Wild camping in Sweden: these are the rules of the Allemansrätten

One of the things I really love about Sweden is that you can go wild camping. The Everyman’s Right (Right of Public Access) in Sweden, or the Allemansrätten, means that you roam freely everywhere. This therefore not only applies to camping, but also to hiking, horse riding and canoeing, for example. During my various road trips in Scandinavia in recent years I have made the best use of the possibility of wild camping in Sweden. Since there are a number of rules regarding the freedom camping in Sweden, I have written this useful article for you so that you can prepare for your Sweden trip the best way possible. Enjoy reading!

Note that this post was first published in 2020 and updated in 2024. I’ve moved to Sweden in the summer in 2023 and found that there’s a lot more to know about the Allemansrätten than previously posted.

 

Wild camping in Sweden: what are the rules?

First of all it is important that you camp with respect for nature. In other words: leave nothing but footprints. If someone comes to that same spot after your overnight stay, it should not be visible that you have been there, whether with a tent, car or campervan. Take your waste with you, do not destroy nature and leave everything as you found it when you arrived at your campsite.
 
You are allowed to make a fire, if not banned due to a fire hazard. For example, I was traveling in Sweden in the summer of 2018 and unfortunately it was one of the driest summers in years, so there was a general ban on open fires, which also included campfires. It was very unfortunate but there was nothing to do about it. Are you in doubt about being allowed to make a fire? Then don’t ! In terms of firewood you can use branches and twigs that lie on the ground, it is not allowed to cut down trees or to break down branches. At many gas stations you can buy firewood to make a fire and buy starter kits that contain a block that you get burning within no-time. This kit burns for about an hour and only costs a few euros.
 
Also make sure that you are not on land that is owned by someone. If you are on someone else’s land, you can only camp here with the owner’s permission. Usually (but not always!) there are fences and / or there is a sign that camping is not allowed. Are you not sure if you can go wild camping in a certain place and / or in a certain area? Then ask the local tourist office for the exact rules. Quite often they also have tips for beautiful and peaceful camping spots in the area. In recent years, more and more signs have been posted and please respect that. I’ve seen people in campervans just ignoring the kind request not to freedom camp in many places and it saddens me to see this.
 
In addition, do not disturb other people. Do not play loud music, do not make too much noise and behave properly as you would like someone else to behave. Partly because of this, the Everyman’s Right in Sweden has been possible for centuries and it would be a shame if this was destroyed by wrong behavior of tourists.
 
Other activities such as picking berries, collecting mushrooms and putting together a flower bouquet are only allowed with the permission of the owner of the land if you are on private land.

 

Wild camping in Sweden with your tent

The easiest way is to camp freely in nature is with your tent. This is particularly common when making treks such as the Kungsleden. In some places you will find shelters, a kind of roof where sometimes there’s a fire place as well. These are also free to use. In national parks and other protected nature areas, bear in mind that there are often rules and restrictions in regards to wild camping. Always ask the local visitor center what is allowed or not. On hiking trips you are often not allowed to camp in the immediate vicinity of a mountain hut (unless you pay a fee), you can check this with the on-site hut warden.

 

Wild camping in Sweden with a car, campervan or other motorized vehicle

If you want to go wild camping in Sweden with a motorized vehicle, there are additional rules that you must know of. The ‘Terrängkörningslagen’ regulates everything that has to do with motor vehicles on land and has decided that it is forbidden to drive all motor vehicles on uncovered soil. In addition, you cannot drive a motor vehicle on private roads that are closed to traffic.
 
For both tents and motorized vehicles the rule is that you cannot stay in the same place longer than one night if you are wild camping.

Is wild camping in Sweden dangerous?

No, wild camping in Sweden is not dangerous. It’s a common practice and you notice particularly in the high season that the Swedes themselves also regularly go out into nature. They are therefore used to encounter tents and / or motor vehicles in nature.
 
This does not alter the fact that it may feel a little awkward at first. After all, you are fairly vulnerable in nature. However, I’ve freedom camped in Sweden both solo and with a partner and never encountered any issues.
 
The greatest danger is in you. For example, you should know how to deal with a gas stove so that there is no sudden fire, close your tent or vehicle properly against the mosquitoes in the evening and make sure you have sufficient light sources (for example, a headlight and your mobile phone). In June and July it hardly gets dark at night, but in August the days get shorter quickly.

How to find a spot for wild camping in Sweden

By now I’m quite skilled at finding wild camping spots in Sweden, but sometimes it takes a while to find a suitable place. We spent a lot of nights either in a tent or in my former Volvo V40 which I had converted into a mini camper.
  
You can find the most beautiful places just off the main road. I usually took the road map and searched a small road in the area of a lake. Nine out of ten times it was no problem to find a suitable camping spot. You’ll notice that it is more difficult in tourist areas. For example, we searched for an hour in the area of ​​Tärnaby and Hemavan (the end of the Kungsleden trail), but all the roads turned out to lead to private land or to a house which felt rather uncomfortable. In the end I stayed at a local campsite. Finding a place can therefore take some time so allow yourself some patience while you are searching.
 
In some places you will find waste bins, a longdrop toilet and a fire pit, but these places are not many. You are often dependent on your own creativity and that makes wilderness camping in Sweden even more fun in our opinion!

Although bears roam freely in about two thirds of Sweden, you should typically never see one. Bears in Sweden are completely different than the bears in Alaska or Canada. They are very shy and will not come up to people. There is enough food for them in nature and will not come to your tent. Therefore there is no reason to take precautions for bears when camping in Sweden.

Camping on a campsite in Sweden

If you do not find a suitable wild camping site, then staying at a campsite in Sweden is of course always an option. In almost every village there is a (small) campsite with a reception, a toilet facilities and sometimes a kitchen block. The average costs for one person are 10-15 euros per night. In tourist spots it can turn out to be higher in high season. Some of the nicest camping spots we had were for example at Camping Skabram in Jokkmokk, Tyngsjö Vildmark in Dalarna and Särna Camping near Fulufjället National Park.
 
At these types of campsites you can often rent a stuga, a small cabin that usually only contains a bed and a small kitchen. You bring your own sleeping gear such as a sleeping bag. This is a great alternative if the weather is bad, for example. You can also easily recharge all your electronics there and usually use the WiFi.

Conclusion

If we all stick to the rules of wild camping in Sweden, we can hopefully keep this unique right for many decades to come and our future generations will also be able to enjoy this. I hope you found this article useful, if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below.

If you want to continued reading, you may enjoy the following posts:

• A mini trekking in Grövelsjön, Sweden
• The most beautiful places in Sweden
• Driving in Sweden: this is what you need to know

Or visit my Sweden homepage with more than 50 articles about active travel in Sweden!

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