Skeppnan

The Skeppnan nature reserve encompasses a diverse wetland, with raised pine bogs, open fens and swamps, where the scent of wild rosemary and bog-myrtle fills the air. South of the pine bogs, you'll find the open fen that gave the reserve its name. Skeppnan is also geologically interesting; it demonstrates how the shoreline in the Stockholm area has moved since the last Ice Age. This reserve is part of the expansive forests of Hanveden, at Södertörn.

From Lake Öran in the north of the reserve, a stream flows south towards the Skeppnan fen. At the outlet of the stream, you can see the remains of an old stone dam that previously regulated Skeppnan as a water reservoir. Dead wood is plentiful on the pine bogs and on drier ground in the old forests, and it is a highly valuable resource for birds, small insects, mosses, lichens and fungi.

Some of the fens are extremely wet and difficult to cross but they make for great cross-country skiing in the winter. The easiest way to reach the area is from the Sörmlandsleden trail, which crosses the reserve to the north.