Ustaoset is little more than a railway station and a scattering of cabins at 991 metres elevation. Around 900 holiday cabins surround the area, but fewer than thirty people live here permanently. The main reason to stop is as a gateway to Hardangervidda - hiking routes lead south towards Tuva turisthytte and the vast mountain plateau beyond.
Every April, Ustaoset transforms briefly into a finish line when twelve thousand skiers arrive from Finse in the Skarverennet, the world's third largest cross-country ski race.