Sweden's Wild Side Part III - Norrland's Wild South: Jämtland & Härjedalen
- David Maiwald
- Aug 9, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 10
Part III of the Scandinavian Interior Series
In this article:
The interior regions along E45 in Sweden’s Jämtland province are mostly characterized by rolling hills, endless forests, and countless lakes. Here you pass through small and mostly quiet towns and villages that become more frequent as you approach the city of Östersund. South of Östersund, towards the province of Dalarna, the scenery slowly changes into the dramatically rugged and mountainous landscapes of the Härjedalen region with its large concentration of ski resorts in between Östersund and Mora. Norrland’s wild south therefore offers an exciting variety of natural attractions for any type of outdoor adventure.
Jämtland
Driving from Laponia towards the southern border of the province of Norrbotten you slowly return to civilization as you pass by the small town of Arvidsjaur and subsequently leave the extremely remote regions of Swedish Lapland behind. The following 450km passage along E45 south of Swedish Lapland and north of Östersund leads you through the rural parts of Västerbotten and Northern Jämtland. An area where the endless forests mix with more and more open fields and colorfully picturesque little villages the further south you get.
While the comparably flat landscape with its rolling hills in this part of Sweden might not be as dramatic and rugged as the wilderness areas of the far north in Laponia there still are ample first-class destinations for all kinds of outdoor activities along the way - including canoeing and fishing at one of the area’s peaceful lakes and streams or dog sledding in the winter. The area between Sorsele in Västerbotten and Strömsund in the far north of Jämtland offers a particularly high concentration of pristine lakes with countless opportunities to stop and enjoy some undisturbed peace and quiet.
From Sorsele in northern Västerbotten you further have the opportunity for a quick detour of around 1 to 2hrs into the high mountains west of E45 where you can explore the Vindelfjällen, Sweden’s largest nature reserve. The southernmost section of the Kungsleden long distance hiking trail passes right through this mountainous wilderness, offering an opportunity to venture into the backcountry on foot. Hemavan and Ammarnäs are both easily accessible by either car or bus and offer potential access points for either full-day hikes into this area or five-day section hikes along the Kungsleden.
Quick facts about the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve:
how to get there: turn off E45 in either Sorsele to get to Ammarnäs (1hr drive) or Storuman to get to Hemavan (2hr drive)
perfect for: hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, cross country skiing, snow mobiling, watching the northern lights
best routes: the entire section hike is a moderate 78km, 5-6 day hike with 7 STF mountain huts along the trail
best huts: STF Tärnasjö / STF Syterstugan
fees: no fees for park admission or campsites / prices at STF huts vary
services: basic amenities at STF huts / no or only partial cell service along the trail!
important links: https://www.swedishtouristassociation.com/
Härjedalen & Rogen Nature Reserve
Off the beaten track yet incredibly wild and exciting - this sums up perfectly the regions of Jämtlandsfjällen and Härjedalsfjällen. South of Östersund lies the rugged scenery of the Jämtland and Härjedal mountains in the far south of Jämtland and northern Dalarna. This region boasts one of the highest concentrations of ski resorts in all of Scandinavia which makes the area in between Österund, Mora, and the Swedish-Norwegian border a popular travel destination, especially during the winter months. However, the remote backcountry of southern Jämtland and northern Dalarna in between the numerous ski resorts of the Scandinavian Mountains also offers an incredibly dramatic and pristine landscape with world-class hiking trails which is why the Härjedalen area is well worth visiting year-round. The area also contains the southernmost fjäll of the Scandes mountains as well as the southernmost Sami settlements along with their large reindeer herds. In my own experience, this area contains one of Sweden’s most beautiful unspoilt landscapes outside Swedish Lapland that is truly off the beaten track.
The entire region is situated west of E45 and roughly two and a half hours south of Östersund. The Härjedalen area is a vast, mostly untouched, and extremely sparsely populated stretch of land in between the ski resort towns of Vemdalen to its north and Idre to its south. An incredible wilderness offering breathtaking and far-reaching views across endless high plains and sparse fjäll birch forests all the way to the high mountains of nearby Norway. These otherworldly primeval, glacier-carved landscapes seem far away from civilization. And in fact, with little to no infrastructure along the roughly 140km from Vemdalen to Idre you will find yourself in a similarly serene and remote stretch of land as Swedish Lapland up north. The fact that you are once again in Sami country – covering the most remote stretches of the Scandinavian Mountains from here all the way to Swedish Lapland - with reindeer herds roaming the mountains just adds to the sense of adventure when traveling through Härjedalen.
I visited this area in the fall of 2023, when I traveled along the paved and scenic Lofsdalsvägen, and again in the winter of 2024/25 when I explored the region’s incredible snow-covered landscapes for roughly one week. With the area being well known for its large bear and moose populations as well as wolves, lynx, reindeer, and even musk oxen roaming the mountains, the Härjedalen region boasts an incredible variety of wildlife that can be seen almost nowhere else in Scandinavia! In the winter of 2024/25 I explored the remote forests west of Sonfjällets National Park via extended snow-shoe hikes and went skiing on the mountains around Lofsdalen. Especially the area around Tännäs and Sonfjällets National Park offers some incredibly dramatic landscapes as well as vast stretches of pristine and untouched nature.
When I stayed in a cabin near Tännäs for a couple of nights the nearby Rogen Nature Reserve was the perfect destination for some truly exciting and rewarding outdoor adventures. The reserve covers a vast area along Sweden’s border with Norway and is filled with dense forests, countless lakes, and open plains. A network of hiking and snowmobile trails led me through the reserve's endless forests and across countless frozen lakes. A number of shelters along the way allowed me to pause and just enjoy the perfect stillness that was covering the entire sub-arctic landscape around me! Due to its location in the far north, the days were short with the sun rising at around 9:30 in the morning and setting just five hours later. However, this also meant that the entire day was just one long golden hour with the entire region covered in dramatic colors. And since twilight lasted for another couple of hours I was able to enjoy some beautiful extended day hikes from 9 in the morning until 4 in the evening.
During those days when I was able to brave the freezing cold of up to 25 degrees Celsius below zero, I was further rewarded with some spectacular night skies and sometimes even some polar lights above. However, the absolute highlight was, when I went night skiing on the slopes in and around Lofsdalen in southern Härjedalen. During that particular afternoon the skies were mostly clear with some clouds on the horizon, which made for a beautiful scenery while skiing! Around 7 pm that evening I was sitting in the chair lift when I suddenly noticed an intense light flashing across the skies above. This was the beginning of a stunningly beautiful aurora borealis which was so intense that its bright green and red colors were clearly visible with bare eyes! The whole spectacle lasted around half an hour - a truly remarkable experience! All in all I can say that this spectacular region is most definitely worth a visit, offering all kinds of outdoor adventures year round.
Quick facts about Härjedalen & Rogen Nature Reserve:
how to get there: turn off E45 south of Åsarna (1hr drive from Östersund) and drive west - beyond Vemdalen lie the most dramatic and remote landscapes
perfect for: hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, skiing
best routes: Lofsdalsvägen / the routes past & into the Rogen Nature reserve offer some of the most scenic drives through Sweden’s interior (Top Pick!) / Rogen Nature Reserve offers easy multi-day section hikes along Södra Kungsleden as well as short and easy day hikes
best huts: STF Rogen Fjällstuga
fees: no fees for park admission or campsites / prices at huts vary
services: partial cell service inside Rogen
Sonfjällets National Park
Sonfjällets National Park is located right at the heart of the Härjedalen region and is one of the oldest National Parks in all of Europe. The center of the protected area comprises an isolated mountain range which is mostly characterized by open fjäll landscapes surrounded by endless forests. The park is well known for its large population of brown bears and the wolves that roam these mountains and forests. All of this remains a largely undeveloped and pristine wilderness with no roads leading into the park and only an unpaved access road leading to the park's northern boundary. Inside the park there is a vast network of hiking trails as well as some mountain huts offering great hiking opportunities.
All in all the region in and around Sonfjälltes National Park is located in the heart of a vast remote area that offers little to no developed infrastructure with only a few small settlements scattered throughout the landscape. I stayed right in the middle of this region in late December of 2024, when I set up camp in a cabin in the woods located on a farm just outside the park’s western boundaries. From there several hiking trails led right into the dense snow-covered forests of the park and up the mountains with sweeping views of the surrounding landscapes.
This was where I started several snowshoe day-hikes to explore some of the pristine wilderness in and around the park. One particular exciting hike led me through the nordic forests of Nysätern and up the western slopes of the Sonfjällets mountains where I entered the national park through a frozen tundra-like landscape. The views of the surrounding wilderness were stunning and the dramatic golden light of the short, sub-arctic winter days made for an intense atmosphere. Although nordic winters are generally characterized by perfect stillness, I encountered some wildlife along the way with a large herd of reindeer crossing my path being my personal highlight.
Quick facts about Sonfjällets National Park:
how to get there: turn off E45 south of Åsarna (1hr drive from Östersund) and drive west / Sonfjällets National Park is roughly 1hr south of Vemdalen
perfect for: hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, snow shoeing
best routes: hiking trails from Nysätern or from Nyvallen into the park
best huts: Sododalen Raststuga
fees: no fees for park admission
services: no or only partial cell service along the trails!
Comments