Hamra National Park is known for its old-growth forest, moorland trails and a rock basin shaped by the Ice Age; in the village of Hamra, the church and old cemetery are historic landmarks. When planning your trip, the differing details about the hiking trails and the birdwatching in April are particularly helpful. You can plan your trip around the landscape, the amount of time you want to spend hiking, or a seasonal nature theme.

Old-Growth Forest and Ice Age Landscape

The oldest part of Hamra National Park is one of the few untouched forests in central Sweden. Another natural feature is Urbergsbassängen, the largest bedrock basin along the Svartån. Ice Age meltwater carved this basin out of the rock. Together, these two features show different sides of the park: its old-growth forest and a rocky landscape shaped by Ice Age meltwater.

Hiking Trails with Different Highlights

The trails differ in duration, layout and landscape. Urskogsslingan is an approximately one-hour hiking trail through the old-growth forest. Myrlandskapet runs in two sections through the moorland. Hamraleden is an approximately six-hour hike through varied natural landscapes throughout Hamra National Park. For planning purposes, Urskogsslingan and Hamraleden take about one and six hours, respectively; Myrlandskapet is distinguished by its two sections and moorland setting. These features give you different points of reference when weighing up hiking time and the type of landscape you want to explore.

From the observation tower at Myrentrén, you can watch black grouse displaying and cranes arriving with their spring calls in April. If you want to plan a birdwatching trip, consider visiting in April. Unlike the hiking trails, the specific planning reference here is the month.

An annual activity is also part of life in the park: around 25 students from Los school take part at various stations on two loops in Hamra National Park; members of the public take their turn in the afternoon. This is a different kind of activity from the hikes and offers another reason to plan your visit in advance. If you want to include it in your plans, check the specific dates.

The Church and Old Cemetery

Hamra old cemetery, Hamra gamla kyrkogård, came into use in the mid-18th century and remained in use until the 1860s. Erik Persson Pulkkinen’s gravestone can still be seen there. A path leads up to the cemetery from a turnoff in the village, and there is an information board at the cemetery. Its period of use and the surviving gravestone offer two concrete points of reference for the history of this place.

Hamra Church, Hamra kyrka, was inaugurated in 1872 and stands 457 metres above sea level. The church steps offer far-reaching views. In chronological terms, the church’s inauguration followed the period of use of the old cemetery, which lasted until the 1860s. The church and cemetery are therefore historic landmarks in Hamra that date from different periods.

Access and Trip Planning

The Svartån entrance to Hamra National Park can also be reached via the village of Hamra along Route 310. You can include the route through the village in your plans when travelling to this entrance. When looking for a holiday rental in Hamra, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: the hiking trails in the national park, birdwatching in April, or the historic sites in the village.

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