Söderåsen: Hjortsprångsrundan through the rift valley and over the plateau

From the car park at Skäralid, by Naturum Söderåsen on road 13, follow the blue markers of Hjortsprångsrundan into the rift valley. The park says about 4 km of the loop runs through the ravine and about 3.7 km across the plateau. The path passes Liagården, which the map shows as a camp site with a shelter, and the viewpoint Lierna, which looks over Korsskär, the place where three valleys meet. It then climbs onto the plateau and comes back across it to Hjortsprånget, a ledge named after an old Stone Age hunting method, and down to Skäralid.

It is 7.7 km round with 157 m of ascent; allow about 3 hours, which is the park's figure (the walking formula alone gives 2.3 hours). The grade is Moderate, not Easy: the park says parts are steep and paved with coarse stones, and Naturkartan, which carries the county board's trail page, gives a 90 m height difference with some stairs, about 500 m of stone paving, and rates it red, demanding. It is not suitable for prams or wheelchairs.

The park says that stepping out onto the Hjortsprånget ledge is at your own risk. Fires, grilling and overnight stays are not allowed at Hjortsprånget or Lierna. In the park dogs must be on a lead, climbing on the rock is banned, and camping and fires are allowed only at the marked places.

Parking at the Skäralid entrance, along road 13, is free according to the park, and bus line 518 stops at Skäralid, nationalparken. Near the naturum the park has taken away a long staircase and changed the routes of other trails (the Skåneleden has a temporary new route, the Kopparhattsrundan's way back is re-signed and the Liakroksrundan has a new start); the Hjortsprångsrundan page names no change, but follow any park signs you meet near the start.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.