Switzerland has three virgin forests, where there has been no human intervention. They are in Bödmeren in Canton Schwyz, Derborence in Canton Valais and Scatlé in Canton Graubünden. All three have remained untouched because of their position on steep and inaccessible slopes and are natural reserves with limited access for research only.

Bödmeren

The Bödmeren forest is in the Muotatal, and consists of spruce. The current reserve covers an area of 70 ha (173 acres) on slopes at 1350 - 1680 meters (4,400 - 5,500 ft) above sea level. Since some parts of the forest are inaccessible, the timber is rarely cut: some of the spruce are 500 years old.

The Bödmeren Virgin Forest Foundation wants to extend the protected area to 450 ha (1,110 acres), but has run into resistance from the owners - a corporation with some 15,000 members, which owns about one quarter of the land in Canton Schwyz. The corporation turned down the foundation's compensation offer, apparently because they did not want outsiders interfering in their affairs.

Derborence

The Derborence forest lies in a bowl-shaped valley in the Diablerets massif in Canton Valais. It has had a dramatic history, as repeated rockfalls have blocked its entrance. After a massive fall in 1749 - the biggest in Switzerland in recorded history - the streams flowing down the mountain side were no longer able to escape, and formed a lake. From that time on, it was completely impossible to exploit the forest. The trees are mainly silver fir - some of which grow to 40 m (130 ft) - as well as larch and spruce. Since 1950 50 ha (124 acres) - about half the total area - has been a nature reserve enjoying complete protection.

Scatlé

Scatlé, near Breil (German: Brigels), is the smallest of the three virgin forests, only about nine hectares (22 acres) in size, on a steep slope at a height of about 1500 - 2000 meters (5000 - 6,500 feet). It consists of spruce up to 600 years old and 30 meters (100 feet) high. The spruce is ideally suited to the cool, damp climate and the nature of the landscape. Its shallow roots can survive on the thin layer of soil between the huge boulders, and its downward pointing branches prevent huge amounts of snow from settling on it and weighing it down.