Junkerdalen (English: ; ) is a valley in Saltdal municipality in Nordland county. It is a side valley to Saltdalen and begins at Storfjord, from where it stretches in a south-easterly direction towards Graddis and the national border with Sweden. The beginning of Junkerdalen is a narrow gorge called Junkerdalsura, where Junkerdalselva flows into waterfalls and rapids before it joins with Lønselva and after this, it is called Saltdalselva. The side valleys Tjårrisdalen and Skaitidalen go out from Junkerdalen in a northerly direction. Up in the valley, Graddiselva and Skaitielva flow together, and from here the river is called Junkerdalselva. Between Tjårrisdalen and Junkerdalsura lies the village of Junkerdal.
The entire valley is around long from Storfjord to the border with Sweden. From the end of Junkerdalsura and further up the valley, the height is around above sea level and the valley has a slight rise here, but approximately where the side valley Skaiti begins, the valley becomes steep. At the national border, the height is around . The valley is surrounded by large mountains; the most prominent are Solvågtinden and Båtfjellet. There are settlements like Junkerdal throughout the valley. Norwegian County Road 77 towards Sweden also runs through the entire valley. Junkerdalsura nature reserve and Stor-Graddis nature reserve have been established in the area. The valley otherwise has a lot of pine forest, but also birch and mixed forest. Previously, there was a mountain lodge at Graddis.
Geology
Amund Helland writes in the chapter on Saltdalen in Norges land og folk (1908) that there is slate in Junkerdalen, and that the valley was formed during the last ice age. Helland says that the mountains around Junkerdalen have been peculiar in the past, and then mentions Solvågtinden, Båtfjellet and Tausa. Tjernfjellet on the south side is made of granite and is less strange.
The valley floor in Junkerdalen consists of sand and gravel, and stones of different sizes. The valley floor is covered by thin and lean soil. Junkerdalsura is narrow, and therefore it happens that the valley floor is submerged in the spring flood.
Geography
Junkerdalsura
In earlier times, the road to Junkerdalen was only a path across from Evenesdalen over Solvågskaret. This very narrow gorge has large sections of stone clocks on both sides. The road up Junkerdalsura was built along the river and in places it is high above it. The surrounding mountain walls are steep and there are often has both snow and rock avalanches. The road is so narrow that there is no room for paving stones, and besides, paving stones will be torn down by landslides anyway. The slopes that descend into Junkerdalsura in winter and spring start at the very top at Solvågtinden.
Hoveddalen
Junkerdalselva is formed up in Junkerdalen by the confluence of Graddiselva and Skaitielva at Lappbrulia. The Graddiselva has its sources in Sweden and flows in waterfalls down the craggy mountain areas of Graddis. The Junkerdalselva flows calmly through the Junkerdalen itself.
Tjørrisdalen and Skaitidalen are narrow gorges where they enter Junkerdalen. Since ancient times, there has been a road through Junkerdalen via Graddis and across to Sweden. The height of the pass is on the Swedish side and is above sea level.
Flora and Fauna
The priest Søren Christian Sommerfelt worked in Saltdal from 1818 to 1824. Here, he laid the foundations for his important botanical work, Supplementum Florae lapponicae from 1826. The work is intended as an addition to the Swede Göran Wahlenberg's Flora lapponica from 1812. Sommerfelt's work on plants is still an important source work. Sommerfelt did part of his investigations in Junkerdalsura. The work provides an overview of 700 northern Norwegian plant species.