Anderdalen National Park

Anderdalen sits in the interior of Senja and shows the side of the island the scenic route photographs miss: instead of granite blades over the sea, a rolling landscape of ancient coastal pine forest, some trees several hundred years old, peat bog, small lakes and rounded summits. The park was created in 1970 and expanded in 2004 to about 125 square kilometres. Sami reindeer herding has used this ground for centuries and continues, with a gamme, a traditional turf hut, preserved at Kaperdalen alongside a visitor point. Marked routes cross the park with self-service cabins along them, and the walking is gentler than on the coast, though the bog makes for slow going in wet conditions.

What you actually see

• The old pine forest - coastal pines several hundred years old.
• The peat bog - open wet ground between forest and summits.
• The Sami gamme - a preserved turf hut at Kaperdalen.
• The rounded peaks - inland summits gentler than Senja's outer coast.

When to go

July to September, once the ground has dried and the snow gone; the bog makes early summer heavy going. Autumn colour in September is good. Insects in July are severe on the wet ground.

Honest expectations

The scenery is subtle rather than dramatic, and visitors coming from Senja's coast often find it plain. Paths are boggy and slow, and cabins are self-service requiring a key. Reindeer herding is active, so dogs must be leashed.

Nearby

Senja's outer coast with Segla and Ersfjord lies north; Finnsnes and the mainland bridge are east.