Espelandsfossen

Oddadalen, Hordaland County, Norway

About Espelandsfossen

For Subscribers Only. See Membership Options.

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Espelandsfossen was the first of a handful of major waterfalls that we encountered in Oddadalen (Odda Valley).

So it wasn’t surprising to us that this valley was also known as the Valley of Waterfalls.

Oddadalen_003_06232019 - Espelandsfossen as seen on our most recent visit in June 2019
Espelandsfossen as seen on our most recent visit in June 2019

It turned out that this was merely one of two waterfalls of the same name in the same county that we visited during our June 2005 visit to Norway.

And as coincidences would have it, the other waterfall in Granvin appeared to look similar to this one, which conspired to confuse us during our pre-trip research.

I’m guessing that this one got its name from a nearby village somewhere above the falls by the name of Espeland (at least I inferred this from looking at the Statens Kartverk map).

In any case, our research of this falls also indicated to us that it was said to be 102m tall though I’m not sure if that was exaggerated or not.

Experiencing Espelandsfossen

Oddadalen_008_06232019 - Looking ahead towards the traffic and congestion at Låtefossen from Espelandsfossen
Looking ahead towards the traffic and congestion at Låtefossen from Espelandsfossen

Espelandsfossen was quite easy to visit as it was next to the Rv13, which was the road that cut through the heart of Oddadalen Valley.

It was quite literally just a few minutes walk from the neighboring (and more famous) Låtefossen just to the north.

Since we were heading north from the E134 along the Rv13 (see directions below), we quite literally couldn’t miss this.

Moreover, the spray from this gushing waterfall onto the road further ensured we’d pay attention to it.

Oddadalen_005_06232019 - Context of the pullout that we stopped at before walking in front of Espelandsfossen for a closer look in June 2019
Context of the pullout that we stopped at before walking in front of Espelandsfossen for a closer look in June 2019

Nonetheless, finding a suitable place to pull over to get a less stressful look at this waterfall turned out to not be so obvious.

Indeed, we happened to find an obscure space on the narrow Rv13 road as a pullout.

Back in our first visit in June 2005, we had noticed a handful of these pullouts.

However, from our more recent visit in June 2019, there didn’t appear to be as many such pullouts.

Espelandsfossen_003_jx_06242005 - Espelandsfossen as seen from our first trip back in June 2005
Espelandsfossen as seen from our first trip back in June 2005

It was almost as if stopping for this waterfall was discouraged.

That’s why perhaps officially, you might be better off stopping at Låtefossen before walking along the Rv13 towards Espelandsfossen.

That said, the parking is very limited there, and the Rv13 has no shoulders (it’s practically single lane or close to it around here) so even walking along the road requires a bit of caution.

Authorities

Espelandsfossen resides near the town and municipality of Odda in Hordaland County, Norway. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website or Facebook page.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: odda, hordaland, sorfjorden, sorfjord, tyssedal, oddadalen, fjord, norway, waterfall



Visitor Comments:

Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...

No users have replied to the content on this page


Share your thoughts about what you've read on this page

You must be logged in to submit content. Refresh this page after you have logged in.

Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:

If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...

No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall


Have you been to a waterfall? Submit a write-up/review and share your experiences or impressions

Review A Waterfall

Nearest Waterfalls

The Waterfaller Newsletter

The Waterfaller Newsletter is where we curate the wealth of information on the World of Waterfalls website and deliver it to you in bite-sized chunks in your email inbox. You'll also get exclusive content like...

  • Waterfall Wednesdays
  • Insider Tips
  • User-submitted Waterfall Write-up of the Month
  • and the latest news and updates both within the website as well as around the wonderful world of waterfalls


How To Build A Profitable Travel Blog In 4 Steps

Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.