Mogölsmyren offers an untouched wilderness, where silence prevails over the vast peat bog. This typical west Swedish high bog features a central elevated area, surrounded by wetland edges known as “lagg,” which are wetter than the bog itself. The landscape is rich with vibrant mosses that shift in shades of red and green, along with plants like sundew, cranberries, cloudberries, and bog myrtle. In summer, the bright yellow blooms of bog lilies appear, followed by the pink bells of heather. The reserve is also home to rare birds such as the woodcock.
Hastaböke is home to an ancient spruce forest with a mixture of older deciduous trees and a few giant pines. Some of the spruces are up to 250 years old. The forest has remained undisturbed for a long time, which is why it harbours many rare species.
The reserve consists mainly of spruce forest, where many spruces are between 150 and 250 years old. Aspen, beech, rowan, and oak are also present. Several of the aspens are around 170 years old — a remarkable age for a species that rarely exceeds 150 years. Even older are some of the pines growing in the reserve; one pine has been found to be as old as 375 years!
Historically, the forest was likely used as woodland pasture and would have been more open compared to today. The older pines and the occasional juniper bushes found in the area bear witness to how the land was used in the past.
