Laukelandsfossen and Osfossen

Dalsfjord, Sogn og Fjordane County, Norway

About Laukelandsfossen and Osfossen

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Laukelandsfossen was a waterfall that Julie and I thought had a scenic allure rivaling the more famous Huldrefossen as the Sunnfjord region’s prettiest waterfall.

What this waterfall had going for it was its 120m drop backed by the sugarloaf-shaped mountains called Laukelandshesten (the Laukeland Horse) and Mt Kringla.

The falls was on the Storelva (Big River), which itself drained several lakes so it seemed like the vigor of its flow would be assured.

Laukelandsfossen_001_06292005
Laukelandsfossen

We happened to see it from across the Dalsfjord, which we felt was the right position to see both the falls and its impressive backdrop.

Laukelandsfossen kind of sat alone compared to the other waterfalls of the so-called Waterfall Country (Fossheimen) encompassing the joint municipalities of Førde and Gaular.

So we had to do a bit of an out-and-back detour following the Dalsfjord (see directions below).

Osfossen

During that drive, we also visited the waterfall Osfossen (also called Osenfossen) sitting right at the head of the Dalsfjord where the Gaula River dropped 11.5m before joining the waters of the fjord.

Osfossen was a well-known river-type waterfall on the Gaula River whose claim to fame was its reputation as an exclusive and expensive salmon fishing spot.

It was said that most of the salmon caught on the Gaula was within a 500m stretch between the fjord and the waterfall.

Osfossen_004_06292005
Osfossen

There was also a salmon ladder on the south side of the west-facing waterfall that was said to be the oldest in Norway.

I recalled there was a car park or pullout area near the southern side of the falls, which was where Julie and I experienced it.

It also appeared that the falls could be viewed from the opposite side of the river though we didn’t get a chance to do that on our late June 2005 visit.

Beyond Osfossen to Laukelandsfossen

Beyond Osfossen, we found ourselves on a narrow road county road that seemed almost like it could barely fit two cars side-by-side.

On such roads, it was fine for traffic going in opposite directions, but I doubted that it would be safe to pass someone going slow.

Once we started to notice Laukelandsfossen across the fjord, there were very limited amounts of pullout spots to get out of the way of traffic.

Laukelandsfossen_003_jx_06292005
View of Laukelandsfossen from a different pullout over someone’s home showing the context of Laukelandshesten above the falls itself

I recalled that it definitely wasn’t signposted, and the challenge was to take photos of the waterfall without it being ruined by power lines or other homes in the foreground.

That said, this was really nothing more than a roadside stop to us though I’d imagine that fjord cruises on the Dalsfjord might enjoy more intimate views of the falls from within the body of water itself.

Overall, our out-and-back detour encompassing both waterfalls took us a little less than an hour round-trip.

Authorities

Laukelandsfossen and Osfossen reside in the Gaular Municipality. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website or Facebook page.

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Tagged with: dalsfjord, gaular, forde, laukeland, storelva, laukelandshesten, sogn og fjordane, norway, waterfall, sunnfjord, fossheimen, waterfall country, osenfossen, salmon ladder



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