Kasprowy Wierch Long Loop

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Features Commonly Backpacked · River/Creek · Views · Wildlife

Ascends Kasprowy Wierch, a popular skiing destination while passing views of sparkling lakes, beautiful alpine meadows, and the border with Slovakia. Suitable for summer hiking and running by most strong intermediate hikers and enjoyable year-round by more experienced folks. This route briefly takes you across the border into Slovakia!

There is a small fee to enter the national park for the day. The trailhead can be accessed by minibus from downtown Zakopane running in regular intervals between the bus station and Kuznice for 4 zloty daily from 07:00 to 17:00.

Start at the trailhead in Kuznice where you'll buy an entry ticket from the kiosk. Ascend the Blue Trail, starting with a mile or so of moderate hill climb into an above-treeline ascent through Kopami Mountain Pass (Przełęcz między Kopami). After this, take a slight descent and traverse the Orange Trail through an alpine meadow past the Murowaniec high mountain hut. You'll see a chairlift that goes towards the summit of Kasprowy Wierch.

Bear to the left of the ski route and lift, taking the orange-marked trail up the ridge, taking a small stretch of the Red Trail briefly into Slovakia, and up Kasprowy. After summiting, make your way down the Green Trail. From the summit, you'll descend an exposed alpine section with sweeping views of the valley as you pass by Sucha Czuba. You'll crest Myslenickie Turnie and then descend below the treeline back down the green trail to the trailhead you started at.

In the summer, this route is quite suitable for strong intermediate hikers with good fitness. The trail has steep sections, particularly near the summit, but offers ample flatter sections to break that ascent up, and it is well marked by painted blazes. The trail is quite rocky and is going to be slippery after any rainfall, or when covered by snow and ice. In the spring, winter, and fall, it is highly recommended the trail only be used by more experienced hikers with crampons (or at the very least microspikes) and trekking poles at minimum. The area is known to have avalanche potential and there are a few spots where a slip turning into a slide due to ice could be quite dangerous and cause serious injury.

The trail is relatively traveled, and I would say it will likely be very crowded in the summer and well-traveled in spring and fall, making any snow nicely compacted for foot travel, and the likelihood of encountering other hikers or users of the ski mountain facilities is highly likely. Local information on conditions and avalanche potential, as well as search and rescue assistance, can be found on Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue and the Tatra National Park website.

Tatra national park is known for its beautiful alpine wildflowers and high elevation grasses and plants. The park also harbors marmots, brown bears, goats, golden eagles, and lynx. The park is most known for its chamois!

The trail is close to a ski resort that is very popular with winter snow sports athletes, and summer hikers and mountain bikers who might prefer to use the cable car that services the summit.