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Where can you see wild reindeer in Norway?

Where Europe's last wild mountain reindeer live and how to watch them.

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Short answer

Wild reindeer live in 24 mountain areas in Southern Norway, from Agder to Dovre and Forollhogna, and Hardangervidda has the largest herd with around 10,000 animals. From Viewpoint Snøhetta near Hjerkinn on Dovrefjell you may spot wild reindeer or musk oxen through binoculars. The viewpoint is open from early June to about mid-October.

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Why

  1. Miljødirektoratet (the Norwegian Environment Agency) says the last populations of wild mountain reindeer in Europe are found in Norway, about 20,000 animals, and that wild reindeer were assessed as near threatened on the 2021 Norwegian Red List.
  2. Store norske leksikon says wild reindeer range from Agder in the south to Dovre and Forollhogna in the north, and that Hardangervidda is the largest wild reindeer area with about 10,000 animals.
  3. Norsk villreinsenter runs a free exhibition at Hjerkinn station and Viewpoint Snøhetta, which you reach on a 1.5 km gravel path from the car park.

Details

Driving up to the car park for Viewpoint Snøhetta costs NOK 50, paid through youpark.no. Miljødirektoratet names heavy human traffic in the mountains among the threats to wild reindeer, as disturbance makes it harder for them to build up fat reserves for winter and for their calves. Visit Norway advises avoiding wild reindeer areas during calving in May.

Tip

Bring binoculars and watch from a distance: if you meet a herd, Visit Norway advises staying calm and backing away slowly.

What may differ

On Svalbard you can see a different subspecies, the Svalbard reindeer, which lives only there.

People also ask

  • Are there wild reindeer in Norway?

Sources

Information checked on 20 October 2026.

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