Törnberget, Naturreservat

In the far north of the Skrälldalen valley lies the Törnberget nature reserve. The area consists of plateaus, steep slopes and is located by Lake Ängratörn in the northernmost part of the county. Törnberget nature reserve is located 9 kilometers southeast of Kårböle and covers 166 hectares. The forest in Törnberget is varied with both pine and spruce and a large element of deciduous trees. It is old and has survived the large-scale felling that took place in the area in the second half of the 19th century.

In the past, fires were more frequent in the forest, with nine different fire years recorded in this area up to the 1850s. You can still see traces of fires in the form of charred stumps and damage to old pine trees that survived the fires. The oldest pines are found next to Käppartjärnen, where they probably grew up after a fire in 1755.

High natural values in the fire forest

The fire-affected forest is unaffected by forestry and provides an important habitat for many lichens, fungi, mosses and insects that are displaced in today's managed forests. Such a forest is also good for birds that eat insects or build their nests in old trees.

Moving soil water on slopes

On the long, steep slopes, a couple of large streams wind their way through the forest and flow down to the lake. Along the streams, the vegetation is lush and green with a rich flora. The small orchid knotweed grows here, whose shallow root system easily dries out. The forest lady is another orchid that appears some years in the damp, shady parts of Törnberget, where there are many deciduous trees.

The county's second deepest lake

Lake Ängratörn, at around 48 meters, is the county's second deepest lake. It is drained to the north via Ängerån to Ljusnan.

Writer's cottage by the lake

At the northern tip of Lake Ängratörn is Albert Viksten's writing cottage "Vikstenstorpet". He was a working-class writer and one of the first environmentalists (1889-1969).

In his book "Mitt paradis" (My Paradise), Viksten summarizes his thoughts on life at Ängratörn and the necessity of nature experiences for a meaningful life. The cottage became a meeting place for cultural personalities such as Ivar Lo-Johansson, Vilhelm Moberg and other writers.