Hiking Trollheimen
Trollheimen is the mountain range between Sunndal, Surnadal and Oppdal in central Norway — glacier-carved peaks, marked summer routes and a network of mountain lodges. Todalen in Surnadal is one of the few gateways where the road runs all the way into the valley and is plowed year-round. Here is what starts from here, where you can sleep, and when a valley base beats walking hut to hut.
Updated August 2026. Written by people who live in the valley.
We rent out accommodation down in the valley. So we have an interest in your answer, and we will say the awkward part first: if your plan is to walk hut to hut across Trollheimen with a pack, the DNT lodge network is the right answer, not us. Both options are below, with the lodges named.
Two ways to do it
Hut to hut
The classic Trollheimen trip goes from lodge to lodge along marked summer routes, carrying everything you need. You sleep where the route takes you, and you depend on the weather holding. In return you get to places no road reaches.
The lodges around Todalen and further into the range:
- Todalshytta — staffed lodge in Todalen, run by Kristiansund og Nordmøre Turistforening. Three old buildings, 27 beds, and a road right to the door all year. The natural starting point.
- Innerdalshytta and Renndølsetra — in Innerdalen, over the Bjøråskaret pass from Todalen
- Trollheimshytta — deep inside the massif, reached from Todalen through Romådalen
- Kårvatn — further up Todalen, its own gateway into the mountains
Practical note for visitors: the lodges are run by DNT, the Norwegian Trekking Association, and its local chapters. Membership gives you a lower rate per night, and for the self-service and unstaffed lodges you need the standard DNT key. Sort that out before you travel — not on the doorstep.
Opening dates, staffing and bed numbers change with the season. Check the individual lodge pages on ut.no, at dnt.no, and with Kristiansund og Nordmøre Turistforening before you set out.
A base in the valley
The other option is to sleep in one place and walk day trips from it. You drive to the trailhead in the morning, walk, and come back to your own kitchen, a shower and somewhere to dry wet gear.
That works best in three cases: when you are a family with children who will not walk fifteen kilometres under a pack; when the forecast is unstable and you want to be able to change the plan the same morning; and when the trip is meant to be combined with something else — fishing, a boat, swimming, a day with no mountain in it at all.
Routes that start from Todalen
| Route | Type |
|---|---|
| Over Bjøråskaret to Innerdalshytta, back through Snekkardalen | Classic weekend trip, marked summer route |
| Through Romådalen to Trollheimshytta | A long day — for experienced hikers |
| Todalshytta to Kårvatn or Renndølsetra | Marked summer routes |
| Day walks in the valley sides from Todalsøra | Shorter, good with children and for half days |
Innerdalen — the valley on the other side of Bjøråskaret — is considered by many Norwegians to be among the most beautiful places in the country, and it is the trip we most often recommend to people who have one day in the mountains and want to spend it well.
Season and conditions
The marked summer routes are walkable from the time the snow lets go until it returns — in practice often from late June into September, with July and August the most reliable window. Snowfields can sit in the passes and on north-facing slopes well into July, and that is exactly where trips go wrong for people who planned by the calendar instead of by the conditions.
In winter the road into Todalen is plowed, but the parking places up in the mountains are not. If you are coming to ski tour, work out where you will leave the car before you drive.
Weather forecasts for the area come from met.no and are on our activities page, alongside sea conditions and route suggestions.
Rules worth knowing before you arrive
- Right to roam. Norway's allemannsretten lets you walk and camp in open country, including private land, as long as you keep at least 150 metres from any inhabited house or cabin. In the outfields you may pitch for up to two nights in one spot without asking; further into the mountains, away from houses, you can stay longer.
- Open fire. Lighting a fire in or near woodland is prohibited from 15 April to 15 September. Use a stove instead — and note that local bans can be in force outside those dates in dry spells.
- Leave no trace. There are no bins in the mountains and no one comes to empty them. Everything you carry in, you carry out.
- Phone coverage is patchy inside the range. Download offline maps before you leave the valley, and tell someone your plan.
Getting here
From Surnadal or Kvanne, follow county road 670 and turn onto fv671 towards Todalen. From there the road runs up the valley to Todalshytta and on to Kårvatn. The nearest airports are Kristiansund and Molde; the nearest larger town is Surnadal. You will want a car — public transport into the valley is not built for hikers' timetables.
Staying with us
Todalen Brygge sits at Todalsøra, at the head of the Todalsfjord, with the mountains on one side and the fjord on the other. Three apartments, a kitchen in every unit, and the boats at the quay outside the door if the day after the mountain is meant to be spent on the water.
Our rates are temporarily off the site while we get the season ready. Send us your dates and you will get a price for exactly those by email — ask about a stay. If you would rather call or write, it is +47 995 85 098 and halle@vedhavogfjell.no.
Not sure whether your dates suit the trip you have in mind? Call +47 995 85 098 or write to halle@vedhavogfjell.no. We know the valley, and we will tell you if the week you are asking about is the wrong week.