Båtstad-Mellsta

Here you can walk along the banks of Daläven in Mellsta's open pastures east of highway 70. West of the road, Båtstad's coniferous and deciduous forests offer opportunities for hiking, exercise or swimming and fishing in Lake Båtstad.There is also a large barbecue area with a roof, tables and benches. The barbecue area is located next to the parking lot and is adapted for wheelchairs and strollers. You need to bring your own firewood to this barbecue area. The area is made up of huge sand deposits from the time after the melting of the inland ice. At Båtstad, this sand cover is up to 60 meters thick. In the north-western parts of the area, the Dalälven river has cut into the sand and formed deep ravines. The sand deposit is also a major source of groundwater for the municipality. In the past, the surrounding villages used the area for haymaking and grazing. Cows were kept here until the 1960s, and the landscape along the river was then more open. Grazing land becomes forest Today, large parts have grown back into forest land. This is now a valuable environment for many plants and animals. You can find goat's rue and the unusual shadow violet in the darkness of the gorge. The deciduous forests near the shore are home to the lesser spotted woodpecker. And on the slopes down to Lake Båtstadsjön, winter cabbage sometimes appears in early spring, a picky and unusual fungus.