Well, after years of talking about it, we’re finally here in Norway for what promises to be an incredible road trip! We promise to put together plenty of practical articles on how to make the trip, our travel budget for Norway, and all our itinerary tips. But before that, we thought we’d share with you some of our favorite hikes. And we’re starting right off with the first hike we did the day after we arrived in Norway in Kristiansand : the Tømmerrenna wooden footbridge hike in Vennesla.
This old log slide, once used to transport logs through the forest, has been transformed into a trail suspended between cliffs, wooden walkways, and wild landscapes. It’s a unique, accessible hike and completely different from anything you’d expect to see in Norway.
A hidden gem that’s still relatively unknown, we highly recommend it if you’re ever in the Vennesla or Kristiansand area. Bonus: you can even top off your day with a ride on a historic steam train! So, are you curious? Then keep reading—we’ve got all the details for you. 🙂
Tommerrenna: Overview and Brief History
At first glance, it’s hard to imagine that this spectacular wooden walkway suspended above the river was once used to transport… tree trunks! Yet Tommerrenna is indeed a former industrial structure that was built to facilitate log driving in this heavily forested region of southern Norway.
In fact, to provide some context, at the time, timber was transported from various forests to the sawmills using the current of the Otra (the river that flows from Røyknes to Grovane/Vennesla). But in 1950, the Beilhølen Dam was built to supply the Steinfoss hydroelectric power plant. The construction of the dam drastically reduced the flow of the Otra River, and that’s how the idea for this kind of wooden canal that follows the river’s course came about. Imagine that back then, water was fed directly into it from the dam, and once the logs were “deposited,” they would slide all the way to Grovane and its road and rail access.
After lying abandoned for many years, the site was completely restored and is now one of the most unique hiking trails in Southern Norway.
Our experience on the Tommerrenna hike
We arrived in Kristiansand the day before and were looking for a place to sleep as well as a short hike not too far from the ferry terminal. We found the perfect spot to sleep near Vennesla, and that’s how we stumbled upon this hiking trail, which was right next door! We set out early in the morning and started by heading to the parking lot at the Grovane train station. We’d seen there was a parking lot at the trailhead, but it required payment (and we hadn’t quite figured out how payments work in Norway yet—I promise, we’ll get back to that).
Starting from Grovane, we followed the small road for 1.5 km and reached the start of the walk along the wooden canal. I’ll be honest: while we were immediately charmed by the idea, I’m pretty sure Winchy, our dog, didn’t feel the same way. In fact, since it’s a canal, the poor guy had virtually nothing to look at or sniff (his favorite activity on walks, haha).
The boardwalk is really cool, and you alternate between sections “on dry land” and bridges. Honestly, we were like kids. Our first walk in Norway, with bright sunshine—it was a really nice first outing!
Paulen Gard—a Scout house like no other
After about 1.5 km, there’s an opening on the left side of the canal, and a small sign reads “Paulen Gard.” Intrigued (and also because Winchy really wanted to go sniff around in the woods a bit), we left the canal and followed this little path into the forest. If you’re ever in the area, we officially recommend you do the same.
It is actually an old farmhouse that became the property of the logging company, which leased the house to the railroad company to house the stationmaster until 1964. After that, the place was abandoned until a group of young people stumbled upon it in 1972. The forestry company agreed to lease the entire property to the local Scout association, which invested a great deal of time and energy into bringing the site back to life. In 1999, the Scouts were able to purchase the property for a nominal fee, and it has since become a gathering place for Scouts as well as a spot where hikers are welcome to take a break by the water or fill their water bottles at the spring.
The hike continues to the Beilhølen Dam
After that short break in Paulen Gard, we got back on the wooden canal, and this time we didn’t leave it until we reached the Beilhølen Dam. Along the way, the canal even goes through a tunnel! It’s really cool, though we have to admit that the tunnel ended up being much longer than we expected, haha. So don’t worry, it’s not “very” long, but since you can’t stand up and have to move forward either bent over or in a squat, we were still pretty happy when we saw the light at the other end. 😉
Seriously though, the tunnel is a fun part of the route, but if you have back or knee problems or get a bit claustrophobic, you can easily step off the canal for a bit and take the hiking trail that runs above the tunnel.
Once you arrive at the dam, you can see how water was channeled into the canal back then, and several informational signs explain the history of the site (it’s a good idea to have Google Translate on your phone, as most of the signs are in Norwegian only).
For the return trip, most people choose a round trip in the strict sense and take exactly the same route back. Since we had parked in Grovane, we took a slight detour. After passing through the tunnel on the way back, we left the canal and took a path through the forest that leads back to Grovane. We’ve included a map of our route below in case you’re interested.
Practical information for planning the Tommerrenna hike
Parking lots for the Tommerrenna hike:
There are two parking options (you’ll find them marked on the hiking map below):
- The official parking lots are located at the start of the wooden walkways. Here, a contribution is requested to help maintain the trail. The fee is 75 NOK for the day (or 150 NOK for 24 hours if you wish to spend the night in your vehicle at the parking lot). Payment is “voluntary” and helps support the infrastructure. You can find more information (and the bank account details) here.
- The parking lot at Grovane Station (free). This is a good option if you plan to take the train or, like us, if you’d rather take the loop that returns via the forest trail instead of walking back the way you came. Please note that this option involves walking a few hundred meters along the main road.
The itinerary:
The official route is 4 km one way and runs from Grovane (the parking lot at the trailhead) to the dam. The total elevation gain is 165 meters, but honestly, you hardly notice it (it’s basically a gentle incline the whole way). If you’d like to download the official route on AllTrails, you can do so here.
For our part, we decided to do a sort of loop. In total, the loop is 12 km long with 328 m of elevation gain and includes a few detours and a return trip along a forest trail. Scenically speaking, I’d say our route isn’t particularly interesting, but let’s just say the return trip is more “direct,” and if you feel like you’ve seen enough of the footbridges, it’s an option (for us, it was mostly a chance to let the dog run around a bit and give him some things to sniff along the way).
The route runs between Grovane and Røyknes, along a preserved section of the old Setesdal railway line. The round-trip takes about 2 hours, including a stop in Røyknes.
The Setesdalsbanen heritage trains run mainly during the summer season, from early June to early September. As for schedules, be sure to book your tickets in advance (the trains are usually quite popular and there aren’t many of them).
The Setesdalsbanen steam train: the perfect activity to pair with Tommerrenna
For much of the hike, we walked alongside the railroad tracks, and we have to admit we were hoping a train would pass over the viaducts just as we were standing right in front of them. So I might as well tell you that in early May, we could have waited a long time. In fact, we didn’t know this before we left, but this is a historic line that only operates during the summer months (roughly from June to September). The original line connecting Kristiansand to Byglandsfjord closed in 1962, and only a small 8-kilometer section has been preserved for heritage steam trains.
A round-trip ticket costs 240 NOK, or 120 NOK for a one-way ticket. There is also a “family” fare for 595 NOK, which covers 2 adults and up to 3 children.
Photo credit: Karl Ragnar Gjertsen
Another option that can be really nice is to buy a one-way ticket and walk the rest of the way. The website says you can also buy a round-trip ticket and ask the train conductor to let you off at the dam. But if you do that, you’ll obviously have to pay the round-trip fare.
If you choose to do the one-way hike, the total distance is 10 km (about a 2- to 3-hour walk), and I’ve included a map below.
You can, of course, take the one-way trip in either direction, but personally, I would recommend taking the train there (from Grovane to Røyknes) and then walking back. That way, you won’t be stressed about “making it on time” during the trip, and all you’ll have to do is “walk back to the car.”
FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About the Tommerrenna Hike in Norway
To wrap up this article, here’s a short FAQ. If you have any other questions, feel free to leave us a comment.
Can you hike the Tommerrenna Trail in winter?
Officially, the trail stays open all year round, so yes, it’s possible. That said, I think you should definitely check the weather forecast, because the footbridges can definitely get very slippery when it snows. But between you and me, I think it’s just as beautiful to hike when everything’s covered in snow!
Is Tommerrenna suitable for children and families?
Absolutely! The hike is really easy to manage, and I think the kids will have a lot of fun walking here. Plus, since you’re practically always along this canal (with relatively high banks), it makes the walk very safe in terms of slipping. That said, you should keep in mind that the round trip is 8 km. So it’s up to you to decide how far your little ones can walk (maybe you can turn back before the dam if needed).
Are dogs allowed at Tommerrenna?
Sure, no problem! That said, it’s not necessarily the most “interesting” walk for them since they’re along the canal. Be careful, though—the canal is very narrow and the paths are “cramped.” If your dog is easily excited around people or other dogs, this probably isn’t the best idea. We passed a couple with a small dog (who didn’t seem to particularly like other dogs), and the woman simply carried him across the path, but I imagine that if it had been a large dog, it might have been more complicated. Winchy (our dog) couldn’t care less about other dogs, so no worries on that front.
How long should I plan for the hike?
It will largely depend on you and your walking pace to cover about 8 to 12 km on flat terrain (depending on the route you choose). 😉 But for our part, it took us about 2 hours and 40 minutes (including the break in Paulen Gard). Our watch showed about 2 hours and 10 minutes of “movement” time for the 12-km option.
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