HIGH COAST TRAIL – SUSTAINABILITY

EXPERIENCE & PRESERVE

– Nature experiences with sustainability at the core.

How can we enjoy Sweden’s incredible nature without compromising it for the future? National parks and nature reserves are not just protected areas, they’re also places for us to experience natural beauty and create lasting memories. At the same time, this requires us to act with care and respect for these valuable environments.

National Parks – A Shared Heritage

National parks and nature reserves are large protected areas created to preserve our natural and cultural heritage. In Sweden, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency holds overall responsibility for these areas, with the aim of protecting valuable environments from being damaged or lost.

Establishing a national park is not only about protection, but also about creating opportunities for people to experience nature in a sustainable way. The entrances to these areas are often equipped with parking, basic facilities, and information boards, making nature more accessible. Many parks offer shorter trails and loops near the entrances, while the deeper parts of the park are often left more untouched and less accessible.

The Role of Trails – Protecting by Guiding

One of the most effective ways to protect national parks is through trails. These paths guide visitors to specific areas, ensuring that wear and tear is concentrated to a small part of the total landscape. This is especially important in sensitive environments like wetlands, where boardwalks are often used to protect the ground while still allowing access to beautiful and otherwise hard-to-reach places.

Sticking to the trails is a key principle in preserving national parks. If all visitors were to move freely, as in berry or mushroom picking, large parts of the park would quickly become worn down, negatively impacting both plant and animal life. By concentrating impact to a limited area, the rest of the park can remain in its natural state.

Skuleskogen National Park and the Skuleberget Nature Reserve

Skuleskogen National Park, covering 3,062 hectares, is one of Sweden’s most popular natural areas. With around 85,000 visitors each year, it’s a place where people experience dramatic landscapes through hiking, running, and other outdoor activities. The Skuleberget Nature Reserve is also a popular destination, with increased accessibility not only through trails but also via a cable car. The mountain also features fixed anchor points with steel cables, making it possible to climb via ferrata routes.

During the High Coast Trail, we move along established trails with great respect for the natural beauty of the National Park and Nature Reserve. The races give participants the chance to experience the park’s most dramatic views, from towering peaks to deep forests, while doing our best to minimize our impact.

Our responsibility as visitors

Every visitor who enters Skuleskogen National Park leaves an impact, even if it’s small. This isn’t necessarily negative, wearing down the trails is actually their purpose. By sticking to marked paths and avoiding going off-trail, we help preserve the rest of the park in its natural state.

To balance our impact, we as organizers contribute annually to the maintenance and care of the trails in Skuleskogen National Park. It’s our way of giving back to nature and helping ensure the area remains accessible and well preserved for future generations.

Leaving the area better than we found it

Ahead of the High Coast Trail, we head out to reinforce trail markings and make sure everything is in good condition. At the same time, we pick up any litter we come across, though it’s rare to find much, usually it’s something like a lost glove or similar. After the High Coast Trail weekend, we carry out a thorough check of all the trails we’ve used to ensure nothing has been left behind. In this way, we help keep the area clean and welcoming for both people and wildlife.

Gratitude and responsibility

We are grateful for the opportunity to host an event like the High Coast Trail in one of Sweden’s most beautiful environments. Our ongoing dialogue with the County Administrative Board, landowners, and local stakeholders is key to ensuring that the race is not only an incredible experience, but also a model for how we can spend time in nature in a sustainable way.