Hagavatn – A small lake in a lunar landscape

Right out in the sea gap lies the fascinating Hagavatn just a few meters from the mighty North Sea. A powerful nature experience awaits here in the middle of the unique lunar landscape that Magma Geopark is known for.

The landscape at Hagavatn not only looks like the moon, but it is actually exactly the same rock that large parts of the moon are made of. The bright areas on the moon are anorthosite and it is also the dominant rock along the coast of Magma Geopark.

«Walk on the Moon»

For those who want to really experience the lunar landscape, we have marked 2 detours from the marked path around Lake Hagavatn. When you follow the marked path around Hagavatn, Walk on the moon will be marked with a small sign. Here lies a fantastic playpen waiting for both adults and children. Here you can climb and jump from cliff to cliff. Here, at the far end of the sea, you can both smell and feel the power of nature. If you're lucky, you'll see a sea eagle taking off. The vegetation is barren, but you will find hardy plants such as sea cloves and rose root ("Northern ginseng").

Geology and nature

Anorthosite dominates this landscape, and at the beginning of the trip you will also see elements of norite along the way. Anorthosite was formed 930 million years ago deep in the earth. You will also find elements of the Håland anorthosite along the route. This anorthosite was formed approximately 1 billion years ago.

Culture and history

Hagavatn is a small lake on Ytstebrød, on Eigerøy. In 2017, a new gravel road was opened on the west side of the lake. Along the way, you can get an insight into the special coastal and cultural landscape in Dalane, and there are sheep that graze in the area all year round. You also see many traces of how this landscape has shaped itself over millions of years. There are plenty of sickle marks, shifting blocks and scouring streaks in the rock.

If you choose to follow the path around the water, along the coast, you can see traces of the Second World War. Here you can see, among other things, the remains of buildings, a transport track and a large searchlight that was used by soldiers to keep a lookout over the North Sea. You can continue your trip along the coast and will then end up in Rausvåg. This is a small, active harbor where traditional catching and fishing still takes place, including lobster in the winter season. Pass Rausvåg and follow the road back to the car park that was the starting point for the trip.

Geolog Harrison Schmitt ble født i USA 3. juli 1935. Han studerte geologi ved universitetet i Oslo på slutten av 50-tallet, og besøkte Egersund i forbindelse med feltstudier av anortositt. Senere ble han ansatt i Norges Geologiske undersøkelser (NGU) for å tegne geologiske kart.

Schmitt er den eneste vitenskapsmannen som har vært på månen. Han var med på Apollo 17. I løpet av tre dager i desember 1972 samlet han 110 kilo månestein, blant annet anortositt. Han innehar rekorden for lengst opphold på måneoverflaten.
After his career as an astronaut, Schmitt devoted his life to politics and in 1976 became a senator for the Republican Party.

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