Downhill in winter: small hill, real variety

Don't mistake 'small' for 'boring.' The ski park runs four surface lifts—three platter/chair-style lifts plus a children's magic carpet—and five runs across about 1.8 km of skiable terrain, broken down as roughly a quarter beginner, a quarter easy and half more demanding. The longest descent stretches around 1.2 km and drops about 200 metres, giving confident skiers a proper run to link turns on rather than a toy slope.↗↗↗

Up at the top of the main lift you can take on the biggest hill or ease over to the newer, west-facing lift that sits in a sunny, scenic pocket of the terrain—a good spot when you want the warm light on an afternoon. Around the base, beside the Lavvoen facility, you'll find two children's slopes dotted with fun park elements, so beginners and small kids stay close to the café while stronger skiers roam uphill.↗↗

Warm up at the Lavvoen

The hill's social hub is Lavvoen, the resort's distinctive warm hut and serving point. Here the kitchen leans on local ingredients for its dishes, and there's a fully licensed kiosk-bar plus restrooms—so it doubles as the après-ski room and the family's base camp. You can settle around a table with friends indoors or take your drink out to the sun deck and watch the slopes.↗↗

Summer on the trails and beyond

When the snow clears, Høgevarde reveals its second personality: a mountain-bike destination. The Høgevarde Trail Centre now holds over 20 km of purpose-built, graded trails ranging from gentle family lines to demanding descents, with a long 18 km flow trail that opened in summer 2025 running all the way from the fjellpark down to Gulsvik—an unusual, sustained ride that whole families can share.↗

The warm-months menu of activities reaches well past bikes. The resort lists fishing (including a sauna by the fishing pond), paddling and life on the water, hiking, a marked nature trail, disc golf, a 'mountain gym,' treasure- and stamp-hunt style games for kids, hunting, and food and drink experiences—proof that a visit doesn't have to revolve around a single pursuit. Note also that the resort stages live performances as part of its events calendar.↗↗

Planning your visit

Høgevarde Fjellpark is primarily a weekend-and-holiday destination in the cold half of the year—Saturdays and Sundays (around 10:00–16:00) plus the Christmas, winter and Easter school breaks—with the ski season typically projected from early December to mid-to-late April. The resort sends out a 'powder alarm' to its newsletter subscribers and sometimes throws open its gates on weekdays when conditions are at their best, so booking around snowfall reports can pay off.↗↗↗↗

Arrive ready to spend a leisurely day rather than chase a giant lift pass: this is a relaxed hill where a few hours on the slopes or the trails, a long lunch at the Lavvoen and a game of disc golf make a complete outing. Rental bikes are collected at the fjellpark (Gulsviksetervegen 1003) from about 10:00, and the site is wheelchair accessible with adapted parking and restrooms.↗↗

Who it suits

Høgevarde is at its best for families with children who want an easy, safe first taste of downhill skiing or snowboarding; for intermediate-to-strong skiers happy with a small, sunny hill instead of a vast resort; and for mountain-bikers looking for a growing, purpose-built trail network an easy drive from the Oslo and Buskerud region. If you crave endless linked pistes and high-altitude glaciers, this isn't that place—but for a characterful day out that works in any season, it earns its warm reputation.↗↗