Tyresta National Park

Two weeks ago, a group of Outdrr bloggers gathered in Stockholm to meet each other and spend the weekend in Tyresta national park. It was very nice to meet this group of like-minded people. Some of them have been working and living in nature for several years and it was incredibly interesting to speak to them and learn from their experiences. Unfortunately, I was only able to join the group for one day, but it was more than worth the couple of hours I got to spend in the park. 

Together with Djurgården, Ulriksdal Slott or Hellasgården (my favourite green areas for autumn day hikes), Tyresta is one of my favourite places in Stockholm. But unlike these three parks, Tyresta hosts extensive hiking possibilities. It is is connected to a number of national reserves and to Sörmandsleden, one of the longest hiking trails in Sweden.

Tyresta is about one hour away from the center of Stockholm and easily reached by train and bus. From Gullmarsplan, you can catch bus 807 to Svartbäcken, the end station. After 5 minutes you can switch to bus 834 that brings you to Tyresta By and the entrance of the park. Alternatively you can go to Handenterminalen with the pendeltåg and take a bus from there. Because the park has good connections and is well-known, it can get pretty crowded on sunny days both in summer and in winter, as people enjoy the area on foot and on skis. I visited it in summer, fall and winter and I believe it is equally beautiful in these seasons.

The park formed by unique geologic processes and therefore has a very characteristic landscape. Furthermore, 10% of the park burned down in a forest fire in ’99, creating a barren area in the middle that adds to the strange appearance of the landscape.

This time we started at Tyresta by and walked until Bysjön, where a shelter offers an excellent place for lunch and a fire. From there we continued on Sörmlandsleden to Stensjön, one of the most scenic places in the park. A castle ruin stand on one of the hills surrounding the lake, where we had a panoramic fika. After fika I started the return with Matthias and Alec. We wanted to avoid walking the exact same path so we headed  to Nyfors, passing by Långsjön and the seemingly less frequently visited (judged by the state of the trail) northern area of the park and the nature reserve. This 18 km walk allows for a good impression of the area and is perfect for a day.