Gateways
The national park has two gateways: Hønseby on the north side and Altneset on the south side. You can reach here by public transport and also stay overnight. There is also a quay in Store Bekkarfjord that can be reached by private boat.
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Hønseby on northern Seiland
To reach northern Seiland, take the ferry from Straumsnes (south of Hammerfest) to Kjerringholmen. From Kjerringholmen travel 19 km by road to Hønseby. The road is narrow and windy, but offers spectacular views! At Hønseby you will find a grocery store and the tourist operator Seiland Explore, where you can hire accommodation and boats. The store has an indoor exhibition on the national park, and visitor toilets. Close to the store there are parking places for hikers and information boards about the park. From here you can take a 9 km trail to the national park boundary, which is a good starting point for longer excursions in the national park. For a less strenuous option, follow the path for 2 km to a trekking post box. From here you can enjoy outstanding views over Hønsebyfjorden and Sørøysundet. You can also continue onto an unmarked 1 km path down to Storvannet.
Altneset on southern Seiland
To reach Altneset on southern Seiland, take an express boat/combi ferry from Alta (combi ferry quay in Bukta) or from Storekorsnes. At Altneset you will find the tourist operator Seiland House offering accommodation, refreshments and boat hire. These services must be booked in advance. From Altneset you can make a day trip on marked paths to Vardefjellet (232 m), Gryttind (307 m) and traverse Piggfjellet (405 m) . Gryttind and Piggfjellet are excellent starting points for a longer excursion into the national park. Altnesdalen and Sommarsetdalen are also good starting points. The narrow asphalted road winds its way along the fjord for 8 km south to Hakkstabben, providing breathtaking views towards Rognsundet and Stjernøya.
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Store Bekkarfjord
Store Bekkarfjord welcomes visitors and has a floating quay for public use, campfire site, information boards and an art installation on the history of the area. The floating quay is owned by the national park and is open from June 23 to October/November. You cannot reach Store Bekkarfjord by public transport, so you’ll have to arrange your own boat crossing. Several companies offer trips to the fjord. Store Bekkarfjord is located in the centre of the national park and is an excellent starting point for excursions in the park. If you start on the north side of the Melkelva river (by the floating quay) you can walk up towards Melkevatnan. If you start on the south side of Melkelva, a day trip to Altneset is an excellent option. It is extremely risky to try to cross Melkelva, so plan your route in advance and start on the side of the river you want to be.
Other excursions in the park
If you have access to a boat, there are numerous excursion options. It’s a relatively undemanding hike from Bårdfjorden up towards Bårdfjorddalen and Pederdalen. From Jøfjorden you can walk up towards Seilandsjøkelen from Breihovddalen. Talk to local people about your planned route before you set off. There are many obstacles that are not shown on the map, such as large scree and impassable boulder fields, sheer drops, cliffs and unfordable rivers. People say it is hard to get lost on Seiland, but easy to get stuck! If you are looking for less challenging excursions along marked paths, the Hammerfest Area Trekking Association has marked paths to Tindstua and Tyvvannet north of the park. Visit ut.no for more information on these excursions.
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Seilandstuva
Seiland’s highest peak, Seilandstuva (1078 m), is a long and demanding hike, even for experienced hikers. It can be reached from Kufjordbotn or Bårdfjorden. Be particularly aware of the crevasses on the Nordmannsjøkelen glacier near the top. Seilandstuva is part of Russian scientist Friedrich Struve’s Geodetic Arc, and the beacon here was built by Struve’s team in 1847. It is said that they needed as many as five attempts before they were able to take measurements from Seilandstuva, due to the sea fog, wind and snow. Seilandstuva can be seen from seven other points on the Geodetic Arc, which made it an important measuring point. Struve’s Geodetic Arc played an important role in efforts to measure the size and shape of the Earth, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.