Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
National Parks
The Norwegian government's commitment to wilderness protection is impressive. At last
count, Norway had 40 national parks (including seven in Svalbard where approximately
65% of the land falls within park boundaries). Ten new national parks have been created
since 2003, with a further four new parks and three extensions to existing parks planned.
Around 15% of the country lies within protected areas.
Further national park information is available at local tourist offices and from the Dir-
ectorate for Nature Management (
www.dirnat.no
,
www.norgesnasjonalparker.no
,
both in
Norwegian) in Trondheim.
Guiding Philosophy
The focus of Norway's national parks is all about preservation, rather than on the managed
interaction between humans and their environment, although a few interpretation centres do
exist.Inmanycases,theparksdon'tprotectanyspecificfeaturesanddon'tnecessarilycoin-
cide with the incidence of spectacular natural landscapes or ecosystem boundaries. Instead,
theyattempttoprotectremainingwildernessareasfromdevelopmentandmanyparkbound-
aries simply follow contour lines around uninhabited areas.
Compared to their counterparts in the USA, Britain and elsewhere, Norwegian national
parksarelowprofileandlackthetrafficandoverdevelopedtouristfacilitiesthathaveturned
parks in many countries into little more than transplanted (or seasonal) urban areas. Some
parks, particularly Jotunheimen, are increasingly suffering from overuse, but in most parks
erosion, pollution and distress to wildlife are kept to a minimum.
Park Restrictions
Regulations governing national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas are quite
strict. In general, there are no restrictions on entry to the parks, nor are there any fees, but
driversmustnearlyalwayspayatolltouseaccessroads.Dumpingrubbish,removingplant,
mineral or fossil specimens, hunting or disturbing wildlife, and using motorised off-road
vehicles are all prohibited.
