Rodna – Vf. Benesului – Șaua Curățel – Șaua cu Lac – Lacul Lala Mare – Valea Lalei – Gura Lalei
Waymarkingblue dot
EffortHigh
TechnicalModerate
TypeTraverse A → B
Duration11–12 hours
Distance25.7 km
A linear trail: you start in one place and finish in another. Either walk back the same way, leave a car at the far end or use the train/a transfer; we'll tell you at the gate what works.
Daylight · Rodna · today,
Sunrise07:03
Sunset19:24
Daylight12 h 21 min−3 min vs yesterday
Until sunset–
Times for the trailhead. Between the ridges it gets dark earlier: turn back an hour before sunset.
Weather · Rodna · today,
20°min 9°partly cloudy
Precipitation0%
Wind8 km/h · gusts 17
UV index4,9
Elevation534 m
Mon16°9°
Tue12°8°
Wed12°6°
Thu13°7°
Fri17°6°
Forecast for the trailhead. On the ridge it is colder and windier.
What the walking is like
The long version of the same area, over Benesului peak (1,587 m) and past Lala Mare, one of the largest glacial lakes in the Rodna range, inside the Bila-Lala strict protection zone. It descends the Lala valley to Gura Lalei: 11–12 hours, a traverse rather than a loop.
Mountain trail
Rodna
Vf. Benesului · 1.587 m
Șaua Curățel
Șaua cu Lac
Lacul Lala Mare
Valea Lalei
Gura Lalei
What we'd tell you at the gate
Trail 13 in the official list of the Rodna Mountains National Park authority.
Access: DJ 17D, com. Rodna; stația CFR Rodna.
County: Bistrița-Năsăud.
In winter: the park authority advises against this trail.
The park authority publishes the duration, the waypoints and the access. The waymarking and length above come from OpenStreetMap, a community source rather than an official one: confirm the waymarking at the park office or with mountain rescue before you set off. Elevation gain is not published by the authority and does not appear on this site.
Made up of two segments with the same blaze, blue dot: Rodna – Lac saddle and Lac saddle – Gura Lalei.
🌼 The Saca Massif daffodil meadow, from Valea Vinului: a botanical reserve, in flower from mid-May; the park authority charges an entry ticket.
🏔 Pietrosu peak (2,303 m), the highest in the Eastern Carpathians, on trail 4.
The glacial lakes: Iezerul Pietrosului, the Buhăescu tarns, Lala Mare, Lala Mică, Știol, there are around 23 below the ridge.
🕳 The cave and karst spring of Izvorul Albastru al Izei, a mixed reserve, with galleries and waterfalls.
What grows and what moves along the trail
Flora
the Rodna campion (Lychnis nivalis), an endemic species found nowhere else
wild daffodils (Narcissus stellaris) in the Saca Massif reserve, at 1,600 m
dwarf pine and creeping juniper on the open alpine ground, above 1,700 m
old spruce forest on the northern slopes, inside the strict protection zones
Fauna
chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), on the high crags
alpine marmot (Marmota marmota), reintroduced to the range
capercaillie and black grouse in the spruce forest and at the edge of the dwarf pine
red deer, brown bear, lynx: present, rarely seen
The species above are those documented in the area by the protected-area administration; what you see depends on season, hour and luck.
How long it takes, honestly
The duration is the one published by the Rodna Mountains National Park authority for the summer season. The waymarking, length in km and elevation gain are not published by the authority. The driving distance from La Cuib is calculated on the OpenStreetMap road network.
11–12 hoursone way, A to B, at your usual pace
back the same way (estimate)
11–12 hoursout and back, with short breaks
11–12 hoursone way, if you stop for photos and eat on the grass
one way, with children, grandparents or a pack full of “just in case”
Sleep at the foot of the mountain
Start from the gate, not from a car park
La Cuib is 138 minutes by car from the start of this trail: a fully equipped kitchen that is yours from first light, a place to dry boots, a garden for the evening. Three nights, the whole house, 1.797 lei.
Via Transilvanica