Lake Tärnasjö

This area consists of a marked north-south running valley, whose central part is covered by the 17 km long Lake Tärnasjö. Lake Tärnasjö is on the Ramsar list of internationally important wetlands. The River Umeälv’s delta is the only other Ramsar site in the county. Many species of wading birds breed in or near the lake. Lake Tärnasjö’s archipelago lies at the southern end of the lake, at the River Tärnaå’s outlet in Forsavan. Towards the southeast is Ånkardalen, an exciting valley with moraine formations, while to the north lies Laiva, and Sweden’s southernmost palsa mire.

Skidbäcksbaracken
A cabin open to the public for overnight stays. It has two rooms, one belonging to Ran Sámi community, the other with four beds. There is no emergency telephone.

Along the Skidbäck Stream, you can explore the so-called ‘Stalo dwellings’, although they are not marked on the map. From the cabin you can also follow the stream Måskuosjuhka upstream, to reach the highest point of the Ammarfjäll Massif, Rieruogájsie.

Habitat type: mossy birch heath, mixed mires

Åikije
A trail marked with cairns passes between Lill-Tjulträsk and Åikije. The cairns are difficult to find between the summit of Várduotjåhkka and Lake Trapok, and it is easy to lose one’s way. Åikije is an early Sámi dwelling. A restored Sámi hut here is open to the public for overnight stays.

Habitat type: mesic shrub heath, low herb meadow

Tjieluotjårrou
This is an early Sámi dwelling at Tjelon, along the herding route of Ran Sámi community.

Habitat type: mesic shrub heath, mossy birch heath

Tärnasjöstugarna
These cabins house 26 beds and are manned by one of the Swedish Tourist Association’s wardens in winter and summer. There is a sauna beside the shore of Lake Tärnasjö. The cabin is a good place to stay during fishing trips. Many of the nearby lakes are open to fishing, and licenses can be purchased from the cabin warden. The cabins at Tärnasjöstugarna are owned by the County Administration in Västerbotten. Lake Tärnasjö is on the Ramsar list of internationally important wetlands. The aquatic vegetation is rich in species, including strange, rare plants such as narrow-leaved marsh dandelion and Shetland pondweed. The lake also boasts a rich birdlife. The water, mires and willow scrub attracts geese, ducks and waders. At Lájvávággie, at the northern end of the lake, is an area of palsa mire.

Habitat type: meadow birch forest, dry fen, mossy birch heath

Glimmerstugan
This is an overnight cabin containing four beds, that is always open. ‘Glimmer’ is the Swedish word for mica, which was quarried here during the Second World War. Mica was used, amongst other things, for making the windows in stoves. The cabin is owned and run by the County Administration in Västerbotten.

Habitat type: dry shrub heath

Forsavan
There is a public overnight cabin at Forsavan containing four beds. Forsavan lies at the lower end of Lake Tärnasjö. At Rasteklippan and Kungaleden, interesting Stone Age remains have been found. At Rasteklippan, the remains of a hut floor, stone tools and a hearth have been found. Prehistoric hunters from the Atlantic coast, probably in search of reindeer, used this as a resting place 8500 years ago. Long-stalked and Shetland pondweed, both rare aquatic plants, grow at Forsavan and Guhttajávrrie. Shetland pondweed is one of Sweden’s rarest plants.

The cabin at Forsavan is owned and run by the County Administration in Västerbotten. The cabin at Kungastugan is owned by the Administration of the Royal Swedish Court.

Habitat type: mossy birch heath

Dearnajeanuo (River Tärnaå)
The River Tärnaå proper flows from Lake Tärnasjö to Solberg, where it joins the River Umeälv. The River Tärnaå, or Dearnajeanuo, as the Ume Sámi call it, runs calmly down to Forsavan, where it picks up speed in the system of rapids and canyons towards Oltokholmen and Solberg. A pretty trail follows its eastern shore. Upstream from Lake Tärnasjö, the River Ältså runs up to Övre Ältsvattnet and on to Gåhpsjuhkatje, the canyon of marble.

Habitat type: mossy birch heath, meadow birch forest

The Tärnasjö Bridges
Seven wooden bridges carry hikers over the southern end of Lake Tärnasjö. The bridges were built in 2000-2002 by  ranger Kurt Åkesson, Mats Holmgren from Sorsele, and Tord Gustavsson from Kraddsele. The bridges were financed by the state and form part of the Kungsleden Trail. From the bridges you can look out over an archipelago of hundreds of islands that were formed during the ice age. The islands are moraine ridges that lie perpendicular to the movement of the ice sheets.

Habitat type: freshwater lake, mossy birch heath

Biellojaure
The mountain cabins at Biellojaure lie at the north-eastern shore of Lake Biellojaure. The nearest road is 7 km away, while the nearest town, Tärnaby, is 23 km away. This settlement has been inhabited since the 1870s. Cows, horses, goats and sheep were kept here. The livestock grazed in the forest. The meadows were mown until the end of the 1980s. Rooms can be rented overnight in one of the smaller cabins.

Habitat type: open meadow, meadow birch forest