High Coast Trail

A walk along a rising coast, the High Coast Trail runs about 130 km through the Höga Kusten region of northern Sweden, from the Hornöberget bridge to Örnsköldsvik. It takes most walkers around seven to eight days along a Baltic shoreline that is still visibly lifting out of the sea.

The coast is a geological marvel: since the last ice age it has rebounded some 300 metres, the fastest such uplift known, creating steep forested hills, raised beaches and a maze of islands. The trail climbs Skuleberget and crosses the Skuleskogen National Park, with clifftop viewpoints over the archipelago and the deep, dark Nordic forest.

Difficulty is moderate to strenuous, with repeated steep climbs over the coastal hills and some rough, rocky ground, though the route is well waymarked. Simple trail cabins and windshelters, free to use, lie along the way, along with a few villages offering supplies, so walkers can camp light or mix in guesthouses. Sweden's right of public access applies, and no permit is required.

The uplift landscape earned UNESCO World Heritage status as one of the best places on earth to see post-glacial rebound in action, giving the walk a scientific as well as scenic appeal. The season is June to September, once the snow has gone and before autumn storms; midsummer brings very long daylight and mild weather, while early autumn colours the forests and thins the biting insects of high summer.