Malý Polom, Mountain summit in Čadca District, Slovakia

Malý Polom is a densely forested summit of 1,060 m on the Czech-Slovak border, about 12 km north of Turzovka. The border ridge turns sharply here from a southwest-northeast to a north-south direction, and a watershed divides the Black Sea (Váh basin) from the Baltic Sea (Oder basin). A geodetic point marks the top.

The area received protected status as a nature reserve in 1981 to safeguard its natural forest ecosystems. This designation aimed to preserve the woodland habitats characteristic of the Western Carpathians in this border region.

The summit sits on the watershed between the Black Sea (Váh basin) and the Baltic Sea (Oder basin), so rain falling on its slopes feeds both the Kysuca and the Olše. The name Polom refers to a windthrow or cleared forest, and the beech-fir stands on the Slovak side are the reason the area became a national nature reserve in 1981.

The main approach route to the summit starts from Bílý Kříž and continues for around four kilometers following the border area. Multiple marked trails provide different route options for hikers visiting the mountain.

Malý Polom lies on the main European watershed: water from its southern slopes drains via the Predmieranka and Kysuca into the Black Sea, while streams from the western slopes reach the Baltic through the Morávka, Ostravice and Oder. The summit itself is marked by a geodetic point.