Stora Sjöfallet is also a part of Natura 2000, which is a network for protected areas in the European Union.

[4] When the national park was created in 1909 the main reason was the great waterfall called Stuor Muorkkegårttje in the Sami languages.

The great waterfalls at the heart of the park were historically among the most powerful and visually striking in Europe, but relatively soon after the area was given its protected status, the government permitted hydroelectric development of the falls, which deprived the sheer drop of most of its visible water flow except for a few times a year and damaged the shorelines of Akkajaure.

Lars Levi Laestadius, the founder of Laestadianism, and Düben, doctor and author of the book Om lappland och lapparne (transl.

The two last levels were named after Carl Anton Petterson, who presented the Stora sjöfallet to the Swedish people, and Henrik Adolf Widmark, who was strongly committed to the mountains of Lapland.

Cloudberry, which is also called "the gold of Lapland", can be found in the park from the middle of July to the end of August.

Some common species are European golden plover, meadow pipit, and northern wheatear.

Eurasian whimbrel, long-tailed jaeger, eagle, and rough-legged buzzard can also be seen and, with a bit of luck, the unusual species lesser white-fronted goose, gyrfalcon, and great grey owl can be observed.

Mammals that one can catch sight of are reindeer, moose, red fox, ermine, and rabbit.

Rarer species that can also be observed are lynx, wolverine, Arctic fox, and brown bear.

In the hollows for example globe-flower and aconitum can be found, while the Ranunculus glacialis, snow bunting, and rock ptarmigan prefer higher altitudes.