Skoganvarre: Nature, Sámi Cultural Heritage and War History

Skoganvarre is located on the E6 in the Lakselva valley. The winter road from Alta to Válljohka near Tana intersects the E6 here. Skoganvarre lies on the E6, while the winter road from Alta to Válljohka near Tana crosses it here.

Accommodation and location

Villa Skoganvarre is a detached holiday home in Skoganvarre and also has a sauna. It is a holiday home, not a hotel; if you are specifically looking for a hotel, this distinction can help you choose. Check the current accommodation details and availability before booking.

Nature in Skoganvarre Nature Reserve

Skoganvarre Nature Reserve is located close to the destination. It protects a forest area, its natural plant and animal life, and natural ecological processes. A distinctive feature is a type of calcicolous pine forest, found only in scattered stands in Finnmark. This brings a distinctive forest type together with the broader protection of nature and ecological processes.

In summer, an open trail leads through parts of the reserve to Savngŋojávri. Under the reserve rules, you can get around there on foot and on skis, pick berries and mushrooms, hunt, and fish. When planning, it is worth distinguishing the trail to this destination, which is open in summer, from the other activities listed for the reserve.

Stálločohkka day-use cabin

The Stálločohkka day-use cabin is located in Skoganvarre. The trail starts at a parking area on the other side of the bridge over the Lakselva. From Skoganvarre Villmark, drive about 750 m along the E6 towards Karasjok. The bridge and parking area are the specific landmarks for the starting point.

History and cultural heritage

During the Second World War, Skoganvarre was a transport hub between Karasjok, Alta, and Lakselv. German troops used the place during the war and held prisoners of war there, among others. The exhibition “Spor etter krig” (“Traces of War”) is housed in the old school in Skuvvanvárri, also known as Skoganvarre. Outside the old school, a memorial commemorates the efforts of Norwegian soldiers during the liberation of Finnmark. Transport history, the occupation, and remembrance are thus three distinct ways to explore the history of the place.

A pre-Christian Sámi sacrificial site associated with hunting wild reindeer is located on Offerholmen in Øvrevatnet. This is a different historical subject from the memorials to the wartime period. Skoganvarre is also a checkpoint for the Finnmarksløpet.

Porsanger as the wider destination

The wider destination of Porsanger has more than 4,000 fish-rich lakes and three rivers with salmon. Porsanger also has 648 kilometres of snowmobile trails, which can be used for fishing or recreation in winter. Stabbursdalen National Park lies mostly within the municipality of Porsanger; a small part of its northwestern corner belongs to Kvalsund. The park’s conservation objectives include preserving the world’s northernmost pine forest and various water systems.

The trails in the wider destination of Porsanger also vary in subject and length: the geological nature trail at Roddenes is a 2.7-kilometre loop with information boards. The marked trail to Stabbursfossen waterfall is about 5.5 kilometres long from the car park. This makes it possible to compare a geological loop trail with a longer route to a waterfall based on the stated distances.

Discover more destinations: Indre Billefjord, Russenes, Lakselv, Smørfjord, Lakselv, Børselv.

Go to the wider travel overview: Porsanger.