Nissaström, Naturreservat

If you want to experience a little bit of northern grandeur in Halland, head to Nissaström. Here, the Nissan winds its way along a valley surrounded by high slopes, deciduous trees and steep rock walls. Here you can enjoy magnificent and dramatic views.

Landslide risk in parts of the reserve

Nissaström has been hit by torrential rain. In the old industrial area in the southeastern part of the reserve (right by the parking lot), the ground has collapsed in some places, and is likely to continue to do so. The area is very dangerous to walk in and will be so for a long time to come. Hiking in this part of the reserve is therefore at your own risk. There are signs posted in the reserve describing where you should not go. Below you can also see a map. The area you should avoid walking on is marked in red. The signs are visible from the parking lot where the trail starts. In the map below you will also see an arrow on an alternative route into the reserve.

The best way to discover the area is to follow the blue marked hiking trail. The almost two-kilometer trail is hilly and goes through lush deciduous forest and up on mountain ridges. In some places you cross babbling brooks that flow into the Nissan.

If you follow the trail, you will also come to a rest area with shelters and a fireplace. Three shelters are set up and here you can fall asleep to the sound of the Nissan's water swirls. It is also permitted to camp for a night in accordance with the right of public access. Don't forget to bring your own firewood if you want to grill, it is not allowed to take firewood from the forest. To the west, the trail continues along the beach and through lush mixed forest, but here there are no trail markings and no maintenance on the trail.

Collect stamps

In some of our most popular reserves, you can also collect a nice stamp when you visit the reserve. You stamp either directly in your guidebook or on your own paper/book. In Nissaström, the stamp is located next to the bench / rest area near the trail division inside the reserve.

Lichen and mosses thrive here

The environment around the streams and in the surrounding forest is damp. There is plenty of both dead wood and old, large trees. The damp conditions suit many lichens, mosses and fungi. Signal species such as lichen, downy moss and shadow moss thrive here, species that show that the forest has high natural values and has been untouched for a long time. Many of the species found in the area are on the Red List, which is a list of threatened species. In total, some 40 red-listed species have been found, which biologically makes Nissaström one of Halland's absolute top areas.

Rich bird life

The forest in Nissaström is also valuable for birdlife. Old forest favors, for example, the lesser spotted woodpecker, which both pecks out its nest and looks for food in dead trees. Another guest in the reserve is the colorful kingfisher. As the name suggests, the bird is a skilled hunter. If the kingfisher sees a small fish in the water, it crouches down and carefully aligns its long beak, whereupon the bird shoots into the water like a harpoon. The kingfisher is a resident bird that stays on ice-free waterways in winter. The same applies to the common tern, which can also be seen foraging at Nissaström. In the summer, the common tern moves further north in Sweden to breed, but when the days get colder and the fall moves in over the country, the bird comes back to our latitudes.

Powerful forces

Most of the river's water is carried through an underground tunnel to the power plant downstream. After abundant rainfall, the river channel is filled with excess water from the dam upstream. The water rushes forward, leaving behind white foam on the surface. When you see the sheer power unleashed, you can understand why a mill was built here in the late 19th century. The mill is located in the eastern part of the reserve and operated until the 1970s. Today, only the old forge remains, but the building is now used as a garage.