Rapids, potholes and plunge pools make the Ansättån Canyon a striking natural attraction. The route there alternates between a public road, a forest path and woodland terrain, so the ground changes even before you arrive. The Hotagen Nature Reserve offers a different sense of scale, with mountain landscapes, old-growth forest and abundant wildlife. Hotagen is also shaped by Sámi life and work; the Jijnjevaerie Sámi village is located within the reserve.

Water, forest and geological contrasts

At Lake Mussjön, a birdwatching tower offers a place to observe ducks and waders. Visits are recommended from late April to late June; the timing may vary slightly from year to year. Hasslingsåfallet offers another perspective on water: the Hasslingsån drops 110 metres from Lake Hasslingen to the waterfall. A nature trail there leads through old-growth forest to a viewing tower.

Geology also makes its mark. At Rengsfallet, heavily schistose amphibolite gives way to the more easily weathered sandstone around Lake Valsjön. The Offerdalsberg Nature Reserve is characterised by a mountainside covered in spruce forest resembling old-growth forest; the trees can be up to 300 years old. A trail with a partly strenuous climb leads to a viewpoint overlooking the landscape and treetops.

The Hotagen Nature Reserve combines mountain and forest landscapes with abundant wildlife. In the Storskogen Nature Reserve, a hike leads through old-growth forest, past streams and marshes. Many red-listed species depend on living and dead spruce and broadleaf trees there. The focus is therefore not only on the landscape, but also on the species’ habitats.

Trails with different profiles

The contrast between Offerdalsberg and Tysjöarna shows how differently trails can be designed: at Offerdalsberg, the route to the viewpoint includes a partly strenuous climb. In the Tysjöarna Nature Reserve, by contrast, an almost 1,300-metre-long wooden ramp leads from the car park to a viewing tower. It is mostly level and has passing places with benches. The nature reserve is a Natura 2000 protected area in the municipalities of Krokom and Östersund.

Storskogen also offers a different way to experience nature: here, the hike passes through a varied landscape of old-growth forest, streams and marshes. The differences between these trails lie not only in their destinations, but also in the terrain and routes described.

Cultural traces and regional history

Glösa Älgriket is a one-kilometre-long open-air museum featuring rock carvings, an elk-hunting settlement and elk-hunting pits. The elk-trapping system is five kilometres long and includes 91 pits. The scale of the system gives the site a distinctive dimension beyond its individual finds.

There are three elk depictions among the rock carvings at Gärde. One is life-size and is described as Sweden’s largest single figurative rock carving. The area around Lake Gärdesjön provides a separate historical context: around 7,000 years ago, during the Stone Age, people belonging to what is known as a hunting and trapping culture spent periods there.

The Mus-Olles Museum offers a different kind of collection. Per-Olof Nilsson opened it in 1906 and collected 150,000 objects over more than 75 years. The museum also has a collection of 25,000 packages, including those for matches, sweets, grain, soaps, perfumes, tobacco, snus, spices and coffee. The examples range from everyday goods to products used in many different areas of life.

Skansen Klintaberg in Valsjöbyn, in the Hotagsbygden area, is one of the few intact local fortifications from the Second World War. A walking tour explains how the war affected people in the Hotagsbygden area of Jämtland. In Wången, a free, one-hour digital historical tour offers a further perspective. It is available in Swedish and English and includes historical newspaper clippings and interviews with several Wången employees. The gravel circular route can be used on foot, by bicycle or in an electric wheelchair.

Cheese and winter activities

Skärvångens bymejeri offers around 25 varieties of cheese, homemade tunnbröd, as well as regional food and handicrafts. Groups wishing to enjoy cheese there can be accommodated, and study visits can be booked. This adds a culinary perspective to the nature and culture themes.

In winter, Åkersjön has a downhill ski slope suitable for people of different ages and abilities; its operation is seasonal. The Krokom Snowmobile Alliance is a collaboration between 13 snowmobile clubs. The municipality of Krokom has around 150 Swedish miles of snowmobile trails, whose conditions vary by season. Offerdal, Nälden, Åkersjön, Kaxås, Dvärsätt, Krokom, Laxviken, Föllinge and Ås

For the broader travel overview: Jämtland.