Skåla Tower Trail

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Skåla Tower Trail: Loen’s Big Stone-Step Summit Hike

Published 17 July 2025 Updated 1 July 2026

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Ranked #869 of 974

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HikeList Score

Skåla Tower Trail scored 71/100 on HikeList's trail-quality metrics.

Good

See score breakdownHide breakdown

Ideal length 55
Balanced challenge 74
Scenery & wildness 98
Varied terrain 83
Accommodation 49
Food & support 52
Path quality 98
Season flexibility 63

Computed from length, challenge, scenery & wildness, terrain variety, accommodation, food & support, path quality and season flexibility.

The Skåla Tower Trail is a hard 15 km out-and-back day hike above Loen in western Norway, climbing from near Lovatnet to Skåla’s 1,848 m summit. It suits fit hikers who want a steep, non-technical mountain objective: about 1,818 m of ascent, forest lower down, rocky alpine terrain higher up, and long stone staircases near the top. The reward is Skålatårnet, the round DNT stone tower on the summit, with wide views over Nordfjord, Lovatnet and towards Jostedalsbreen.

Route Overview

Start at the Tjugen car park, about 2.5 km from Loen village and close to the shore of Lovatnet. The route is a straightforward out-and-back: follow the red DNT ‘T’ waymarks up a tractor road and forest path, then continue onto open mountainside where paved sections and built stone steps take over. Higher up, the line passes small mountain tarns around Tjønnetjørna before the final climb to Skåla’s 1,848 m summit, Skålatårnet and Skålabu cabin. Descend the same way to Tjugen. For other major Norwegian summit hikes, compare the Galdhøpiggen Summit Trail, Glittertind Ascent and Besseggen Ridge.

Skålatårnet: the tower on Skåla

Skålatårnet, also called Kloumantårnet, was built in 1891 on the 1,843 m summit at the initiative of Dr Hans Henrik Gerhard Kloumann from Innvik. Its purpose was recreation “for body and soul” and to bring travellers to the parish. A common tuberculosis-sanatorium story is a later legend, not supported by contemporary records. Kloumann died before completion; his widow donated the tower to the people of Loen in 1896, and it passed to Bergen’s Tourist Association in 1897.

Notable highlights

Skålatårnet, the Skåla Tower: A round, two-storey stone tower on the 1,843 m summit, built in 1891. It now serves as a self-service DNT cabin and is the landmark that gives the route its name.
Continuous fjord-to-summit ascent: The climb rises from near Lovatnet to 1,848 m in one sustained pull of about 1,800 vertical metres. That relentless gain is the defining feature of the hike.
Stone staircase: Long flights of built stone steps shape the steep upper mountain. They make the gradient walkable but do not make it easy.
Nordfjord and Jostedalsbreen views: In clear weather the summit looks down over the Nordfjord and Lovatnet landscape, with Jostedalsbreen nearby to the east.
Skålabu cabin: A newer DNT cabin beside the historic tower, opened in 2016, adds bookable overnight capacity for hikers who want sunset or sunrise from the summit.

Challenges to expect

Expect a long, relentless climb rather than scrambling: roughly 1,818 m of ascent over the outward leg, then the same descent on tired legs. The upper mountain is exposed to fast weather changes, and snow patches can linger into early summer. Navigation is generally helped by red DNT ‘T’ marks and the stone staircase, but this remains a high-mountain route. If you want a different hard Norwegian peak day, see the Gaustatoppen Summit Trail.

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Ranked #869 of 974

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