If you love to combine hiking, running, and the passion for the great outdoors, what better way to do it than into the heart of the Höga Kusten UNESCO world heritage in Sweden?
Any trailrunning enthusiast is captivated by the long sunny spring/summer days and enchanting by varied hilly paths through breathtaking landscapes between the mountains and the Baltic Sea.
Reconnecting with nature and recharging your body, mind, and soul in peaceful natural environments makes you feel like you've stepped into a whole other universe.
Docksta is the homeland of the outdoors, and for runners, there is no exception: each path winds through forests and hills and combines breathtaking sea views with a perfectly Nordic setting.
The village is located in the center of all of this, a step from the famous Skuleberget mountain and the trails of Skuleskogen National Park.
A run here is definitely a unique experience, and there is pure joy in discovering the scenic beauty of the High Coast!
Did you know that there are at least five great trails you can run or hike to reach the top of Skuleberget Mount?
These trails are very popular in the runner community; you run all year round, and all the paths lead to the summit, rising from different sides. High Coast runners name them “Lynx, Eagle, Bear, Elk, and the Fox”; they are “the #BIG5”.
The Lynx, the Fox and the Bear will bring you uphill and downhill on the final segments of the “Höga Kusten Trail” race course, too.
On the Skuleberget, a challenge arose that led the runner to run all five paths in a single session: the #BIG5 Challenge is not a race, it's a call for a bunch of bold athletes.
For trailrunners, the playground is not only Skuleberget Mount. Docksta is surrounded by beautiful paths: on the seafront, on the hills, or in the countryside. Many of them will lead you to the heights of the mountains that surround the land.
You will experience the thrill of running through natural scenery: real nordic forests, red Nordingrå granite rocks covered by lichen, and stunning mountain trails.
Vårdkallberget, Getsvedjeberget, Skovedsberget, Herrestaberget, Fäberget, and Skuleberget summits offer extraordinary views over the High Coast Archipelago to hikers and trail runners.
The Vårdkallberget Mount has one of the most breathtaking views of the High Coast
One of the most amazing locations for trailrunning is the magnificent Skuleskogen National Park.
All the Skuleskogen trails are extraordinary and are a few minutes' drive from the village (during the summer, there is also a free bus to reach the national park).
Even with a session of a couple of hours of trailrunning, you will be able to reach its most interesting sights: the summit of the Slåttalsberget Mount, the Slåttdalsskrevan cracks, the beautiful Tvärnättevattnen lakes, an amazing path in the forest by the seaside, and the beaches along Kälaviken Bay.
You will love trail running connected with nature on the trails of the High Coast World Heritage
“Nature running” has been shown to combine the benefit of physical exercise with the restorative effects of being immersed in natural environments.
Running a natural trail is mindful: you constantly have to find your balance, control your steps, and adapt your speed and pace to the variety in terrain and elevation.
Take a deep breath in the woods; it will clear your mind. Running or walking outdoors in nature—in Japan, it’s called ”forest bathing"—is an experience that boosts your wellbeing. You must try.
High Coast landscapes are not flat, you will likely encounter significantly more hills on the trails than you are used to on urban routes.
This is a fun opportunity to add to your standard training. Running hills will make you a stronger runner and improve your breathing efficiency.
Slow down, and just walk. Pair your breathing with your pace: inhale counting 2, 3,... 4 steps, and exhale counting 4, 5,... 6 steps. Slow, nasal breathing will fill the lungs and power your body with fresh energy. Here, the air is clean, and it’s easier to oxygenate the muscles and to have more energy to tackle the hills.
On a trail, it doesn’t matter how fast you're running. Enjoy the beautiful place you travel and the moment you’re living. High Coast runners are lucky runners, and now can be your time, too.
On the physical side, this kind of run will develop fitness, power, endurance, and strengthen different muscles. Trail running will change you into a faster and happier runner.
Before you start your run or hike, have a good dynamic warm-up and give your training a boost with 5–10' of basic bodyweight exercises: it is the best to prepare your body for trail and hill running.
Here below, you find a list of selected (and tested!) trail running paths around Docksta and Skuleberget Mount. We focus on where the local trail runners train or race, and particularly the spots where they have fun.
More than 100 kilometres of snaking trails to run, hike, or walk are highlighted, starting seaside from the pier of the marina in Docksta.
Each path has its meaning: you should definitely give them a try!
Looking for a base camp to explore the High Coast?
Get ready to explore some of the most fun trail hotspot for beginners & expert runners around Docksta and the Skule area:
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Trail 12km - D+294m
Trailrun to the summit of Vårdkallberget
starting from Docksta Havet, Höga Kusten
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Trail 7.4KM - D+224m
Trailrun in the forest to reach Skovedsberget, a lookout point over Dockstafjärden
starting from Docksta Havet, Höga Kusten
The short segment along the Höga Kusten Leden from Docksta to the wind shelter at Skovedsberget pays you back with stunning views of Dockstafjärden. Here you have a free map >
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Trail 11.5km - D+420m
Höga Kusten Trail race segment: running North Skuleberget uphill (12.1%↗️) and Höga Kusten Stigen downhill
starting from Docksta Havet, Höga Kusten
This route takes you past the Naturum museum & High Coast Visitor’s Center, goes up along the #BIG5 path named “LYNX” to the “Toppstugan” and down to the south side of the hill along the #BIG5 path named “FOX” (Höga Kusten Stigen) to the “outdoor village”, FriluftsByn.
Trail 9.3Km - D+332m
#BIG5 path BEAR: vertical running on “Skulebacken” (ski tracks) uphill & downhill
starting from Docksta Havet, Höga Kusten
This is the final steep segment that leads to the finish line at the peak of Skuleberget Mountain during the 43k of the “Höga Kusten Trail” race.
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Trail 9.1Km
Vertical runs: extreme (31.5%↗️) uphill to Skuleberget from Naturum museum and downhill via “Skulebacken” ski slopes
starting from Docksta Havet, Höga Kusten
The #BIG5 EAGLE (Grottanstigen) is really a very steep “climb” but it's the shortest path to go up to the hill and the #BIG5 BEAR (on ski slopes) is the fastest to go down. Going up, you can take a short detour to reach the cave (the Kungsgrottan or Rövargrottan is famous for being visited by Linné in 1732).
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TRAIL 10.3km - D+457m
Trailrunning up to the summit of Skuleberget (11.3%↗️) via Höga Kusten Stigen uphill & downhill
starting from Docksta Havet, Höga Kusten
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Run 7.3KM - D+142M
Warm-up run around the lake Gällstasjön: clockwise round.
starting from Docksta Havet, Höga Kusten
The full loop around the lake on is perfect for an easy and hilly run. It offers Skuleberget south side views nearly the whole run and passes through the Church, the Linbana and Friluftsbyn.
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TRAILRun 12.2km - D+313m
>10k around Herrestaberget hill training from Docksta to... Docksta!
starting from Docksta Havet, Höga Kusten
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On the High Coast, there is a trailrunning race that will take you across the Skuleskogen national park long and wide and then reach, along the Höga Kusten Leden, the foot of the Skuleberget mountain, and from there it will push you to climb to its top, back down the other side, before climbing back to the summit again until the finish line.
After the summer, in early autumn and in February, when snow and ice cover the trails, hundreds of runners meet in Docksta to participate in the two editions of this prestigious trail run that has no equal in the Scandinavian landscape.
Enjoy in Docksta the Höga Kusten Trail race
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Join the "High Coast Runner" club on Strava
#highcoastrunner
Sharing running experiences within the High Coast World Heritage in Sweden.
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TRAIL RUNNING RESOURCES:
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A SELECTION OF OUR FAVORITE VIDEOS:
your boat safely moored
to experience the best trail runs aronud Docksta & Skuleberget
