Via Dinarica HR-G-08: East Lika

HR-G-08 East Lika is a 17.2 km (10.7 mi) point-to-point hike from Hladovina at Entrance 2 to the Ličko Petrovo Selo–Izačić border crossing. Allow about six hours; the published stage profile lists 359 m of climbing and 638 m of descent. This is a long-distance connection, not a loop back to the lakes, so arrange a pickup or another return plan before you start.

From Hladovina, the route starts gently downhill on a forest road, then follows a maintained path around Forestry Institute grounds to Hrnjakuša meadow. The park describes mild switchbacks climbing toward Oštri Medveđak. The route continues on the old footpath over Oštri and two bypasses toward Ličko Petrovo Selo. Their exact turns and ground conditions aren't explained in detail, so keep a current route map handy.

Oštri's summit has a 4-by-20-metre rock-built platform with views toward Lička Plješivica, the Una and Korana valleys, and Ličko Petrovo Selo. A forest path to Oštri was built in 1900 and became known as Blanka's Trail, after the wife of Archduke Leopold Salvator. This is the stage's clearest payoff; the rest is a much longer walk through the eastern Lika corridor.

After the ridge, the route heads toward Ličko Petrovo Selo and follows a road to the border crossing. The route's published description warns that facilities for hikers and excursionists are limited outside the immediate Plitvice area. Plan supplies and transport ahead, and check current border requirements if you intend to cross into Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For a shorter walk to the Medveđak area, use the park's Trail 1 from the same Hladovina lot; it takes about 2.5 hours and offers a route toward Oštri. That is a better fit if you want the viewpoint without committing to a 17.2 km one-way stage. Dogs are allowed in the park on leash.