Stora Sjofallet National Park

The park was declared in 1909 around Stora Sjofallet, a fall on the Lule river then reckoned among the great sights of the north. In 1919 the boundary was redrawn to allow damming, and regulation for hydroelectric power has since left the fall largely dry - water is released only occasionally, and the reservoir Akkajaure fills the valley behind. It remains one of the most-visited episodes in Swedish conservation argument. What the park holds now is the Akka massif, a group of peaks over two thousand metres with glaciers, along with birch forest, lakes and a stretch of the Kungsleden. Ritsem at the western end has a touring station and boat connections.

Background

The Swedish name means The Great Lake Falls, while the Lule Sami name, Stuor Muorkke, means Great Portage. Covering 1,278 km2 in Gällivare and Jokkmokk municipalities, it is the third-largest national park in Sweden, close to the Norwegian border and about 20 km beyond the Arctic Circle, and it surrounds Akkajaure on the north, east and south. The waterfall it was named for had five levels, each named after a man important in the history of Lapland, and the falls area now lies outside the park. The mountains date from a collision of two continents about 400 million years ago. The highest point, 2015 metres, is on Áhkká, a massif of thirteen peaks and ten glaciers.

Source: Wikipedia, "Stora Sjöfallet National Park"

What you'll find

• The Akka massif - peaks over two thousand metres with glaciers.
• Akkajaure reservoir - filling the valley behind the old fall.
• A waterfall largely dry - taken by regulation after 1919.
• A stretch of the Kungsleden - through the park.

When to go

July to September. Two days to a week.

Things to know

The waterfall the park is named for no longer runs except on release. Boat connections at Ritsem are seasonal. Weather in the massif is severe. Booking huts ahead is necessary in high season.

Nearby

Sarek is south-west; Padjelanta and Norway are west.

Key facts