Lofotodden National Park

Lofotodden National Park (in Norwegian Lofotodden nasjonalpark) is a Norwegian national park located in Moskenes and Flakstad municipalities in Nordland. It is located not far from the Arctic Circle on the island of Moskenesøya in the Lofoten archipelago.

Lofotodden National Park was established on 22 June 2018. The national park covers an area of 99 km2, of which approx. 13 km2 sea area. It was officially opened by Climate and Environment Minister Ola Elvestuen on 9 June 2019.

Geography
The national park extends approximately 36 km as the crow flies from the islets at the northern end of the island of Moskenesøy to the islands off the southwest coast. The protected area consists mainly of a mountain range with rugged peaks off the rugged west coast of the island, except for the southern part of Moskenes, which is part of the national park. The national park comprises the southern part of the 160 km long mountain range, called Lofotenveggen (translated from Norwegian as "Lofoten Wall").

The jagged massif is made up of volcanic rocks and granite. The highest point in the national park is the mountain Hermannsdalstinden (1029 m above sea level), the highest peak on the island Moskenesøy. There are a number of other significant peaks in the national park, ranging in altitude from 500 to 940 meters. Of a total area of 99 km2, 13 km2 falls on local bays and fjords, including some smaller islands. The Lofotodden Nature Reserve, located at the southwestern tip of the island of Moskenesøy and comprising the island of Sørholmenand other smaller islets, which are important nesting grounds for seabirds and are also part of the national park.

Protection
The name of the national park was taken from the name of the historical area of Lofotodden on the island of Moskenesøy. The purpose of the creation of Lofotodden National Park is to preserve the natural, cultural and historical values of the landscape, little affected by human intervention. The park area includes significant and diverse ecosystems, such as rubble forests, bogs, cliffed coast, and sand dunes. Some endangered animal species also live here, such as black guillemot, European shag and some species of gulls. The territory of the national park is also important for various species of plants and fungus.

Access
The rocky terrain of the protected area is very rugged and difficult to access in places, but there are many trails and a few crossings of the mountain range. These tours include, for example, the crossing from Vinstad to the sandy west coast of Bunesstrand or the road from the village of Å along the southern shore of Lake Ågvatnet and over a steep ridge to Lake Stokkvikvatnet and Stokkvika Bay. However, the bay of Stokkvika with the adjacent valley is excluded from the national park because of its specific history: this narrow valley about 2 km long was once inhabited, as evidenced by archives from 1634. During the Second World War, there was an equipment warehouse and between 1952 and 1963 the Norwegian Ministry of Defense used the site as a military firing range.