Stora Sjöfallet National Park
Stora Sjöfallet National Park preserves a section of northern Scandinavia’s alpine landscape, with imposing mountain ridges, deep valleys, boulder-strewn high plains, ancient pine forest, and the magnificent Akka Massif, known as “The Queen of Lapland”.
Sights: The peaks and glaciers of the Akka massif. The virgin pine forest at Vietas. The magnificent Teusadalen valley. Kierku precipice. Ahutjukårså ravine.
Area: 127,800 hectares.
Established: 1909.
Location: North and south of the lake system of the Stora Lule river in Jokkmokk and Gällivare municipalities, Norrbotten County.
Visiting Stora Sjöfallet: The national park can be reached by a road from Porjus, which passes Vietas and continues west along the north shore of the reservoir to the park´s western boundary. Accommodation is available at the Vietas tourist facility, and at cabins along the service road. The Kungsleden hiking trail passes through the park´s northern section. There are no hiking trails or sleeping accommodations in southern section of the park.
The mountain areas around Stora Sjöfallet are very varied, with alpine ranges and low ridges, flat high plains and deeply carved valleys.
The Akkajaure lake, which was broken out of the park to allow the construction of a hydroelectric power station, divides the area in two. The southern part is dominated by the Akka mountain, called the Queen of Lapland. The northern part contains the mountain Kallaktjåkkå, the northern side of which faces towards the deep, narrow Teusadalen valley.
The great differences in height in the park mean that there are several different types of vegetation: virgin forest, mountain birch forest, bare mountain and boulder fields.
Stora Sjöfallet's famous waterfall nowadays has very little water on account of hydroelectric power. The lime-poor rock means that the vegetation is poor in most parts of the park. The construction of a hydroelectric power station has had negative effects on animal life.
Stora Sjöfallet's most prominent sights are the peaks and glaciers of the Akka range, the virgin pine forest at Vietas, the magnificent Teusadalen valley, the Kierkau cliffs and the Ahutjukårså rock ravine.
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