Skipås, Naturreservat

Skipås - or "God's green meadows" as the area is popularly known - offers rolling pastures, tall beech forest, a magical alder marsh and a rich spring bloom. The area's varied and easily accessible nature makes it a popular destination for excursions. Come on an early spring morning and listen to the birdsong around the brickworks ponds. Look out over the coast from Klippekulle or go hunting for bluebells on the eastern slope. Enjoy your picnic in the pasture or in the shade of the beech trees.

Skipås is located on a residual mountain that rises significantly above the adjacent coastal plain. The bedrock consists mainly of gneiss, with elements of basic greenstone, which gives rise to a richer flora in the eastern parts of the reserve. There, the spring flowering is rich with, among other things, wood anemone, spring onion, swallowwort and little nunwort.

Paths and facilities

There are benches and tables at the parking lot. There are two hiking trails in the area, the red trail of 3.2 km and the blue trail of 2 km. Follow the signs to the viewpoint. From here you have a nice view of the coast all the way to Falkenberg. The viewpoint is also a good place for a coffee break.

Gatsten and newts

During the first half of the 20th century, large quantities of paving stones were exported from Halland because of the landscape's rich occurrence of easily cleaved gneiss. In Skipås there are many traces of quarrying, but the quarries are small, which is probably due to the fact that the gneisses of the reserve were quite difficult to work. Some of the shallow quarries are now filled with water and at least one of them has served as a spawning ground for great crested newts. Please let us know if you find the newt!

Trolska clay roof

In addition to quarrying, the reserve has been shaped by Stensjö brickworks. During the 1800s, clay was mined for bricks in the northwest corner of the reserve. This gave rise to a number of ponds with different characters. Over time, deciduous trees, mainly alder, have begun to grow on the edges and shallow areas and today the ponds are an attractive environment with a rich small bird life.

Accommodation and café nearby

In the nearby community of Steninge there is a café and restaurant. There is also a hostel here.

Do not cycle in the pastures

At the moment, many people are cycling in the pastures in the reserve. Keep in mind that it can be stressful for the animals and that it is therefore not something we recommend. Instead, cycle on the constructed mtb trails in Hökafältet,Norra Skummeslöv and in Åkulla bokskogar. Both inside and outside protected areas, there are also other constructed mtb trails. Where there are no constructed cycle paths but cycling is permitted, it is always you as a cyclist who must give way to other visitors in the reserves.

Remember to show consideration for nature, other people and wildlife when you are out on your bike ride.