Wielki Kopieniec (1328 m a.s.l.) is one of those Tatra peaks that rewards you with a view far greater than the effort required to reach it. Its rocky, open summit rises above forested slopes and delivers a sweeping panorama of almost the entire Tatra range — from Hawrań all the way to Osobitá.

Situated in the sub-alpine zone of the Western Tatras, between the Olczyska and Chłabowska valleys, the peak actually has two summits about 200 metres apart — the eastern one being the higher. Its slopes were heavily grazed for centuries, causing severe erosion, but since the area was incorporated into the Tatra National Park, grazing was stopped and the hillsides have largely recovered with forest. The summit itself remains bare and rocky, which is exactly what makes the views so spectacular — especially over the Sucha Woda valley below. In summer the rocky terrain blooms with calciphilous plants; in winter it offers crisp silence and snowy vistas.

• Toporowa Cyrhlа → summit: green trail, approx. 1 h 10 min up / 1 h down, moderate difficulty
• Summit → Jaszczurówka via Olczyska Valley: green trail, approx. 1 h 20 min down / 1 h 40 min up, moderate — the trail splits at Kopieniec glade, with one branch going over the summit and one bypassing it across the flat meadow

• The peak lies within Tatra National Park — an entry fee is required.
• On the south-western slope, a TOPR rescue helicopter crashed in August 1994; the site is commemorated.

At 1310 m on the rocky summit, you can find the fly orchid — so rare that this is the highest-elevation site for this species in the whole of Poland. And for a slice of mountaineering history: in 1908, Mieczysław Karłowicz and Mariusz Zaruski made the first recorded winter ski ascent of this peak.