page_title: Hardangervidda National Park
section_title: Geography and geology
hierarchical_section_title: Hardangervidda National Park / Geography and geology
caption_attribution_description: English: Lichen, found in the Hardangervidda Deutsch: Unbekannte Landkartenflechten, einen Felsen bedeckend, gefunden auf der Hardangervidda in Norwegen
context_page_description: Hardangervidda National Park, at 3,422 square kilometres, is Norway's largest national park. It spans from Numedal and Uvdal in the east and Røvelseggi and Ullensvang in the west across the Hardanger mountain plateau. Designated as a national park in 1981, today it serves as a popular tourist destination for activities such as hiking, climbing, fishing, and cross-country skiing. The Norwegian Mountain Touring Association maintains a comprehensive network of huts and paths across Hardangervidda. The Bergen Line and the main Highway 7 cross the plateau. The park lies in Viken, Vestland, and Vestfold og Telemark counties.
  It has the southernmost stock of several arctic animals and plants. Its wild reindeer herds are among the largest in the world.
  Several hundred nomadic Stone Age settlements have been found in the area, most likely related to the migration of the reindeer. Ancient trails cross the plateau, linking western and eastern Norway; one example is the Nordmannsslepa linking Eidfjord and Veggli in the Numedal valley with Hol and Uvdal.
context_section_description: The plateau is the largest peneplain (eroded plain) in Europe, covering an area of about 6,500 km² (2,500 sq mi) at an average elevation of 1,100 metres (3,600 ft). The highest point on the plateau is at the top of the Hardangerjøkulen glacier, which reaches a height of 1,863 m (6,112 ft).
  The landscape of the Hardangervidda is characterised by barren, treeless moorland interrupted by numerous pools, lakes, rivers and streams. There are significant differences between the west side, which is dominated by rocky terrain and expanses of bare rock, and the east side, which is much flatter and more heavily vegetated. The climate also varies between the two sides: it is considerably wetter on the west side than on the east, with over 1,000 millimetres (39 in) per year recorded in some parts. The prominent peak of Hårteigen 1,690 m (5,545 ft) is visible across much of the plateau.
  Much of the Hardangervidda's geology is extremely ancient. The rolling fells of the Hardangervidda are the remnants of mountains that were worn down by the action of glaciers during the ice ages. The bedrock is mainly of Precambrian and Cambro-Silurian origin.
caption: Map lichen on a rock of the Hardangervidda
exif: {}