Gozd - Velika Poljana

Access to starting point:
A) From the Ljubljana - Jesenice highway, take the Kranj - west exit and follow the road ahead in the direction of Golnik. Just a little after Golnik (more precisely after the settlement Senično), a steep road branches off right upwards, which leads towards Zgornje Vetrno and Gozd. After the village Zgornje Vetrno the road mostly continues through the forest, and we follow it to a marked parking lot, which is located right next to the Zavetišče v Gozdu cottage.
B) From the Jesenice - Ljubljana highway, take the Podbrezje exit, then continue driving towards Ljubelj and Tržič. Before the Petrol gas station in Bistrica pri Tržiču, turn right and then drive into Tržič. When the road descends into the valley, continue sharply right in the direction of Pristava and Križe, and further drive on the main road which leads towards Zgornje and Spodnje Duplje; leave the mentioned main road at the settlement Retnje, where continue left in the direction of the settlements Križe and Golnik. Further, drive towards Golnik, and after the settlement Križe soon arrive at a smaller crossroad, where a steep road branches off to the left, which leads towards Zgornje Vetrno and Gozd. After the village Zgornje Vetrno the road mostly continues through the forest, and we follow it to a marked parking lot, which is located right next to the Zavetišče v Gozdu cottage.

Path description:
From the cottage, we walk to the nearby church, then come to the marked junction, where the path from Golnik joins us from the right. We continue left uphill along the increasingly poor road, which brings us to a junction in a few minutes.
We continue on the right cart track in the direction of Storžič, Tolsti vrh and Mala and Velika Poljana (left Koča na Kriški gori). The cart track, which ascends transversely towards the east, has some junctions in the lower part, but they are well marked, so there are no major orientation problems. Higher up, the cart track changes into a gradually steeper footpath, which brings us out of the forest onto panoramic grassy slopes. After some time, the path levels out and brings us to a pleasant viewpoint with a bench, beside which we notice a memorial plaque.
Further, the path crosses a steep grassy slope (danger of slipping and in winter also avalanches) and then transitions into dense forest, where we come to a marked junction. We continue straight in the direction of Velika Poljana (left Tolsti vrh), where we cross forested slopes for a short time, then the forest gradually thins and transitions to steeper slopes of Štajnarica, where it continues with some shorter ascents and descents; on the more difficult spots, a few steel cables assist us. In the last part of the passage across Štajnarica, we cross yet another steep grassy slope, from where the first nearby view of Storžič opens up. After the bench, the path enters the forest and then begins descending transversely towards Mala Poljana, which we reach after a few minutes. When we step out of the forest, we also step onto the cart track, along which we descend to the hunting cottage on Mala Poljana.
From Mala Poljana, where the path from Tolsti vrh, Dom pod Storžičem and Zaloga joins, we continue on the left side of the hunting cottage, along the path in the direction of Velika Poljana. The path, which continues along the cart track, quickly enters the forest, where it then ascends transversely. After a few minutes of walking, we come to a panoramic slope, from which a nice view of the surrounding mountains opens up. Just a little further, the cart track turns right and after a short ascent brings us to the upper edge of Velika Poljana, where there is a marked junction.
We continue right (straight Storžič) and after a good minute of further walking arrive at the Koča na Veliki Poljani.
Zavetišče v Gozdu - Mala Poljana 2:00, Mala Poljana - Velika Poljana 0:15.

On the way: Mala Poljana (1325m)

Trip can be extended to: Krničarjeva koča na planini Javornik , Grebenc , Dom na Kališču , Storžič