A short hike from the nearest parking lot is an incredible waterfall, Månafossen.
Western Norway is to a large extent defined by its natural wonders and in the Stavanger region the Pulpit Rock and Kjerag get most of the attention. However, an hour’s drive from Stavanger lies a less known, yet still spectacular natural spectacle.
Månafossen is the tallest waterfall in the county of Rogaland with a 90 meter free fall. The river has eroded into the rock, making it appear like the waterfall emerges from the side of the cliff rather than the very top.
If you don’t like long hikes there is one thing to say about Månafossen: From the parking lot it only takes about 20-30 minutes to get there. If you are really eager it is possible to make it in just about 10 minutes actually. It should be noted that there is a steep hill more or less all the way and far from wheelchair accessible or good for people with bad knees, but compared to the Pulpit Rock and Kjerag this is an easier hike.
It is a popular destination, but when we have visited in the early morning or late evening there have been almost no one there. During day-time a lot more people can be seen.
Getting there
Unfortunately there’s no public transport to Månafossen. While there are some guided tours offering a package including transport from Stavanger, we find it easiest to go by car. You get to decided when to arrive and leave, take your time and even spend the night in a tent if you want to!
Driving from Stavanger the easiest option is to simply plot “Månafossen” on Google Maps and let the magic of technology do the rest. If you are a bit more old fashioned the driving directions are the following:
Drive south on E39 past Ålgård and make a left onto county road 45. Continue to Gilja, make another left (there should be a sign pointing towards Månafossen) onto county road 281. Follow the road until it ends, you have now arrived at the Månafossen parking.
Parking costs 40 NOK (about 4.25 USD) and is paid with the Norwegian service Vipps.
The way up and viewpoints
Finding Månafossen is really easy. Follow the initial steps from the parking lot and the remaining path is very easy to find.
The main viewpoint is about 400 meters from the start of the hike. It is a flat area with a clear view of the waterfall. You can walk to the very edge, but be careful not to slip and fall!
Right before the viewpoint it is also possible to take a (kind of) path down below the main viewpoint. It’s not a clear trail, but more of a walkable area to descend safely. This gives a better view of the waterfall itself, but you’ll be lower down and close enough to feel the water droplets when the waterfall is at its largest. The photo from the top of this article was taken from this viewpoint.
More than just the waterfall
If you’re up for a bigger challenge the path doesn’t end at the waterfall. Continue for about 20-30 minutes to reach the Mån farm (Friluftsgården Mån). This is a nice place to pitch a tent and spend the night.
The path continues and allegedly there is an airplane wreck somewhere in the hillsides here. On one occasion we therefore decided to continue along the path to see where it was leading.
Initially the path was good, but quickly turned into a pile of huge rocks.
It was not easy to navigate through, but thankfully the red “T”s marking hiking trails in Norway helped find the way.
The plan to find the airplane wreck had to be cancelled. The terrain was much to cumbersome to cross through to keep up the planned pace. Without enough food to stay one more day in the mountains the tent had to be pitched at Fidjavatnet.
Not a bad thing, there was a camping spot with a fireplace and a good view. Jumping into the water was tempting, but the lake comes from snow-clad mountains further up and is barely above freezing point.
The next morning it was time to return to Månafossen and back to the city.
If you decide to make the hike into the valley beyond the Mån farm, consider being more than one. It is easy to slip and fall between the rocks, and with little to no cell phone coverage and few other hikers around it surely is good not to be alone.
Maps of the area and further descriptions can be found on UT.no.
