Bølareinen Nature Park

Bølareinen (a reindeer) is one of the most famous rock carvings in Norway. It is part of a larger carving, where in addition to Bølareinen, you will see a bear, a seabird and a skier.

The Bølarein looms on an almost vertical cliff, where it has been guarding its surroundings for approx. 6000 years. And the reindeer is not alone in this landscape. There are carvings of bears, elk and birds - all naturalistic hunted animals in full size. These are typical motives among our oldest carvings. Quite unusual is the around 150 cm tall human figure with a stick in his hand and skis or snowshoes on his feet. The rock surface with this figure came out of the sea around 6,000 years ago, and the Bøla Man could in theory be as old. At the time, Snåsavatnet was part of the Trondheim Fjord. The sea level went just below where the carvings are located 35-40 m above present sea level. The rich hunting opportunities in the area must have seemed attractive to people of that time. Pitfalls for elks and discovery of charcoal and flint shows that they stayed in the area over time.

Although the rock surfaces have weathered the stress of water, wind and rain for thousands of years, it is still possible to see traces of activity from people who lived during the Stone Age at Bøla. Hiking in the Bøla area is a great opportunity to get close to a time that is infinitely distant from ours.

Directions
The rock carvings are  located on the southeast side of Snåsavatnet by Route 763, approx . 30 km southwest of Steinkjer. Good parking facilities and access to the field from a prepared path, also for wheelchair users. Walking distance from the main road, approx. 300 meters.

Bøla Cafe
Summer 2024: the kafe is under refurbishment and is not open this summer.