Stockholmsgatorna
Stockholmsgatorna — Stockholm Streets — is the fitting and descriptive name of the impressive canyon at the source of the river Lägstaån, on the border with Västerbotten. Legend has it that the place name comes from comparing to the narrow alleys of Stockholm´s Gamla stan, the old town. Perhaps it´s not a bad likeness.
Stockholmsgatorna is an impressive primary rock canyon that was formed about 9000 years ago by a glacial river that occurred in association with the emptying of a large lake that had been dammed by ice, situated north of the county border with Västerbotten. Dammed glacial lakes emptied out through the canyon on several occasions. When this happened, the waters rushed in a through the valley with great force, carrying away almost everything in there way. The glacial river hollowed out the rock from a zone of weakness and a canyon was formed. The canyon is now 1.5km long with vertical walls up to 40m high. The area has tallus caves that have passages that sometimes lead to five-level chambers or which go 10 metres below the ground. There are also potholes (giant´s cauldrons). To the south, the canyon transforms into a fossil river bed, and then into a striking drainage delta above the marine limit. There is a clear connection to the canyon at Trolltjärn, about 12km farther down the valley. The super-aquatic gravel ridge found here follows the valley down to the marine limit delta at Locksta. The area can be accessed from both the north and south.Forestroads lead to the path that passes through the area. The site is a nature reserve. At the southern entrance there are wind shelters, hearths, picnic tables and earth closet. The path to the magical Uvtjärn is wheelchair-friendly. 
Photo Lena af Geijerstam
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