Roháče Tarns: Hike from Zverovka, Waterfall, Parking and Closures

How to get to the Roháče tarns: the loop from Zverovka

The Roháče tarns (Roháčske plesá) lie at the head of the Roháčska dolina valley in the Western Tatras, below the peaks of Ostrý Roháč, Plačlivé and Kopy. You can drive as far as the car park by the Roháče - Spálená ski area above Zuberec; from there you continue on foot. This is the loop most people walk:

Zverovka - Roháčska dolina - Ťatliakova chata - Roháče tarns - Spálená dolina - Roháče waterfall - Adamcuľa - Zverovka

• length: about 12 km,
• time: 5 - 6 hours of walking,
• ascent: 680 - 710 m (depending on the source),
• trail markings: red along the tarmac road up the Roháčska dolina valley, then green and blue.

The first part is easy. From Zverovka you walk about 4.3 km along the tarmac road up the Roháčska dolina valley to Ťatliakova chata, around 1.5 hours. From there a nature trail starts that goes around the tarns. On the way back you descend the Spálená dolina valley past the waterfall and through Adamcuľa to Zverovka.

We recommend this direction: you go uphill on the tarmac road and through the forest, and you leave the steeper descent past the waterfall for the end, when you already know what the path is like. If you get tired, you can turn round at the tarns and go back the same way along the tarmac road.

What you will see: four tarns and the Roháče waterfall

The Roháče tarns are four mountain lakes, one above the other:

• Veľké Roháčske pleso at 1,562 m is the largest, with an area of 2.22 ha and a depth of 7 m,
• the second and third tarns lie at 1,650 and 1,653 m,
• the fourth, upper tarn is the highest, at 1,718 m, with an area of 1.45 ha and a depth of 8.1 m.

The nature trail from Ťatliakova chata around the tarns is 5.4 km long with 525 m of ascent and takes about 4 hours. If you want to see all four tarns, you have to climb all the way up to the top one.

The Roháče waterfall (Roháčsky vodopád) is about 23 metres high and falls through forest at around 1,340 m. On the loop you pass it on the descent from the Spálená dolina valley. It is at its strongest after rain and in early summer, when the snow is melting higher up.

By the small Ťatliakovo jazierko lake stands Ťatliakova chata, a mountain hut owned by the Slovak Hiking Club Orava (Klub slovenských turistov Orava). It is open in summer, and you will find the current opening days on tatliacka.sk.

When the path is closed: the TANAP seasonal closure

The Roháče are part of the Tatra National Park (TANAP). Every year from 1 November a seasonal closure of selected high mountain trails comes into force here. The reason is nature conservation, above all the protection of animals, and the closed places are marked on the ground.

For the Roháče tarns this means:

• to the Roháče waterfall and Ťatliakova chata you can walk all year round, though in winter only with crampons and an ice axe,
• the stretch from the waterfall up to the tarns is closed from 1 November to 15 June.

So you can walk the whole loop without worry from 16 June to 31 October. If you are planning the hike in June, check the current situation on tanap.sk.

Parking at Zverovka and the drive from Liptov

You park at the central car park by the Roháče - Spálená ski area; beyond that, the road into the valley is closed to cars. In summer 2026 the price for a car was:

• 1 hour €4,
• 2 hours €6,
• 3 hours €8,
• 4 to 24 hours €10.

For the whole loop, count on a full-day ticket for €10. Arrive in the morning so you have enough time for the whole loop and for breaks by the tarns.

From Bosorka Zrub in Liptovský Trnovec you drive via Huty and Zuberec towards Orava; it is about 38 km and roughly 55 minutes by car.

TANAP rules, safety and children

In the Tatra National Park you may only walk on marked hiking trails and nature trails, and you must respect the seasonal closures. The trails may only be used during the day; the visitor rules tie the exact times to sunrise and sunset. The rules for dogs in TANAP are getting stricter, so if you are bringing a dog, check them beforehand on tanap.sk.

Before your hike, check the forecast and mountain information on the website of the Mountain Rescue Service (Horská záchranná služba). In an emergency call the single emergency number 112. By the tarns you are above the tree line, where the weather changes quickly, so a windproof jacket and a warm layer belong in your rucksack even in July.

With children:

• smaller children and pushchairs: the tarmac road up the Roháčska dolina valley to Ťatliakova chata is suitable for a pushchair too; from there to the first tarn it is a footpath,
• children aged 8 - 10 and over who can manage a longer hike can do the whole loop; just allow extra time for the descent past the waterfall,
• take food and drink with you, as the hut may not be open every day.

What to combine it with

If you are looking for a shorter trip closer to Mara, try the Prosiecka and Kvačianska valleys, just a hop from the cabin, about 15 minutes by car. More mountain tips are in our guides to Chopok in summer and Štrbské Pleso as a day trip. For a rainy day after the hike there is Tatralandia, 2.5 km from the cabin.

After a full day’s hike you will appreciate the infrared sauna and the bathtub in both bathrooms at Bosorka Zrub. The log cabin sleeps 8 to 10 people, so even a bigger group of hikers fits in. We are a local host and nobody pays us for our recommendations.