Trollpikken Hike: All You Need To Know

The Trollpikken hike in Norway is one of the most famous hikes when it comes to seeing a crazy but quite impressive rock formation that was made millions of years ago in the ice age. It’s quite an easy hike that can be done by anyone and takes you through some beautiful scenery on the way. If you’re in Norway, it’s not to be missed, and here is all you need to know about the Trollpikken Hike. 

What Is The Trollpikken? 

Trollpikken directly translated means “Trolls Spike” or “Trolls Cock” is a rock formation in the shape of a fallice that protrudes out 12 meters from the face of a small cliff. 

The rock is made from anorthosite which is featured all around in the area and is formed by magma and is the same kind of rock you find on the surface of the moon – pretty cool hey! The Trollpikken rock formation dates back around a billion years and was moved and dropped where it is now by glaciers in the last ice age. 

If you’re into your geology, the history of the earth, or love weird rock formations, then going on the Trollpikken Hike is a must. 

Where Is The Trollpikken Hike and How To Get There? 

The Trollpikken Hike starts just near the town of Egersund in the Rogaland district of Norway. Egersund lies on the southwest coast of Norway about a 6-hour drive from Oslo and is a beautiful town surrounded by mountains and lakes and is right by the sea.

The drive from Oslo is quite beautiful as it takes the coastal road all the way from Oslo around the southern tip to Eigersund giving you amazing views of the sea on your left and stunning Norwegian landscapes on your right. 

You can also take public transport from Oslo to Egersund. It takes about 7 hours and involves a direct train from Oslo to Kristiansand rutebilstasjon and then a bus from Kristiansand to Egersund. 

Once you’re there you should make the most of the area as the hike is just a half-a-day event. Just north of Egersund, the Norwegian Fjordland begins at Stavanger and you can spend days, even years exploring their beauty or stick to the mountains and lakes around Egersund. 

When Should You Do The Trollpikken Hike? 

Since the hike to Trollpikken isn’t very long, it can be done all year round but doing it during winter will have its challenges due to the abundance of ice and snow and you will likely need some technical equipment to make it. 

During spring, summer, and autumn, so from May to October, the trail is safe and easy, mainly covered with grass and with a gravel path in sections which makes it easy to stay on track.

During the summer months of July and August, you are likely to find the trail quite crowded with tourists also wanting to see the Trollpikken, and if crowds aren’t your thing, you’re best of doing the Trollpikken Hike in May, June, September, or October. 

Where Does The Trollpikken Hike Start? 

There is now a dedicated car park called Trollpikken which is the starting point for the Trollpikken Hike. If you search Trollpikken parking on GoogleMaps it will pinpoint the location which makes it very easy to find. 

If you’re not using a smartphone, the Trollpikken car park is still pretty easy to find. All you need to do is follow the FV42 road from Egersund towards Stavanger for around 5 minutes and then take a right onto Sletteidveien street. You’ll then cross a lake, a small stream or two, and find the Trollpikken car park on your right. 

The parking area costs 100 NOK and has bathrooms and drinking water available. In the summer there is also a souvenir shop which is open every day. 

If you don’t have a car and are using public transport you can call Eigersund Taxis who offer a fixed rate from the town or train station to the Trollpikken car park. The journey costs around 200 NOK each way for a regular car, just remember to ask for the fixed rate service. 

Are the paths clearly marked on the Trollpikken Hike? 

Yes! When hiking to Trollpikken all you need to do is follow the blue signs which you will either painted on rocks or trees or in the form of wooden arrows painted blue showing you which direction to hike in. The is also quite an obvious path to follow in some sections, so even if you struggle with directions, your chances of getting lost or going off course are very minimal. 

Can you climb up onto Trollpikken? 

Yes! If you’re quite strong and agile, climbing onto the Trollpikken is very doable. You should be cautious though. Even though the Trollpikken is 1 billion years old, the rock formation still gets weathered and eroded every year so be careful as rocks do move and slip quite easily. 

Trollpikken Hike

Trollpikken Hike Directions

The Trollpikken Hike is easy. There is very little elevation change and it’s just 2.5 km each way so you should be able to complete it in two hours, no matter your fitness level.

The hike begins at the Trollpikken car park where you should follow the signs down the rod for a hundred meters or so and then go down Kjervallbakken street.

Once you go through the gate you’ll see an information board about the Geomagma park and Trollpikken at which point you should stay to the right and follow a gravel road until you see a sign saying Trollpikken with directions.

Follow the path down, cross the fence using the steps, and then continue along the trail (now a wooden path over a bog), cross the bridge, and turn left – all of this is obviously marked with the blue signs.

Continue on until you find a small pond, after which you will see Trollpikken in front of you. Go around the lake and you’ll arrive at the rock formation.

To get home, follow the same route back.