Hovet belongs to the traditional district of Hallingdal, the Halling Valley, created by the Hallingdalselva or Hallingdal River. Elva is Norwegian for river. The Hallingdal River, also named big river or Storåni, originates from the Hardangervidda national park, streams via Hallingskarvet national park into the Hivju River, and from there into the Hivjufossen. The Hivjufossen streams into the river Storåne, which originates from two different mountainous areas: 1. the Geiteryggen area into the direction of Sudndalen, via the Hivjufossen outflow, into the direction of Hovet, and 2. the plateau of Stolsvatnet. These two river branches unite at the cross road of the FV50 and Grønsetlivegen in Hovet, named Storåne, which streams out into the Hovsfjorden, to follow its course from there, deeper into the valley of Hallingdal, as Hallingdalselva, into the direction of Oslo.