Rogen Nature Reserve

Rogen gave its name to a landform: rogen moraine, long ridges pushed up transverse to the ice flow, which here fill a whole plateau with parallel gravel banks and narrow lakes between them. The effect on the ground is a maze - water and land interleaved in strips, so canoe routes wind through with short portages and walking routes cross ridge after ridge. The reserve joins Femundsmarka on the Norwegian side, making a large protected block. Musk ox occasionally cross from Norway. Pine forest, bare rock and open fell mix across it, with touring club huts at intervals and unrestricted camping under the right of public access.

Background

The reserve was set up in 1976, covers 500 square kilometres around Lake Rogen in Jämtland County, and belongs to the Natura 2000 network. Its landscape took shape during the last Ice age, and besides the moraine ridges and long lakes, large erratic boulders lie scattered across the ground. Peaks of the Scandinavian Mountains rise to about 1,000 m on every side, and the highest in the area, Brattriet, reaches 1,200 m. The small musk ox herd, seven animals in 2010, descends from animals brought to Norway from Greenland in the mid-20th century, some of which crossed into Sweden in 1971. Visitors may come no closer than 100 metres.

Source: Wikipedia, "Rogen Nature Reserve"

The landscape

• Parallel moraine ridges - the landform named after this place.
• Narrow lakes between them - interleaved with the land in strips.
• Canoe routes with short portages - the natural way to travel.
• A joined reserve with Norway - Femundsmarka over the border.

When to go

July to September. Several days.

Things to know

Navigation in the maze is genuinely hard - map and compass are essential. Portages mean carrying. Mosquitoes are heavy in July. Weather on the plateau turns fast and there is little shelter.

Nearby

Femundsmarka is over the Norwegian border; Tannas is east.

Key facts