Skuleskogen National Park

National park in Sweden

Many streams run through the park, feeding many lakes. The principal lakes are Tärnättvattnen and Stocksjön belonging to the watershed of the streams Skravelbäcken and Långtjärnen , belonging to the watershed of the stream Nylandsbäcken. A non negligible section of the park is made up of fens. Since granite forms a substrate very poor in nutrients, the diabase constitutes by contrast a very fertile terrain, which permits a richer vegetation. The peaks of the park were islands at that time The ancient coastline is notably made visible by vegetation caps, which cover the areas not submerged after the retreat of the glaciers, explaining the name Kalottberg ("mountain cap") given to certain mountains of the region and the park. These vegetation caps had been able to install themselves since, at these places, the moraines were not eroded by waves, and they thus constituted a place where vegetation could attach.

The park is home to many species of mammal characteristic to northern Sweden, in particular the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and the brown bear (Ursus arctos), considered endangered in the country. Besides these two species, one can find the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the European badger (Meles meles), the European pine marten (Martes martes), the moose (Alces alces), the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber), the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), and the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus). The park also houses important populations of grey headed woodpeckers (Picus canus), common cranes (Grus grus), grey herons (Ardea cinerea), Eurasian wrens (Troglodytes troglodytes), Eurasian wrynecks (Jynx torquilla), and hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia).

Skuleskogen is located on the northern border of the range of several plant species. Thus several deciduous tree species are present in the park, such as the little leaf linden (Tilia cordata), the common hazel (Corylus avellana), the guelder rose (Viburnum opulus), and the Norway maple (Acer platanoides). However, deciduous forest only covers , barely more than 1.4% of the surface area of the park. Thus, the forest is principally coniferous forest, characteristic of the Scandinavian and Russian taiga ecoregion. This forest is mainly made up of Norway spruce (Picea abies), but at the frontier with the barren zones, the main species is Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). Pines dominate because forest fires are less frequent than previously, since birch and Scots pine are the first species to return after a fire. It seems that fires occurred naturally over the ages, but there has not been a fire for two centuries, humans actively fighting against their propagation. In the coniferous forests, one can find several shrubs, of which the most common are blue whortleberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis idaea), Melampyrum sylvaticum and woundwort (Solidago virgaurea). A large part of the park (36%) consists of naked rock, and is thus a poor substrate for vegetation. The principal trees are dwarf pines which have not been affected by logging and which thus can be up to 500 years old.

Because of the topography and the nature of the terrain, the area did not lend itself to human settlement and no trace of permanent habitation had been found in the park. Some traces of habitation dating from the Stone Age were found northwest of the park, at Bjästamon. These habitations were probably maintained until the Bronze Age. No traces dating from the Iron Age have been discovered. For example, it would have perhaps have been the northern frontier of the kingdom of Svealand before the year 1000, The villages it separated had very limited contact with each other The forest was, however, traversed by a trail, which later took the name of Kustlandsvägen and which corresponded roughly to the path of today's European route E4. For a long time, this path constituted the only road to the north of the country. As a result, in today's national park there were four summer pasture cottages, three having existed up until the turn of the 20th century, while the last (Näskebodarna) remained active up until the end of World War II. But that soon changed, the state taking an active part in the exploitation of the forest. Logging slowed down markedly at the turn of the century, allowing the forest to regenerate.]] Upon a great inventory of the environment of the county in the middle of the 1960s, Skuleskogen was noticed for its great natural value. So, in 1968, it was decided to protect a part of the massif. In 1971, the management plan for the territories of Sweden resulted in the High Coast being classified as a zone of national interest, and next in 1974, a part of the zone was classified as a temporary nature reserve. The county therefore proposed in 1978 the creation of a natural park to Naturvårdsverket which transmitted the proposal the following year to the government. Negotiations for the purchase of the land could not be completed for certain properties, and the lands concerned remained therefore protected as a nature reserve. In 2009, the park was again expanded by the addition to the northwest and south of land from the nature reserve of Skuleskogen.

Like most of the national parks of Sweden, management and administration are divided between the Swedish environmental protection agency (Naturvårdsverket) and the administrative council of the Swedish counties (Länsstyrelse). Naturvårdsverket is responsible for proposing new national parks, upon consulting with the councils of administration of the counties and municipalities; their creation is endorsed by a vote of the Swedish parliament. The park is divided into three zones, each having a purpose, in order to reconcile the protection of the park and the welcoming of tourists. The majority (65%) of the park is classified as zone I, that is, as a low activity zone: this space is the heart of the park and has scarce tourism infrastructure, so that the environment remains intact. The eastern third of the park is classified as zone II, the high activity zone. In this zone you can find most of the trails and cabins, as well as the most popular sites. which is relatively large, given its location in Norrland. The park has three entrances, one each to the north, south, and west, the north entrance being the main one. It is possible to spend the night in the park in one of five shelters (Norrsvedjebodarna, Tärnettvattnen, Tärnettholmarna, Tärnettsundet, and Näskebodarna). These were private homes before the foundation of the park. It is also possible to go camping in the dedicated campgrounds. Many hiking trails run through the park, especially through its easternmost third. In particular, the grand hiking trail Höga Kustenleden (the trail through the High Coast) traverses the park from north to south over Besides by hiking, it is also possible to discover the park by skiing in winter; its topology even permits alpine skiing. It is also possible to go kayaking along the coast and to go swimming, in particular at the sandy beaches of Tärnättholmarna or in the lagoon of Salsviken to the north, where the water can attain warmer temperatures. Biking is allowed on the trail along the coast.

Skuleskogen is the setting of the novel The brigands of the forest of Skule (Rövarna i Skuleskogen) by Kerstin Ekman. The book tells the story of Skord, a troll of human appearance from the forest of Skule. His curiosity about humans leads him into numerous adventures across the ages (he is immortal). The title references a local legend, that robbers arrived in the area in the 7th century, but were rejected by the villagers of the area. They had to take refuge in the cave Skulegrottan not far from the park. These brigands committed numerous misdeeds, attacking those who crossed the forest. They ended up getting done in by a young peasant who succeeded in joining their group by saying that the villagers had rejected him too.