The official opening of the expanded Hamra National Park has been pushed off until September (it was supposed to be opened last year). They have done most of the work with building the entrances and making new trails, so I was curious to see what it looks like now. There are three entrances to the park – the main entrance is at the old part of the national park, and new ones at Svartåmyran and Svartågrenen where the creek falls falls into the Voxnan river. I was really interested in the one at the Svartåmyran bog because I’ve wanted to explore this bog since a long time ago, but it just never happened for whatever reason.
I actually like what they’ve done there. I mean it’s nothing out of the ordinary, just your normal information boards, toilets and waste disposal (bear proof I hope!) and a picnic area. But I just like the way they’ve done it, it somehow fits the environment quite well and it’s all very solid work. Reading the information board, I discovered that there are four hiking options in the park. Three roundtrips, about 3 km each (trailhead at each entrance), and then a long trail which goes right across the whole park from the main entrance to Voxnan. I doubt I will ever do the long trail, but today’s mission was the explore the shorter ones.
The trails at Svartåmyran and the main entrance are new. There’s only a very short stretch at Svartåmyran which follows an old trail, as I saw from the rotten duckboards at one point. I think they have some work to do with the trails, I saw some signs that are waiting to be set up and then they have to do all the trail markings. Currently there’s only some ribbons hanging from the trees and there were times where the next ribbon wasn’t even visible. When the trail is not worn out yet, I had no idea which way to go, had to circle around the spot until I saw the next ribbon.
It was a rainy day so I was happy to see that they have some covered picnic tables at the main entrance. It was such a delight to sit down and drink a cup (or two) of coffee, listening to the rain pound the roof. Now that’s luxury… not the street cafés with their cappuccinos and lattes, all I need is a roof over my head and hot coffee in the thermos!
The weather considered, I skipped the last trail at Svartån. It’s an old trail anyway, I’ve followed it up until it disappears into the forest… I assume that they’ve improved it though so now it actually leads to something!