Stora Sjöfallet National Park

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Stora Sjöfallet National Park is in northern Sweden, in Norrbotten County near the Norwegian border. It covers about 1,278 square kilometers, making it the third-largest national park in Sweden. The park lies a short distance north of the Arctic Circle and surrounds the Akkajaure reservoir.

The park was created in 1909 to protect the big waterfall on the Lule River. The waterfall’s water flow and shorelines were damaged by early hydroelectric development, and Akkajaure is now an artificial lake. Today, some parts of the area contain a power line, roads, and gravel banks. In the 1960s people questioned the park’s status due to these changes.

The park’s name comes from a five-level waterfall. Each level is named after a person important in Lapland’s history. The levels include Hermelin, Lars Levi Laestadius, Düben, Carl Anton Petterson, and Henrik Adolf Widmark. The Áhkká massif in the south and Kallaktjåkkå in the north shape the landscape. The highest peak is Áhkká at 2,015 meters. Glaciers are melting, partly due to global warming.

Flora and fauna are reasons the area is protected. The bedrock is poor in lime, so many plants are dwarf birch and crowberry, with many lichens and Sjöfalls’ sandstone. About 400 plant species can be found, with around half in the park. Cloudberries grow here in mid-summer. About 125 bird species have been seen, including European golden plover, meadow pipit, northern wheatear, and sometimes rarer birds like the lesser white-fronted goose, gyrfalcon, and great gray owl. Sjaunja, Sweden’s largest bird reserve, borders the park to the east. Mammals include reindeer, moose, red fox, ermine, and rabbit; two Sami communities, Sörkaitum and Sirka, have pastures inside the area. Rare mammals such as lynx, wolverine, Arctic fox, and brown bear can also be seen.

Getting there and visiting: The easiest way to reach the park is by road from Porjus. The road goes through Vietas to the park’s western end. The Kungsleden trail runs through the northern part. The southern part has few trails or cabins. Popular sights include the Count and the Countess, the Áhkká massif and terraces, Seven Sisters, and the Teusa valley. Some cabins are inside the park, and additional places to stay are in Vietas or at Stora Sjöfallet’s mountain resort.

Activities and rules: You can fish, ski, snowmobile, hike, and go ice climbing. You may pick berries and fungi. It is generally forbidden to gather dead branches for fires, but rules may vary by area, so check local guidelines before you go.