Sweden's Wild Side Part IV - Svealand: Dalarna & Värmland
- David Maiwald
- Aug 7, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 5
Part IV of the Scandinavian Interior Series
In this article:
Dalarna
The high mountains of northern Dalarna, concentrated around Idre just south of Härjedalen are a dream destination for outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers, and adventure seekers with several national parks and nature reserves protecting large portions of the area. This means plenty of wildlife viewing, hiking, and camping opportunities. The best and most scenic travel route through this wilderness runs along the unpaved Foskrosvägen north of Idre and past Fulufjällets National Park south of Idre. Incredibly scenic yet remote routes across high plateaus and through lush river valleys where you are mostly by yourselves. Reindeer and moose are both very common in this area and can be easily spotted from the car! Besides that this area offers countless beautiful picnic areas, camping spots, and hiking trails.
I have traveled through this area during my visit in the fall of 2023 when I stayed in Idre for a couple of days - a small resort town situated just south of the Idre Himmelfjäll ski resort. From there I explored the landscapes along the Foskrosvägen with its lush river valleys, picturesque little mountain villages, endless forests, and vast open plains that offer far reaching views of the surrounding mountains. Especially Klutsjön and Foskros are situated in the middle of a beautiful landscape which makes for perfect photo opportunities along the way. And the densely forested valley in between Foskros and Idre offered numerous ideal spots to kick off my shoes and wander along the roaring river.
One of my most memorable experiences was when I was heading back towards Idre one morning after I got up early for a short hike just north of Foskros to watch the sunrise over the mountains. There was a dense mist rising from the surrounding forests, slowly evaporating in the warm light of the rising sun which gave the entire landscape a mystic atmosphere. As I was driving along the road I suddenly noticed two moose just standing there watching me from the side of the road, not bothered at all by my presence even after I stopped the car and rolled down the window to take some pictures. The two of them were clearly wary but at the same time incredibly curious. There was nobody else, just pure silence surrounding us as we stared at each other seemingly forever. Only after I started the engine was when the two of them jumped up and disappeared into the woods.
Quick facts about northern Dalarna & Idre:
how to get there: turn off E45 south of Åsarna (1hr drive from Östersund) and drive west / Idre is about 1.5hrs south of Lofsdalen
perfect for: hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, skiing
best routes: Foskrosvägen offers some of the most scenic drives through Sweden’s interior (Top Pick!)
services: all services available in Idre / partial cell service along the routes!
Fulufjällets National Park
Fulufjällets National Park is located in the westernmost portion of Dalarna right at the Norwegian border and comprises some of the southernmost parts of Sweden’s Scandes mountain range. Located roughly 45 minutes south of Idre and one and a half hours north of the Scandinavian Mountains Airport, this park can be easily reached by car. However, just like most of Scandinavia’s national parks there are no roads leading into Fulufjälltes National Park. The park’s only access road leads to the Naturum Fulufjället, which is located at the eastern park boundary and offers a visitor center, restaurant, information station, and public restrooms. This also marks the beginning of a vast network of hiking trails which lead through dense forests and past towering waterfalls all the way up to the vast plateau of this fjäll landscape with stunning and far-reaching views of the surrounding wilderness.
Inside the park further are several mountain huts managed by the Swedish Tourist Association (STF) that offer comfortable opportunities for an overnight stay in the backcountry. The STF huts are part of the Södra Kungsleden long-distance hiking trail which runs through the entire length of Fulufjällets National Park. This less popular southern counterpart of Swedish Lapland’s “official” Kungsleden runs a total of roughly 400km traversing both, the Jämtlandsfjällen as well as the Härjedalsfjällen, offering further opportunities for potential day and multi-day hikes throughout the region.
During my fall 2023 visit to the area I explored the area in between the visitor center and the Rösjöstugorna mountain hut inside the park. This day hike led through a large variety of picturesque landscapes with open marshlands and dense forests, towering waterfalls, steep rocky cliffs, and finally the vast open fields of the fjäll at the center of this park. One highlight along the trail was the “Old Tjikko” spruce tree – one of the oldest trees in the world being approximately 10,000 years old! The beautiful mix of landscapes along with the sweeping views from atop the plateau made this a worthwhile stop along the way.
Quick facts about Fulufjällets National Park:
how to get there: turn off E45 south of Åsarna (1hr drive from Östersund) and drive west / Fulufjällets National Park is 1hr south of Idre and 1.5hrs north of Sälen International Airport
perfect for: hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, skiing
best routes: Fulufjällets National Park offers easy multi-day section hikes along Södra Kungsleden as well as short and easy hikes from the park entrance up to the fjäll
best huts: Rösjöstugorna
fees: no fees for park admission or campsites / prices at huts vary
services: basic amenities at huts / no or only partial cell service along the trail!
important links: https://www.rosjostugorna.se/
Glaskogens Nature Reserve
About 3hrs south of Malung and one hour off E45 in the Värmland backcountry lies the Glaskogens Nature Reserve. A vast protected landscape in the remote foothills of the Scandes mountains’ southeastern edge which is characterized by countless lakes, secluded bays, and idyllic islands in the middle of a densely forested area. All of this is centered around the reserve’s two largest lakes of Stora Gla and Övre Gla as well as Lenungshammar - a small and incredibly picturesque settlement offering a visitor center, idyllic and well-developed camping spots, the area’s largest canoe and kayak rental, and a bus station which means this reserve can be reached by car and by bus.
The area around these two lakes is well developed for any kind of outdoor activities throughout the year. A large network of hiking trails and shelters along the shoreline offers great ways to explore the reserve by either foot during the summer or via cross country skiing during the winter. While some shelters and campsites can be reached by car via unpaved forest service roads, by far the best way to explore this haven for outdoor enthusiasts is to rent a canoe or kayak and go on a multi-day paddle tour across the lakes. This allows you to set up camp anywhere with countless secluded shelters that can only be reached by boat as well as beautiful “wild” camping spots on one of the numerous islands. All official shelters come with a fire pit, an actual shelter for rough weather, pit toilets, and complementary firewood - all of which can be used freely with the Glaskogen Conservation Card. The card along with a fishing permit for all of the roughly 80 lakes within the reserve is available online or at the Lenungshammar visitor center - a great way to enjoy one of central Sweden’s most idyllic outdoor destinations!
Lenungshammar is the perfect starting point for countless full-day and multi-day hikes with many of the reserve’s hiking trails starting right here, and running along much of the Stora Gla and Övre Gla shorelines. I first visited the reserve for one day during the summer of 2021 when I was passing through the area - and I fell in love with these lakes right away. So, I decided to come back again around the 2024 midsummer season, when I used Lenungshammar as a base camp for roughly one week. From there I set out for multiple day hikes and a multi-day kayak paddle tour.
For me the most beautiful experiences were the hike along the southern portion of Övre Gla with numerous opportunities to go for a swim and enjoy the pristine Swedish wilderness along the way. The southernmost tip of Övre Gla near Lenungshammar also offered the perfect starting point for a four-day fishing and paddle tour with a single kayak. During those four days I explored the entire lake with its countless secluded bays and islands, and set up camp on exposed cliffs and near idyllic beaches from where I was able to enjoy some stunningly beautiful sunsets with golden hours that seemed to last forever. And I simply enjoyed some peace and quiet in the middle of nowhere with the occasional local resident stopping by to say hello. All in all I covered between 30 and 40 km during those four days. A trip that was exhausting at times, but I regret nothing! The only thing I would do differently next time is to pack more sunscreen as the sun was quite intense at times.
Quick facts about the Glaskogens Nature Reserve:
how to get there: turn off E45 in Åmål (1hr drive) coming from the south or Torsby (2hrs drive) coming from the north
perfect for: hiking, camping, canoeing, wildlife viewing, cross country skiing, snow mobiling, watching the northern lights
best routes: Övre Gla and Stora Gla offer single-day and multi-day routes for canoeing starting in Lenungshammar / Övre Gla hiking trail north of Lenungshammar is a moderate 10km loop trail (Top Pick!)
best huts: Södra Sundsudden (Top Pick!)
fees: Glaskogen Conservation Card from 4.50€ per day / fishing licence from 13€ per day
services: all basic services at Lenungshammar / no or only partial cell service
important links: https://www.glaskogen.se/en/
Comments