The right of public access
The wonderful Swedish nature is open for all of us. We can enjoy the beautiful smell, the singing birds, the flowering meadow and the peaceful silence of the deep forest. However we should be careful with the nature and show respect towards the other people and animals.
Do not disturb - do not destroy
This is the main rule in the right of public access.
Home peace
Walking, jogging, riding and skiing across other people's lands are allowed - unless you do not damage crops, forest plantations or such. You are not entitled to cross over or stay on a private plot without permission - that is considered to be trespassing. The plot, which is not always enclosed, is the area closest to a dwelling house. The inhabitants there have the right to live in peace - "Home peace zone". If the houses are protected from your view, you may walk through quite close, but not closer than 10 meters.
Camping
You are allowed to set up your tent for a day or two on land that is not used as a farm and which is not close to a dwelling house. The closer to houses you wish to go camping, the bigger is the risk to cause a disturbance and the greater is the reason to ask the house-owner for permission. How long you can keep your tent pitched in a place depends on the circumstances. It is absolutely inconsiderate to set up the tent outside of a private plot without permission. For caravan, there are other specific rules.
To travel in the forest and on the land
It is forbidden to drive a car, motorcycle, moped or any other motor vehicle off road or on roads that are close for motor traffic. Such road can be marked with signs like "Förbud mot trafik med motordrivet fordon (No motor vehicles)" or "Enskild väg (Private road)". However, you may park immediately next to the road. Think about when you park your car or caravan to make sure that it could not be an obstacle or danger to other traffic.
If you are riding over someone's land, you must be very careful, as there is a risk to damage the land. Do not ride in marked exercise-tracks or hiking trails or anywhere else you are likely to cause a disturbance.
Lighting a fire
You are allowed to light a fire only if there is no risk of starting a forest fire. The lighting of fire is generally forbidden during the periods of drought. Make sure to extinguish before you leave the place. You may be blamed for damages if the fire would spread.
Never light a fire directly on bare rocks as they might crack or split, resulting in ugly irrecoverable scars.
Swimming and boating
You are permitted to swim, tie up your boat one or a few days and go ashore everywhere, except next to the house plots or where any authorities has especially prohibited the entry, e.g. in a bird sanctuary. How long you can stay depends on the situation. The same rules as for camping apply here. Rowing, sailing, paddling or driving motorboat on someone's water is allowed. Note that there could be special restrictions, e.g. speed limit, no entry or no water-skiing. If you travel with motorboat, extra consideration is required.
Take your litter with you
If you have been camping or having a picnic out in the forests or such, you must clean up afterwards. Never put your rubbish bags beside a full rubbish bin or bin bag. Wild animals are likely to tear them up and pull those rubbish out. Glass bottles, cans and bottle-caps can hurt both people and animals, while plastic bags can cause serious suffering to animals if they are swallowed.
Picking flowers and berries
You are not allowed to pick twigs, branches, bark, leaves, acorns, nuts or resin from growing trees. This is considered as damaging or theft. And of course, you may not cut down growing trees and bushes.
You are allowed to pick up wild berries and flowers, mushrooms and to take fallen branches and dry twigs on the ground. Certain flowers, however, are so rare that they are at risk of extinction. Such flowers are protected by law and may not be picked up. Find out more about which plants are protected in the area, go to your nearest County administration board, e.g. Länsstyrelsen where you are staying.
Keep your dog on a leash
Your dogs are allowed to join you in the nature, but during the period from 1st March to 20th August, they are not allowed to run loose in the forest or land. Even during the other time of the year, you must keep your dog under control so that they could not hurt or frighten wild animals. Keep in mind that even the most peaceful little pet dog can scare the wild animals just showing itself. Also think about that your dog can scare other people.
Fishing and Hunting
Fishing is not a part of the law, "The right of public access", but you are allowed to go fishing with fishing rods and other hand tackle in the five biggest lakes and along the coast. In other waters you need a permission such as a fishing licence. In Bengtsfors council, there are 22 different waters you can go fishing. As for fishing licence you can buy it at the tourist office. Never leave fishing lines and fishhooks in the nature! They can become death traps for animals.
Hunting is not allowed, and needless to say, you may not take bird's eggs. And leave animal infants and nests in peace!
The Nature Care Card
The nature is our biggest asset and we would like to share it with you. However, the nature is also very vulnerable and we have to respect it with a great deal. To make it easier for canoeists and land-owners, camping sites has been made in order within the lake system. There are also supervisors in the area whose task is to inform and help you during your canoeing holiday. To finance this extra service, we have a "The nature care card", which everybody who are padding need to pay 20 SEK per person for a day. This is to be paid even though you are not canoeing but just using the camping facilities.
The money in this fund is paid to the land-owners who have given their permission to make such sites on their land. The fund is also used for repairs maintenance, development and supervision. Thank you for your help with preserving our nature and be aware of the fire hazard.
The nature care card can be bought at: Bengtsfors tourist office, canoe renting place and from the camping site supervisors.
