There are well over 100 mountain roads in Norway many of which are closed for large periods of the year. Only the main roads that are essential to keeping supplies moving are kept open with the help of snowplows. The less essential roads usually close when heavy snow starts to fall in late autumn or early winter.
In March and April, road opening teams with heavy machinery get to work on clearing the closed mountain roads. Every year, they experienced different conditions. Sometimes, there are massive amounts of snow that take time to clear. In other years, a lack of snowfall means the roads are quickly cleared and opened well on schedule. However, you must remember even if a road opens quickly, spring in the mountains is a volatile time with avalanche threats present. Mountain roads may close without prior notice and fresh snowfall may keep them closed for a period of time.
Please note there is never a set date for a road to open. If you’re travelling from abroad and are determined to cycle the famous high passes, you should plan to start your journey in early to mid-June to be *guaranteed that everything is open.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has a webpage dedicated to the mountain roads and their current status. It is currently only in Norwegian but I think non-speakers can figure out red = closed and green = open. You can also sign up for their text message service on the same page. Choose the roads you wish updates on, and you will get live messages sent to your phone.
There is also a Traffic and Road information line at +47 815 48 991. But don’t expect any further information than what is already online.
*roads can close anytime during summer due to heavy rain, landslides, traffic accidents and other unforeseen events.
Keep up to date with the current season’s opening dates on our group community page
Most of these roads stay open until October or later with the exception of Gamle Strynefjellsvegen.
If you cycle the mountain passes in May and early June you may experience the famous snow walls.
Sognefjellet mountain pass in May
Entrance to Trollstigen in early May - Closed!
The current status of all of Norway’s major mountain roads can be found here and a smaller overview here.
Lysevegen: The famous 27 switchback road to Lysefjorden starts in Setedal and crosses 85km of mountains. The roads usually open mid/late May.
Other Roads:
The best time to ride most of the high mountain gravel routes is in August and September when you are guaranteed clear roads.
A good rule of thumb. Most gravel roads will be free of snow (or dry enough to cycle):
You can find here a very interesting satellite map of Norway’s snow level, which can give you an indication of what the area you plan to ride is currently like
Most mountain gravel roads will close in late September. Forest gravel is usually still ridable in October.
Walking the bike through a snow section on Rallarvegen mid July 2022
The snow walls add an extra chill to your ride. Wrap up warm!
Great photo opportunities!
Norway’s nature is alive and while you cycle through the valleys you will hear small rocks tumbling down the mountains. Each year landslides occur blocking roads and causing disruptions. I have experienced several while cycling the country. Sometimes the detour can be several hundred kilometers! I have hiked my bike around some and others had to turn around and find an alternative route.
Maintenance of tunnels and bridges and unexpected road accidents can also cause you problems. In 2022 a tunnel closure along the National Cycle Route 1 route in Senja caused a lot of inconvenience for cyclists on that route. At Cycle Norway we will try and inform our members of major road closures and discuss the alternatives.
Nevertheless, a good rule of thumb is to check this map before setting off on a route. It will offer the most updated information on delays and work being carried out on the roads across Norway. On the map, you should only be concerned about the red no-entry ⛔️ signs everything else is usually not a problem for a cyclist.
Tunnel closed due to maintenance
In 2022 I experienced landslides on Sognefjellet and Øvre Årdal mountain roads.
Fully blocked road
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