Hökafältet, Naturreservat

Hökareservatet offers wonderful walks over open sand dunes and through closed pine forest. There is also a 2.5-kilometer trail that is specially adapted for wheelchairs, walkers and prams. The reserve is home to a rich plant and animal life that is characterized by the sandy environment.
The open sandy areas along the sea are home to a mosaic of unusual and valuable vegetation types. If you are lucky, in summer you may see the very rare skylark, which is a characteristic species of the dunes. The hobby and skylark are even more common. The open, sunlit sand is also appreciated by wasps and beetles. Höka is home to the rare species of dune bumblebee and flying sand wasp, among others.

Inside the dunes, deciduous forest and shrubs grow on moist ground, and to the east there is a vast sandy plain covered with common pine and mountain pine. In the pine forest, tufted titmouse and pine titmouse sing lively in spring.

Nightingale and reed warbler

In the northern part of the reserve, a damp pasture opens up along the Lagan. Rarities such as the dwarf linnet, the red-legged warbler and the pine warbler grow in the meadow. The Lagan's outlet into the sea, Lagaoset, is constantly changing due to the sea currents. Here in the northern part, at Lagaoset, there is a bird tower. Warblers and reed warblers can be heard from the reed beds along the river, and nightingales and blackcaps can be seen in the riverside forest. There is also a valuable moss and lichen flora in the riverbank. The name Höka probably refers to the bend that the Lagan makes before it flows out.

Strong currents in the sea and tricky outlet

Laholmsbukten is shallow but can be affected by very strong currents and sudden changes in the seabed on windy days. If you get caught in the current, try to keep your course along the coastline to get out.

As the outlet at Lagaosen, which is the Lagan's outlet, moves during the year depending on the weather and wind, the surfaces around the outlet are sometimes lurid, with soft sand that can be experienced as quicksand, where you can easily sink down. So be extra careful where you put your feet down when you are out and about here.

Large-scale tree planting

The pine forest in the reserve was planted in the 19th century to stop sand drift. The forest that was once planted in an attempt to bind the sand has today become a problem as it has closed and only a few percent of the once open dunes remain. Instead, the sand dunes have been covered by grasses, sedges and deciduous shrubs. The encroachments and disturbances have had a negative impact on the natural environment and many species that were once common are now red-listed.

New management measures

To save the unique flora and fauna of the dunes, we must once again create space for the dynamics of wind and sand. To achieve this, we have implemented extensive management measures. In some places, water lilies and other shrubs have been dug out and mountain pines have been uprooted. In this way, dune depressions with bare sand are again created where sand bees and other heat-loving insects can sunbathe. To benefit insect life, small-scale burning has also been carried out, which boosts the flowering of sedges and other flowering herbs where insects seek nectar. The aim is to save threatened species and give lost species a chance to find their way back.

Hökafältets nature reserve is one of the areas in Halland that has been restored as part of the EU Sand Life project.

Food and accommodation in Mellbystrand

The nearby town of Mellbystrand has camping, hotels and hostels. There are also restaurants and shops.

Collect stamp

In some of our most attractive 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 Hökafältet, the stamp is located at the information board at the Hökhult farm in the northern part of the reserve.

Limited accessibility by car

Wetland project

Digital leaflet

Here you will find information and facts about the Sand Life project and Hökafältet, presented in a simple and concise way in text, images and maps.

Swedish version Link to another website, opens in new window

English version Link to another website, opens in new window

German version Link to another website

PDF version Pdf, 1.2 MB, opens in new window.