muddus National Park, we stay two nights in cozy forest huts without either electricity or running water. Here we all help to carry in water from the well and cook and wash dishes together in the light of the candles. The huts have only a few rooms and most likely we all sleep together in the large room which is also the kitchen and living room. If there are other guests who have also chosen to hike in Muddus National Park, we may need to share a room with them and possibly sleep on a mattress on the floor. Usually we are alone or together with a few other people. In the vicinity of the hut, and also along the trail, there are outhouses available. If you feel warm after the hike we recommend a cold but refreshing dip in the lake.

After a three-day hike in Muddus National Park, we end with a night in a two-bed room at the guest house in Jokkmokk where you share a room with someone from the group. The house, built almost 100 years ago, was owned by the state forestry company, being the home of the local forester. And still today it feels like coming home when entering the front door. The guest house has showers, a hot sauna and toilets in the same building as your room.

The food

Every day we start with a proper breakfast in the hut before we start hiking. In the middle of the day we stop for lunch and in the evening we cook at the next hut. The menu is composed with inspiration from the Sami and Northern cuisine and is cooked on a gas stove in the cottage or outdoors over an open fire. The last breakfast we eat at Caisa’s restaurant at the hostel in Jokkmokk.

Start and end locations

We pick you up at Jokkmokk bus station at 10.00 on day 1. The tour ends after breakfast on day 4.

Travel here

More information about how to get to Jokkmokk and back home you’ll find here.

However you choose to travel here, flexible tickets are recommended. We also recommend you to have a valid travel insurance and check passport and VISA rules befor traveling to Sweden.

Stay warm and happy

When we hike in Muddus National Park we may have all kinds of weather. We can have sunshine and +25 degrees during the day but also +5 degrees and heavy rain or potentially snow. Our packing list helps you choose which clothes you need to stay warm and happy on the trip.

 Packing list – Time out in Muddus >>

How heavy will your backpack be?

Expect your backpack to weigh about 9-10 kg at the beginning of the trip depending on how well you pack it. Aim for your personal equipment with clothes and other small things to weigh around 3kg plus the weight of the backpack of 2kg. In addition, there will be about 3 kg of food, common equipment and a water bottle with water that you get from us in Jokkmokk. The total weight ends up around 8kg. But we always have some extra things that we need to be happy and comfortable, such as an extra sweater, a camera or a book. We recommend that you take the time to think through your packing and what you really need. Hiking in Muddus National Park becomes much more comfortable with a lighter backpack.

What about the mosquitoes?

In September, the frost has taken the mosquitoes and it is more or less mosquito-free. Some years there can still be some insects left so if you are very sensitive we recommend you to bring mosquito repellent.

Itinerary

Included meals marked each day with B=breakfast, L=lunch and D=dinner

DAY 1 ARRIVAL JOKKMOKK – MUTTOSAGGAHTJALDAK (L,D)

We’ll pick you up at Jokkmokk bus station and go to our base just outside Jokkmokk. Arrive one day earlier and book an extra night at the hostel. At our base we’ll brief you on the upcoming tour before we pack the minibuss and head towards Muddus National Park. We have lunch around the fire before we hit the trail. The trail leads us through an old pine forest and passed several waterfall before arriving Muttosaggahtjaldak. We have dinner together and stay for the night.

Hiking distance: about 7 km, elevation gain/loss: +150/-50m, estimated time out hiking 2-3h

DAY 2 MUTTOSAGGAHTJALDAK – MUTTOSLUOPPAL (B,L,D)

We start the day with a Swedish breakfast. In the morning we explore the hunting pit system not far away from the hut before continuing to Muttosluoppal where we spend the second night in Muddus National Park. The trail takes us through an open forest and across Luobbalaáhpe, a wetland with a rich birdlife during the summer. Close to Muttosluoppas there is a bird observation tower from where you can look out over the wetland and forest around us.

Hiking distance: 9km + optional day hike, elevation gain/loss: +50/-20 m, estimated time out hiking: 3-4h + day hike

DAY 3 MUTTOSLUOPPAL – JOKKMOKK  (B,L,D)

For those who wants we wake up early in the morning and climb the bird watching tower to see how the forest and the mire slowly wake up around us. The trail leads us along to another small hut in the forest where we have lunch around the fire before continuing to Nammavárre. We cook dinner over the fire and enjoy our last evening in Muddus National Park before hiking the last kilometer to the pickup. We drive back to Jokkmokk, have a shower and a sauna and sleep well in at the guest house.

Hiking distance 15 km, elevation gain/loss: +100/-75 m, estimated time out hiking: 5-6h

DAY 4 DEPARTURE JOKKMOKK (B)

We finish the tour with breakfast at the guesthouse. Take your time to discover Jokkmokk before boarding the bus to Murjek och book a transfer to Luleå.

We reserve the right to make changes

Nature is a dynamic place and we may need to adjust the route and the itinerary according to the current weather conditions. We are also in contact with representatives for the local reindeer herders’ communities and other local actors to collaborate in the best way possible.

Do you have any question?

Send us an email to info@laponiaadventures.com
We are happy to help and will answer you as soon as we can.