Fulufjället National Park
National park in Sweden / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fulufjället National Park (Swedish: Fulufjällets nationalpark) is a national park in central Sweden. Its total area is 385 km2 (149 sq mi), located entirely within Älvdalen Municipality in the province of Dalarna. It is named after the mountain Fulufjället, 1,044 m (3,425 ft) high. It covers the Swedish part of the Fulufjället massif, which is the southernmost part of the Scandes in Sweden. The Norwegian part of the massif is protected by Norway's Fulufjellet National Park.
Fulufjället National Park | |
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Fulufjällets nationalpark | |
Location | Dalarna County, Sweden |
Nearest city | Älvdalen, Älvdalen Municipality |
Coordinates | 61°35′N 12°40′E |
Area | 385 km2 (149 sq mi)[1] |
Established | 2002[1] |
Visitors | 53,000 (in 2002)[S 1] |
Governing body | Naturvårdsverket |
The park is one of Sweden's most recent, inaugurated in September 2002 by King Carl XVI Gustaf at a ceremony attended by a few thousand spectators. The park has become one of the initial PAN Parks, an international project to combine preservation with tourism.
The Fulufjället massif is a high plateau deeply gouged by several rivers that flow into the mighty river Dalälven, which, far downstream, creates the unique topography of Färnebofjärden National Park. The geography is dominated by lichen, bare mountains, and valleys with dense old-growth forest. The heaths of brush, grass and lichens are unique in the Scandinavian Mountains, a result of the absence of grazing reindeers.
The park is a notable location for several species of birds, as well as brown bears and Eurasian lynx. The bold Siberian jay is the park's symbol. Notable sights include Sweden's largest waterfall, Njupeskär, with a total height of 93 m (305 ft), and a free fall of 70 m (230 ft). Growing in the park is the Old Tjikko, one of the world's oldest trees.