Drottningleden is possibly the most amazing day hike in Hemavan. You can easily access the trail from town and although it’s a bit of a climb the first two kilometers, it’s not a very technical walk that anyone with reasonable fitness levels can do. In this blog we’ll tell you a little more about the amazing Drottningleden in Hemavan.

About Drottningleden

The Drottningleden hiking trail is 8 kilometers one way and runs between naturum Vindelfjällen in Hemavan and Laisaliden. It’s a linear walk so that means you’ll either need two cars in order to get back to the trailhead or just walk back the way you came from. This is certainly a good option as the walk isn’t super long and in general, the one way should not take you more than 3 hours, making it a full day hike with stops if you decide to hike back and out.

Drottningleden is usually accessible early in the season, especially if you start from Laisaliden. In general, you could hike the trail from June onwards if you start here. The canyon just past Hemavan may still have a lot of snow well into the season. Unsure about the trail conditions? Then make sure to check in with naturum Hemavan about the current conditions.

Starting Drottningleden from Hemavan

When you decide to start Drottningleden from Hemavan, you can park your car at naturum Vindelfjällen. From here, it’s a bit uphill on Kungsleden first and soon you will see the wooden sign indicating Drottningleden.

Fun fact: the Drottningleden (Queen’s Trail) was named after Queen Silvia, who came to Hemavan for the opening of the trail. When there’s a King’s Trail (Kungsleden), you’ll need a Queen’s Trail as well of course.

The section after the wooden entrance is probably the most difficult, as you first descend into a canyon, then cross a wooden bridge and then climb until you’re well above the treeline. Once you’re out in the open, the trail becomes wide and easy to follow all the way to Laisaliden.

Starting Drottningleden from Laisaliden

If you’re not too keen on starting from Hemavan to avoid the steeper section, your best option is to start from Laisaliden. You’ll need a car to get there as it’s about a 15 minute drive from Hemavan and there is no public transport available. There’s a big parking lot at the trailhead and donations for parking are requested. There’s also an utedas (compost toilet).

Fun fact: the wooden steps that you’ll see at the start of the trail were made here especially for Queen Silvia so she could easily enter the trail.

The first part up is a bit steep but never difficult. Once you are above the treeline the trail will be easy to follow and is never technical. The trail is typically wide and marked with orange dots of paint. You will be above the treeline all throughout the hike until you descent to Hemavan.

If you are short on time, this is definitely the best place to start as you will have the greatest views from here, including over some of Hemavan’s highest mountains.

What are the alternatives for Drottningleden in Hemavan

If you want to do a hike that is similar to Drottningleden, you could possibly also check out a day hike on Kungsleden, Gurkfjället or Kobåset.

Want to hike Drottningleden with us? This summer we’ll be happy to take you on a guided hike on Drottningleden. During this guided hike, we’ll tell you more about the mountain plants, life in the mountains and of course will take plenty of time for photos.

Go find out more about our guided Drottningleden hike here.