Exploring Paklenica National Park

A very long hike around Paklenica national park. It's a very nice park and wanted to get a good sense and view of the mountains around it. So I devised a route based on other map apps. Long and lots of altitude gain but got a good sense of the entire area. I was amazed at how the formidable, gigantic, limestone towers emerged from a vast and green sea of beech and pine forests. It's such a big contrast and adds to the park's beauty.

Being a national park, the trails are in very good condition (though going through Golic peak, it was a bit overgrown but I've seen worse) so no issues there. Going up to Veganski Vrh, the trail stays mostly on the canyon but I wanted to get a higher view so I went up to the rim and had more panoramic views. The downside to this is having to go down to the canyon floor again to meet the trailhead for Veganski. So up to you how you want to approach this.

The other two parts that require my comments is one: the last 2 km before summiting Veganski can be excruciatingly painful and difficult (more like the first km before summiting). This is because it's very, very steep with loose rock and scree that will frustrate and tire you out. So beware. I believe I saw that there was a second way to summit (from the canyon) but I'm not sure how it compares to the trail I took (surely can't be more difficult!). So check that option.

Second is coming down from Golic peak. It's very rugged and full of sharp rocks. Your knees, feet, shoes will feel it. And this will also slow your progress so keep that in mind with timing.

All in all, anyone with good fitness can do this one and I recommend it if you can't do a multiple day hike. It covers a lot of the park and views of the mountains around. If the weather had been better, the views would have been superb.

PS: it took me longer than it should have as the rain caught me 2 hours before finishing so I was drenched waiting for the worst to pass before continuing. Weather changes super fast around here.