Västanåfallet - Västanå Waterfall

So, as mentioned at the end of the previous blog, I made use of both the proximity of the Västanåfallet to Mjällådalen Naturreservat and the still good weather (although it was supposed to start raining again mid-morning). I got up early, had my coffee and drove the 5km, and arrived at the carpark at 6am on the dot.

There were some overnighters on the carpark - about 3 motorhomes and a few cars in which people - even families - slept. Of course, at this time the natur & kulturcentrum was still closed, but I was here for the falls anyway. The great thing about getting up early is that I had the entire falls/trails to myself :-)

The natur & kulturcentrum

And even from the carpark you can already see the quite impressive, 90 meters high waterfall. The trail leads straight towards the bottom of the falls, and then up the mountain alongside it. There are ample great viewpoints, from the bridge at the bottom to rocks on the side. At the top, you cross the river again, and follow the trail back downhill. Here, the trail is further away from the actual falls, but along the water chute, which was used to divert water. The upper part is still working, but after some meters the chute was modified, so that the water runs back into the river/waterfall (see photo).

The walk from the carpark to Västanåfallet

Västanåfallet

The water chute, and its diversion of water back to the falls…

Back at the bottom, you can explore the old mill house and giant millstones, and/or have a picnic/BBQ before returning to the info center and carpark. The rain was looming, so I didn’t stick around until 11am, when the natur & kulturcentrum opened.

Conclusion: A great little walk (1.3km) that is steep, but easily doable. The views are fabulous and the thunder of the waterfall is omnipresent. Certainly a great spot to stop when you are in the area, on passing by anyway.