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when areas used for national parks are selected. At the outset, only the states property can be used for this purpose, but private ground around the area can be confiscated.

The national parks are founded to protect the country's valuable nature diversity, to provide nature lovers the opportunity to enjoy untouched nature, and for education and science. Each park is an area created to protect a special type of nature, flora or fauna.

In addition, to preserve our valuable and vulnerable nature and its flora and fauna, it has been established 1352 nature reserves. These areas have varying restrictions, depending on what is being protected.

The worlds northernmost pine forest is found in Stabbursdalen National Park. Protection of this forest is one of the most important goals of the park. Stabbursdalen is also the northernmost habitat for several birds and animals, and it also has many of Finnmark county's typical shapes of the landscape. The Stabburs River, flowing through the park, is an excellent salmon river.

Øvre Pasvik National Park is established to preserve one of Norway's largest remaining primeval forests. The park is on the border to Finland and Russia, and several plants that are rare or unknown in the rest of Norway are found here.

Øvre Anàrjohka National Park and Lemmenjoki, the bordering Finnish national park, provides a huge, untouched area in the north. The park is established to preserve a part of Finnmarksvidda, with a representative selection of various types of nature in this part of Norway. The area is remote, and the landscape characterized by plains with birch, pines, huge bogs and lots of smaller lakes.

During thousands of years, the Reisa River has cut it's way into the mountain plateau, forming the long and narrow Reisa Valley which is the core area of Reisa National park. Narrow valleys and ravines, powerful waterfalls, rivers and stone pots characterize the parts of the park that is protected to keep a nearly untouched area. The flora and bird life is among the most varied in species in Northern Norway.

Ånderdalen National Park on Senja is encircled by high mountains, and is established to protect an area that is characteristic for the outer parts of Troms county. Primeval pine- and mountain birch forests are found here. Some of the short and twisted pine trees is supposed to be more than 500 years old. The fauna is relatively poor here, but some rare species are found on the bogs.

Øvre Dividal National Park is established to preserve an area of typical inland nature in northern Norway. The landscape is varied, with pine- and birch forests, high mountains, lakes and bogs. The area has a rich mountain vegetation, and is a natural habitat for many of Norway's large predators – the wolverines are well represented.

Rago National Park is characterized by a wild and vast mountain landscape, with deep ravines and huge stone blocks. Rare mountain plants are found in the park, together with wolverines, beavers and lynx. Rago National Park borders the Swedish national parks of Padjelanta, Sarek and Stora Sjöfallet, and together they form a protected area of 5 700 sq. km (2,200 sq. miles).

Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park is established to preserve a rich and varied area of nature. It contains fjord landscapes and luxuriant valleys, grottos and glaciers. The Svartisen Glacier covers 370 sq. km (143 sq. miles). There is a big variety in the flora, with several rare species. In the traditional areas for keeping reindeer, a unique collection of Lapp artifacts is found.

Børgefjell National Park represents a typical wilderness area, where large parts are mountains with lots of screes and little vegetation. It is characterized by a large number of lakes and rivers. In lower parts you find luxuriant mountain sides and bogs. Børgefjell is of great zoological interest – it offers a rich bird life, and is a haunt for several large predators.

Gressåmoen National Park is established to preserve an area of very old spruces. It is also meant to represent an ordinary landscape with the change from forests to mountains in the inner parts of Nord-Trøndelag. The bogs have an important place in this landscape, and they are the habitat for various wading birds.

To preserve a magnificent nature and an unusually rich flora and animal life, a national park is established in the Dovrefjell area. The western part consist of steep mountains, where the mountain Snøhetta (2 286 meters / 7,500 feet) is the highest. In the eastern part, you find Northern Europe's largest variety of mountain flora, with several rare species. The musk's are another characteristic of Dovrefjell.

Femundsmarka's characteristics are influenced by the Ice Age, and and the national park is established to preserve a distinctive landscape of lakes, pine forests and mountains. Twisted pines is one of Femundsmarka's characteristics, and with several lakes and rivers, it is also an eldorado for fishing.

Gutulia National Park was established to preserve a primeval forest area, and at mountain- and bog landscape that is characteristic for this part of Norway. For centuries, the forest has developed without human interference, and many of the threes are several hundred years old. A large number of birds have found a home in the untouched forest.

Rondane is Norway's first national park, and it is especially important as habitat for one of our last flocks of wild mountain reindeer. The mountain area, with peaks and narrow canyons characterize the landscape in the park. The soil is unproductive, and the vegetation is mainly lichen and heather.

Jotunheimen National Park is established in order to preserve the wild and beautiful mountain wilds on the border of Eastern and Western Norway. The area is characterized by majestic mountains, including Galdhøpiggen, Norway's highest mountain (2 469 m / 8,100 feet). The flora is varied, and a lot of cultural heritage is found in this area.

Jostedalsbreen National Park has an enormous span of nature types, from luxuriant noble-decidous woods in the lowlands to glaciers and high mountains. Jostedalsbreen is a big plateau glacier, with a continuos length of 600 kilometers, and covers almost half of the parks total area.

Ormtjernkampen is the smallest of our national parks. It is established to preserve a primeval forest in its natural state, where plants and animals can develop freely. The park shows what the spruces forest of the Eastern Norway was like, before the timber felling began. In addition to the coniferous forest, some birch wood and mountains are found within the borders of the national park.

Hardangervidda is Norway's biggest national park, and represents a specially valuable mountain area with hiking trails leading to 60 glaciers and to Norway's loftiest peaks. The plateau is the habitat for Europe's largest reindeer herd, and the southernmost outpost for mountain foxes, snow owl and other species of arctic animals and flora. The park is also know for its numerous lakes and rivers, with mountain trout.

Forollhogna is the newest of our national parks. It is established to preserve a practically untouched mountain area. In the luxuriant valleys  surrounding the park, you find old settlements with traditional architecture.

I did it my way...

©

 Lene Cathrin Thodock
2002/2003