Tännforsen Waterfall Hike – Sweden’s most powerful Waterfall

Tännforsen is a waterfall you can reach with a short hike on a well-maintained path. Part of the Indalsälven river, Tännforsen is often referred to as Sweden’s biggest waterfall. It is an extremely powerful waterfall, with its 40-meter drop and 60 meters in width, and it sure makes an impression.

You can really feel how powerful the waterfall is from the trail and from the observation deck next to the waterfall. It’s a huge curtain of water that constantly, loudly roars and generates huge amounts of water vapor.

Tännforsen is also to reach, being just a short drive off Highway E14 near Åre. The trail is also short; it makes for an easy walk, which I’d recommend not to miss if you are in the area.

View from the small observation deck next to the waterfall.

Table of Contents

Overview of the Tännforsen Waterfall Hike & Map

There is a well-marked and well-maintained path to reach the Tännforsen. A path that also includes information boards and notes about various plants and types of moss that grow in the area. it is a protected area, so staying on marked paths is required.

The path to the waterfall is a loop and makes for easy walking. It’s wide, offers a few benches to enjoy the views of the surrounding area, a couple of viewpoints, one above and one below the waterfall, as well as an observation deck right in front of it.

It’s also possible to visit Tännforsen year-round, with the spectacle of the waterfall frozen over in winter, and with the water flow at its peak between May and June.

How to get to the Tännforsen Trailhead and Parking

Located about 20 KM west of Åre, and about 60 km east of the Norwegian border, the visitors center where the trail starts is easy to reach.

• Driving Directions: If you are in Åre and are coming from that direction, keep driving on the E14 highway toward Norway and drive past the small town of Duved. Kee driving and right after the bridge across the Indalsälven river, turn onto road 322 to your right. Keep following the road until you reach the Visitor Center access road. Take that road.
• Parking: paid parking is available by the trailhead/visitors center.
• Public Transport: There is a bus stop (Tännforsen vägskäl), line 572 from Duved centrum, right by the turnoff on road 332. You can reach Duved from Åre by train or by Bus. From the bust stop, it’s a 1.7 km walk to the visitors center. More info and timetables on ltr.se.

The Tannforsen Visitors Center and parking area.

The Tännforsen Waterfall Hiking Trail

From the Parking area, you can either take a trail to your left or to your right to get to the waterfall. They both lead to the same viewpoints, and both lead downhill. However, the one to the right approaches the waterfall from its base, while the one to the left approaches it from its top. I’ll describe it clockwise, as that is the way I did it. So, approaching the waterfall from above.

The trailhead has an information board that shows the available trails and explains the peculiarities of the microclimate around the waterfall.

Past the info board by the trailhead, a wide, gravel trail leads into a relatively thick forest. Here and there, you can find signs that explain what types of plants you can find in those forests, and what purpose they serve in the microclimate around the waterfall.

The trail then first approaches the river upstream of the waterfall, and the Indalsälven river comes into view first.

Indalsälven river, upstream of the waterfall.

From there, you can already see the water vapor of the falls and hear its thundering waters. You will first approach the top of the falls, and here you have the first peek of the upper part of the waterfall.

A little further downhill, you will find the access point to the observation deck, which is essentially more of a catwalk than an observation deck.

The Observation Deck/Catwalk

However, the observation deck/catwalk really allows you to get close to the waterfall, and it’s probably the best viewpoint. It will be wet, though.

From there you can return to the trail, where you can walk further downhill to the base of the waterfall align the river. Down there, you also have plenty of viewpoints, both closer to the waterfall (also very wet) and further downstream.

From there, you can loop back to the parking area following the trail uphill in the opposite direction. Or, of course, you can return the same way you came, if you want to give the waterfall another look.

The trail leading to the lower viewpoint on the riverbank.

It’s possible to some extent to get relatively close to the waterfall from the riverbank.

The same riverbank offers several different viewpoints.

Tännforsen Photos and Photography Tips

While fun, Tännforsen is a bit tricky to photograph for a couple of reasons.

First, the waterfall faces the East. This means if the weather is nice, it only catches light in the morning to early afternoon, depending on the season. This also means that in the afternoon, the waterfall will be in the shadows while the background will be fully lit. That was the case when I visited, as you can see in all of my photos.

That’s not a problem if it’s cloudy, of course, but just be aware of that. On the other hand, if you are visiting around midday and before the sun moves behind the waterfall, you may have a chance to catch a rainbow across the water vapor generated by the falls.

The second issue is: the waterfall is indeed very powerful. This means its 40-meter drop generates a lot of water vapor to the point that the lower part of the waterfall often appears as a white blob with no texture. No matter the shutter speed.

Upper viewpoint.

Lower viewpoint. In each case, it’s challenging to capture the texture of the waterfall due to its power.

Other than that, the best viewpoints for photography are on the small observation deck and just below the waterfall. The viewpoint below the waterfall offers plenty in terms of foreground choices, so I found it to be more fun to shoot from. Bring your widest lens – the waterfall is huge.

Regardless of that, it’s a rather fun place to spend a good half an hour taking photos. Definitely a recommended stop if you are in the area. I hope I’ll be back at some point, possibly in the early morning. In the right conditions, I think it’s a prime location.

Lastly, all the photos in this post were taken with a 14mm full-frame lens. So ideally, you’d want to have your widest lens with you.

Where to stay

This is a great place to visit if you are already staying in Åre, a small town with a huge tourism infrastructure. It is a major ski resort in Sweden, so it has all the amenities. A great place to overnight at if you happen to be here in the late afternoon, and want to visit the falls in the evening or early in the morning with no one else around.

Additional Resources

• If you are in the area, you may also want to check out another waterfall on the Indalsälven river: Ristafallet, often referred to as Sweden’s most beautiful waterfall.