Børgefjell National Park (Norwegian: Børgefjell nasjonalpark, Southern Sami: Byrkije vaarjelimmiedajve) is a national park in Norway. It is located between Trøndelag and Nordland counties, near the border with Sweden. The park has few trails or visitor facilities. Visitors may hike for long periods without seeing other people. The park covers an area of 1,447 square kilometers (559 square miles). It was first created in 1963, then expanded in 1973 and 2003. Today, it includes land in the municipalities of Hattfjelldal, Grane, Namsskogan, and Røyrvik.

Landscape

The landscape changes from high, dark granite and grey mountains with little plant life to areas with fertile slopes and wetlands. The tallest mountains are in the west, where the bedrock is mainly dark Børgefjell granite, making the area look lonely. The highest mountain in the park, Kvigtinden, rises 1,699 metres (5,574 ft) above sea level and is found here. Another tall mountain, Jetnamsklumpen, which is 1,513 metres (4,964 ft) high, is also in the park and is the tallest in Trøndelag. In places like the Rainesfjellet area, there are rough stone piles with no plants. Sub-glacial moraines cover large parts of the area. There are many lakes, ponds, and fast-moving rivers.

Flora and Fauna

The park is home to about 300 different types of plants. The tree line is located at an elevation of 500 to 600 meters above sea level. Most of the forest is made up of birch trees, but spruce and pine trees are also present.

Børgefjell is most famous for being the habitat of the rare Arctic fox. However, the wolverine is the most common large predator in the area. Lynx and brown bears are also found in the park. The most common small predators include the red fox, least weasel, pine marten, and stoat. Otters may sometimes be seen in the area.

All of Børgefjell is used for domestic reindeer grazing. The western, eastern, and southern parts of the national park are primarily used for grazing during the summer months. The northern areas are used for grazing throughout the year. In the easternmost part of the park, reindeer also come from Sweden.

Birds found in the park include the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan. Birds of prey such as the rough-legged buzzard, snowy owl, and golden eagle are also common in the area.

History

The Sami people lived in the Børgefjell area until the start of the twentieth century. For at least 500 years, they raised reindeer in this region. Inside the national park and near its borders, there are Sami cultural sites, such as homes and hunting areas. The first farms in the region were built at the end of the 1700s and the beginning of the 1800s. Norwegian settlers moved to the area more frequently after that time. These early farms were created because there was not enough land available in other places.

Name

The first part of the name comes from the Old Norse word byrgi, which means "fort" or "entrenchment." (There may have been a fort here in the past, possibly to collect taxes from the southern Sami people and to protect the border from the Swedes.) The last part is fjell, which means "fell" or "mountain."