*The beautiful Jizerské waterfalls on Hájený stream and Paličník viewpoint: 7 km to 9 km*

• One of the nicest trails in the Jizerksé mountains is the path following beside the Hájeny stream on the northern side of the range as it runs down from the forests below Smrk, to join the Smědá river near Heynice. The stream cascades down the mountainside in series of small but picturesque waterfalls.
• The trail eventually reaches the dramatic granite rocky summit of Paličník at an altitude of 944m. The viewpoint at the top can be reached by a series of metal ladders and steps, which despite the steepness is well worthwhile for the exceptional view.
• The closest access point to the trail using public transport is the Bílý Potok, Zadní Studánka bus stop, on a route starting in Frýdlant. If driving, there are a few parking spots at the Bartlova bouda trail junction (map point 2).
• The ‘there and back’ route to Paličník from the bus stop is around 7 km, but for a circular walk it is possible to continue past Paličník and circle around the eastern and southern flanks of the mountain, return back to the start point following close to the Směda river. This gives a 9 km circuit with 430m of height to ascend-descend.
• None of the trails are particularly steep, except for the final summit rock climb – which can be skipped if desired. Part of the suggested circular descent route can get very wet and boggy after heavy rain – in these circumstances the ‘there and back’ route would be preferable. For refreshments, try the well regarded Bartlova bouda, note it is only open in the main season from Friday to Sunday.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

• Starting at the Bílý Potok, Zadní Studánka bus stop, take the side road following the GREEN hiking trail for 700m to reach the Bartlova bouda trail junction. Here, turn right onto the YELLOW trail heading in the direction of Paličník
• The trail follows beside the stream for 2 km and then turns right to climb up the to Paličník summit area in a further 700m
• After climbing the summit rock, continue on the YELLOW trail for a further 300m to reach the Pod Klínovým vrchem junction. At the junction, turn right onto the BLUE trail heading in the direction of Předěl
• After 1.9 km the BLUE trail joins with the GREEN trail, just before the Předěl junction. Turn sharply right onto the GREEN trail heading downhill following a series of small streams
• The GREEN trail returns back to the start point after 3.6 km