Nationalparks Femundsmarka

Norway´s National Parks are regulated by the laws of nature. Nature decides both how and when to do things. National Parks are established in order to protect large natural areas - from the coast to the mountains. This is done for our sake, for generations to come and for the benefit of nature itself.

FEMUNDSMARKA NATIONAL PARK

Counties: Hedmark, Sør Trøndelag.

Established: 1971

Extended: 2003

Size: 573 km2

The gift from the ice

With twisted pines and forgotten lakes scattered amongst a sea of boulders, Femundsmarka national park beckons you to experience it. Ten thousand years ago the glaciers receded, leaving behind a desolate, ice-age landscape - a landscape that has scarcely changed since. Here you can paddle a canoe for days through the many waterways and lakes. You can take a fishing rod with you, to catch the large trout that can be found here, and if you keep your eyes open to the beautiful natural landscape, you will be rewarded with a memorable excursion.

Together with adjoining protected areas in Sweden, Femundsmarka national park forms part of one of the largest continuous, untouched wilderness areas in southern Scandinavia. It is also an area that provides a habitat for a number of rare and vulnerable animal species.

An Eldorado for anglers and canoeists

About half the visitors to Femundsmarka national park go canoeing or fishing. It´s also spectacular walking country if you want to go hunting or berry-picking - or just enjoy the scenery.

Glittering waterways and lively fish

Whether fishing is a passion or a hobby, you´ll find plenty of challenges in Femundsmarka. In the countless lakes and waterways, it´s not just the trout that bites, but also perch, char, grayling, whitefish, burbot and pike. Revsj¿en and Styggsj¿ene contain mainly grayling, perch and pike, while in Grøtåa, Mugga, Røa and Rogen the main catch is trout. Set out by foot or canoe to find your own fishing spots.

During winter you can also try your hand at ice fishing for char. The best ice fishing is in Revlingsjøene, the lakes on Røvolfjellet, Rønsjøen and some of the smaller lakes in Engerdal.

Take a trip!

Hunting trips, berry-picking, skiing trips, mountain-walking - Femundsmarka offers plenty of options. During the summer months you can follow a network of marked footpaths that also connect to paths in Sweden. There are opportunities for hunting, both in the national park itself and in the adjoining areas. If you prefer to gather cloudberries, August is the best time. Femundsmarka is nationally renowned as good cloudberry country.

Canoe trips!

If you want to paddle a canoe, the central areas of the national park contain an interconnecting system of lakes. The upper regions of Røa, Reva, Revsjøen, Styggsjøene and adjoining areas across the Swedish border offer plenty of opportunities for spectacular excursions. Canoes can be hired on the Norwegian and Swedish sides of the border.

Mountains and rounded shapes

The landscape in the national park is characterised by gentle, rounded shapes and long, flowing lines. In the high country that starts at Femunden (662 meters above sea level) and continues up to 8-900 meters above sea level, you can find a moderately hilly, ridged landscape. There are a number of peaks that are over 1.000 metres, the highest of which is in the far north (Storvigelen, at 1.561 meters). In the south there is Store Svuku (1.415 meters), Grøthogna (1.401 meters) and Elgåhogna (1.460 meters).

Sculpted by ice

Large parts of Femundsmarka resemble a deserted, prehistoric landscape, sculpted by the ice that receded ten thousand years ago. The area is rich in stone and gravel fields (moraines) and large boulders that were carried along by the ice. A distinctive feature is the narrow ridges, called Rogen moraines, which curve out into the lakes to form a multitude of promontories and islands. Their name is from the lake on the Swedish side.

The fairytale forest

Bent and weathered old pines are a distinctive feature of the national park, giving Femundsmarka a mystic, fairytale look. The pines grow like this because of the lack of nutrients to be had from the poor, rocky soil and the dry inland climate, with its long, harsh winters. The pines are widely spread, giving an open feel to most of the national park.

In areas with dry ground conditions, the floor of the low-growing pine forest is dominated by sand and gravel, and here the most common species found on the forest floor are reindeer lichen and Cladonia Stellaris. The low-growing pine forest is light and open and usually pine is the only type of tree present. Where ground conditions are wetter, the heather pine forest takes over. Here, bilberries, lingonberries, heather and some herbs, grasses and mosses grow on the forest floor.

Birch forest

Much of the north of Femundsmarka is covered with birch forest. The plants found on the forest floor are generally the same as those found in the pine forests. In Femundsmarka the tree line is mostly at 800 to 900 meters above sea level.

Bogs

There are three kinds of bog in Femundsmarka - peat bog, brushwood bog and grass bog. They are generally poor in nutrients. The peat bogs are made up largely of sphagnum moss and cotton grass. They are often found close to small tarns and ponds, and surrounded by brushwood bogs. These are drier and dominated by heather varieties, dwarf birch and willow. The grass bogs occur on slopes and are characterised by sedge grasses.

Vulnerable plant species

In Femundsmarka there are a number of vulnerable species that require large areas of pristine forest. One important species is the rare wolf lichen, which grows on the trunks and branches of old pine trees. One of the most important populations in the country can be found in Femundsmarka.

The Kingdom of the Osprey

A lot of ospreys nest in the national park. Their relatively high numbers are explained by the access to food in the green waters that are so rich in fish, and the nesting sites provided by old, flat-crowned pines.

A lot of the pine tree trunks have nest holes made by the three-toed woodpecker, and in the autumn Siberian jays hide berries and mushrooms in cracks in the bark. Golden eagles, gerfalcons, chicken hawks and horned owls also nest in this area.

Lakes and wetlands - allowing life to thrive

The many lakes and wetland areas provide important nesting and feeding grounds, especially for ducks and wading birds. In the marshy areas around Lille Grøvelsjø you can find ruff and red-necked phalarope. Arctic loons, a species that is distinctive to Femundsmarka, also nest in the area.

Not plentiful, but rewarding

The unyielding landscape does not provide a suitable environment for a rich animal life. Nevertheless there a number of species living alongside the watercourses, some of which are rare, vulnerable or threatened in this part of the country. Wolverines are well established, while bears and lynx also wander into the park. A herd of musk ox that has migrated from Dovrefjell also lives here.

Permanent population of otters and signs of beaver

Femundsmarka is one of the few places in inland southern Norway where there is a permanent otter population. In some of the larger watercourses there are also clear signs of the presence of beaver, with felled trees and sturdy dams.

Winter grazing for moose

The national park is an important winter grazing area for moose, which come in large numbers in the winter from the area around Aursunden further to the south. In some places the pine forest shows signs of heavy grazing.

Domesticated reindeer herding

The Sami herd reindeer in this area, using winter grazing in the north and year-round grazing in the south. Elgø is the most southerly area of Sami reindeer herding in Norway. The reindeer should not be disturbed when grazing and they are especially vulnerable during their calving season.

Animal pits and Stone Age remains

The first signs of human activity in Femundsmarka date from the Neolithic era. These include both Stone Age sites and the remains of fairly large trap systems with animal pits.

Central Sami area

It is uncertain how long there has been Sami activity in the area. The Sami have traditions and beliefs associated with places in the national park, often without having left any physical traces on the land. Some of the visible traces in Femundsmarka include old settlements with the sites of turfed huts, and various holding and collecting places for reindeer.

Falconry

The Dutch used to capture falcons in Femundsmarka in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The falcons were caught using a decoy, tamed and used for falconry in other countries. The name Falkfangerhøgda (Falconer´s Hill) is used in a number of places in the area. Permanent settlement from the eighteenth century.

Throughout the eighteenth century a number of settlements were established in this area. As time went by, Haugen and Svukuriset developed into farms, and people live there still, just outside the national park. The hamlet of Sylen, on the Swedish border, is also occupied. The hamlet does not have any roads and lies entirely surrounded by the national park.

Røros copperworks has left its mark

The area in and around the national park contains many traces from the R¿ros copperworks. The works on the western shore of Femunden were in operation from 1743 to 1822. There are clear signs of tree-felling to supply charcoal for the furnaces right up to the Swedish border. Along the watercourses there are signs of log transport in the form of dams, log flumes, timber booms and log raft booms.