Stage eight of the Bohusleden trail traverses an ancient cultural landscape within the Svartedalen Nature Reserve. Svartedalen is one of western Sweden's largest continuous coniferous forest areas, known for its mystique, vast woods, and rugged wilderness. This lake-rich bedrock landscape is dominated by pine and spruce forests.

The area is important for recreation and a popular destination for outings, camps, forest hikes, mushroom and berry picking, and orienteering. It offers scenic viewpoints, swimming spots, and excellent opportunities to catch game fish.

The trail passes several old croft ruins, providing a glimpse into the lives of those who once lived there. This stage requires some hiking experience and fitness, as the terrain is quite steep in parts. Along the route, there are two well-placed wind shelters available for overnight stays. At the end of the section, near Bottenstugan, you'll find two additional wind shelters, a grilling area, a camping site, and a dry toilet.

Surface: Forest path

Duration: 3-4 hours

Don’t miss: Stopping by the old croft ruins and reading about how life was for the people who inhabited the cottages up until the early 1900s.

Getting there: Reaching either Grandalen or Bottenstugan by bus can be challenging. There is a bus stop at Grandalen and another at Bottenstugan (Anvik), but both are infrequently serviced. An alternative is to take a bus to Diseröd Center and access the trail from there.

This stage has been funded with support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development within the Rural Development Program to make the trail accessible to residents and visitors.

Information about the nature reserve: Read more about the reserve's regulations here.