Tresticklan National Park
Along the border with Norway in western Dalsland lies the huge rocky wilderness of Tresticklan. With an area of thirty square kilometres, it’s the largest uninhabited and roadless tract in southern Sweden. Visitors to the national park are greeted by the sight of pristine forest, beautiful lakes and a remarkable landscape.
Sights: Large pristine natural forest. Rift valley landscape. Birds of the coniferous forest such as capercaillie, black grouse and hazelhen. Sparse and barren pine forest.
Area: 2,897 hectares.
Established: 1996
Location: In Dals-Ed Municipality in north-western Dalsland, along the Norwegian border.
Visiting Tresticklan: The easiest approach is from the road along the east shore of Lake Stora Lee. A side road about one kilometre north of Rävmarken leads past Rökullehögen Farm to the old croft of Råbocken. This is the only sign-posted road to the park. There is a parking area and information display at Råbocken, from which the Halleleden trail runs for just under a kilometre to the park border. In addition to Halleleden, which continues on into Norway, there are also trails along the shore of Lake Stora Tresticklan and past the old homestead of Bråtane. A side-trail leads up to the park´s high point, Orshöjden.
Foto: Jan-Peter Lahall
From Orshöjden hill in the heart of Tresticklan's national park, the gaze follows an unbroken horizon line of forest in all directions. Not a felled area or young forest in sight. It is almost three kilometres to the nearest road. You cannot get deeper into the forest than this in southern Scandinavia!
A hike in Tresticklan's national park will probably not include encounters with exciting animals or rare plants. The hike will still be a unique experience, taking you through a unique landscape and a forest which has largely looked after itself for well over 100 years.
The word "trestickel" means something which has three pionts - a trident. The gorge landscape gives the largest lake of the area - Stora Tresticklan - a pointed, lobed shape.
The foremost sights of Tresticklan are the vast, untouched natural forest, the thin and barren pine forest, the gorged landscape and the birds of the coniferous forest such as capercaillie, black grouse and hazel-grouse.
For further information:
Illustration: Hans Sjögren, Stockholm
Foto: Jan-Peter Lahall