Hiking in Sweden – All you need to know about the Glaskogen National-park

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Endless nature, lots of lakes, forests and hiking paths are waiting for your enjoyment in the Glaskogen Nationalpark. The national park is located around 90 kilometers west of Karlstad and is about 46 kilometers from the Norwegian border. This post will give you general information about it, and activities that you can do there, including a cost overview.

General information about the Glaskogen Nationalpark

The Glaskogen Nationalpark is the biggest national park in Värmland. Värmland is a province in the mid-west of Sweden and is one of Sweden’s 25 historical provinces and counties. The province covers a portion of Sweden’s biggest lake, Vänern. But the Glaskogen Park is not on the border to Vänern lake. It is located to the west of Vändern, south of the town of Arvika. The natural area has a size of 29.000 hectares. Whereas 6.400 hectares of it are water surface, which accumulates to almost 80 lakes. The biggest lake is Stora Gla followed by Övre Gla. The 300 km hiking network and the extensive distribution of so-called wind shelters offer a paradise for nature lovers.

How to get there – The infocenter Lengungshammer

The info center in Lengunghammer is for most adventurists the starting point. There is a little shop, a campground, a canoeing rental, and a café. What seems to be a bigger village on Google Maps is just a hiking/outdoor adventure starting point. So don’t expect a supermarket with a big selection of goods. It is a small convenience camping store.

Arriving by public transportation is not so easy and requires planning. In summer, there is a bus with number 130 that leaves from Karlstad and Arvika to the starting point of the Glaskogen Nationalpark. It runs on Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Starting from Arivka at 8.30 am and 2.30 pm, it takes 45 minutes to arrive in Lengungshammer also called the Glaskogen info center. From Karlstad, the buses leave at 8 am and 1.30 pm, the journey takes 1 hour 35 minutes. Here you can find the timetables.

Alternatively, you can also give hitchhiking a try. My sister and I did it and we had a blast. The Swedes are super nice and friendly. Our last ride made 20 minutes detour to bring us to the Glaskogen nature reserve.

Easy cheesy by car – it is smooth to reach Lenngungshammer from Arvika or from the south, Årjäng or from any other direction. If you want to explore the nature area in Sweden, it is so effortless with our own or rental car. However, it is not impossible to explore it also in different ways, such as hitchhiking, cycling, or public transportation.

An alternative starting point could be Glava Glasbruk. There is a small café, a museum and a parking space. Check beforehand if you can park there for the days, you are out in nature. And don’t forget you buy your Glaskogen Visitor Card, which you can also purchase online.

The Glaskogen Visitor Card is an entrance ticket to the national park. In Sweden, it is not common to pay for entrance to a nature reserve. However, the value of money is good. Including well-maintained trails, fireplaces and wood.

What to do in Glaskogen Nationalpark – hiking, cycling, fishing or canoeing?

You don’t need to hike if you still want to enjoy nature. There are other options, for instance, cycling and canoeing as alternatives to moving around the national park. In Lengungshammer you can find a canoe rental shop and they even offer guided tours. For cyclists: unfortunately, the Lengungshammer info center does not provide bicycles for rental.

For everyone who chooses to go hiking in Sweden: the paths are well maintained, however you should wear long hiking trousers, at many points of the path bushes or grass are hanging into the tail. The number of people you will meet during the hike is low, and the endless peaceful nature you experience is incredible. In July and August, ripe blueberries line the side of the trail, the ideal snack for exhausted hikers. The paths are winding up and downhill, from dense forest to clearing, bush paths to shore paths. For nature lovers, this creates unforgettable memories.

Wooden outdoor accommodation in the Glaskogen Nationalpark

Free camping in Sweden is for real. You can set up your tent anywhere you want. For everyone who’s too lazy to carry a tent with them, the good news is you don’t have to. The so-called Vindskydds are translated with wind shelter along the hiking paths and offer a very basic shelter for the night. Those wooden shelters come in different sizes and are most of the time located next to a lake. In front of the lodging is a fireplace and the firewood (which is provided by the national park) is often next to the hut. Looking for free accommodation in Sweden? Here you can find a map of all wind shelters and their coordinates.

Near the wind shelters are also outdoor toilets, however, they are very smelly.

If you look for more comfort, besides the wooden shelters, there are also cabins and cottages at the Glaskogen Nationalpark. They offer a kitchen, beds and depending on the type of cabin also a shower and toilet. For all the cabins you have to bring your own bed linen aka a sleeping bag. You can find the prices here.

The lightest camping food for your nature adventure in Sweden

Sweden is very different from the rest of Europe, there you can’t find mountain huts with gastronomical offers. So, make sure that you will have enough food supplies with you. My recommendation is dried food that can be heated up with water. You can even make this yourself. My brother, for instance, precooked stew and let it dry in the sun before he packed it up for his Scandinavian trip. In case you don’t have the time for this, you can also research the internet for dry outdoor meals. There is the Norwegian brand Real Turmat and the German brand Trek’n eat. Both offer vegan and gluten-free options. However, Real Turmat has a better selection if you are looking for both (v & gf). You can order that at a few outdoor online shops.

For the UK and USA markets, there are as well a couple of companies that offer dried outdoor food. Make sure to have some small snacks, like protein bars, dried fruits, or similar products. That way, you can be sure that you will not go hungry during your hiking adventure in Sweden.

Another recommendation is a water filter, which can be very handy to refill your bottles from the water of the lakes.

Which hiking routes to take

Glaskogen Nationalpark offers endless hiking options. Popular routes are including circling the two big lakes Stora Gla and Övre Gla. Keep in mind that the wind shelters at the bigger lakes are not only popular with hikers but also with canoers. If you choose any other route, I’m sure there will be even fewer people (depending on when in the season).

Why the Glaskogen Nationalpark is the perfect destination for 1st-time hikers in Sweden

If it is your first time hiking in Sweden, the Glaskogen Nationalpark might be exactly what you are looking for. Because of the following reasons: It is isolated, but not too isolated (small villages on the map are 3-4 houses, if at all). The paths and wind shelters are well maintained. Hiking at Glaskogen Nationalpark gives you a glimpse of how hiking in Sweden is. The elevations are not so steep. You can customize your hiking routes. There are many wind shelters spread throughout the national park. The routes can be from 8 km to 14-20 km long or longer.

Mosquitos

It always depends on the season and weather. Apparently, there are seasons when there are lots of mosquitos, and then there are seasons with fewer mosquitos. We encountered them only at dusk and at night (when it was dark). Lighting a fire for the night at the fireplace of the wind shelter keeps the mosquitos away. Furthermore, don’t forget your mosquito repellent!

Weather and long daylight hours

The weather in Sweden can be like in Austria. Very unpredictable. It consists of super sunny, warm beautiful days and cold endless rainy days. I wouldn’t recommend hiking in Sweden after days of rain. The water does not run off so quickly then. We were super lucky with the weather, it was very warm and sunny but not too hot.

The endless daylight in Sweden is incredible. But if you are a non-stop energetic person, it can be tricky as you can overexert yourself. If you are a light sleeper, it can disturb your sleep. So for the former, don’t overdo it and know your limits! There is plenty of nature in Sweden and it’s not going anywhere. For the latter, bring a comfortable eye mask or a curtain 😉😅

In mid/end of July, it was dark from around midnight to 3 am.

Clothing and things to pack

As mentioned earlier, it is advisable to wear robust long hiking trousers, because of all the bushes hanging on the trails. Sport shirt is always a good idea for hiking and, of course, comfortable hiking shoes. Be prepared for rain, with a rain jacket, trousers and a cover for your backpack. Bringing hiking sticks is not advisable, as the trails can be very narrow in some parts.

If you are looking for awesome outdoor shirts and hoodies, then have a look at Summit Apparel’s shop. Get your eco-friendly garment with this 15% discount by using the code lisisummit.

Ease of getting lost?

The well-maintained paths also mean well-marked paths. There are always colorful signs on the trees or stones where the path continues. If you bought the trail map, it will help you navigate the tour. In case you want to save cost and don’t buy the hiking map, you can take a picture of it at the Glaskogen info center. It is beneficial, especially if you rely on wind shelters, as they are marked on the map.

Phone reception

Eh nah! Put your phone away! haha 😅
Ok, I know that it can be beneficial to know the weather forecast or check something really important. So there is not a good reception everywhere. But you will always find areas where there is reception. If you know me, I always recommend a good digital detox. And what better way to do that than by spending time outdoors?

Cost overview Glaskogen Nationalpark

The Glaskogen Card prices for one person, are the following: 8 hours are 5,50 €, 24 hours are 8,50 € and 3 nights is 22 €. The hiking map is made out of high-quality paper, so it is even water resistant and costs 17 €. The approximate prices for the canoe rental are the following for 6 hours it is 28 €, for 24 hours 46 € and for 1 week 230 €. The fishing permit costs 1 day 16 € and for 1 week 43 €. All prices and info you can look up on this website.

Sleeping under stars at the Glaskogen Nationalpark – Storytime

We were about to arrive at our overnight destination after a medium-length day of hiking. It was our 3rd day of hiking and we had already gotten used to the weight of our backpacks. Nevertheless, we were always happy when we reached the wind shelter. This time, we heard voices in the distance. As we got closer, we could see that the wooden hut was occupied.

But we continued our way further down the small peninsula. We discussed whether we should stay here or continue to the next wind shelter. Our friends, who had accompanied us the first two days, told us that according to the weather forecast, it was supposed to rain the next day. But since we were already hungry and craving a dip in the water, we decided to stay a while longer. Judging by the position of the sun, it was about 7 pm. We put down our backpacks, looked for our towels, and headed for the tip of the peninsula. How could I describe the feeling of jumping into the refreshing water of the lake after a sweaty day of hiking? Especially not wearing a swimsuit 🤫 Liberating, vitalizing and tranquilizing at the same time.

After dinner, tiredness overcame me. We had a little discussion and decided to risk it and sleep outside. Maybe it wouldn’t rain. I set up my sleeping spot on this flat rock that was a bit raised. It was windy at the beginning, but later it became calmer. I lay down and while I found a good sleeping position on my sleeping mat; I turned to the right and to the left, looking at the surface of the lake each time. The light changed and the sun no longer glistened on the surface of the water. I was lying here on this flat rock surrounded by water and forest. How could I describe the beauty of this experience? It was so liberating; I felt alive, free, and at peace.
The 4-day hiking trip was one of my annual digital detox vacations. On the day I set out, I turned off my phone and didn’t even bother to take any photos (so the pictures and videos you see here were not taken by me).
By not taking photos, I wanted to be more present and enjoy the moment. And I indeed have such vivid memories of this little peninsula, our sleeping spot on the rock and the view from there.

At some point, I fell asleep and woke up when it was dawn. I talked to my sister, she was able to doze a bit too. After I came back from the natural bathroom, it was harder for me to go back to sleep. Although it was darker than before. In the distance, we could hear frog concerts at regular intervals. Soon we also noticed mosquitoes. I didn’t sleep properly in my sleeping bag, as it was still warm. But when I heard the blood-sucking monsters, I now crawled all the way into my sleeping bag, pulling it over my head and leaving only a tiny gap open for breathing.

Soon I was back in dreamland. I woke up and looked at the moon. Did I already tell you how beautiful it is to sleep outside?

The morning dawned, and it was time to have breakfast, pack, and continue hiking. The morning sun was high in the sky and the lake looked calm. It was another wonderful day. Our last day of hiking.

The picture on the left – Hiking at the Blueberry Paradise. The top picture in the middle – In the morning after sleeping under the stars packing up at the peninsula sleeping place. The bottom picture – the first day of hiking with our friends. The picture on the left – lunch break, outdoor food.

What do you think about hiking in Sweden? Have you ever been there? Would you like to visit Glaskogen National Park? Has this blog post made Sweden appealing to you as your next outdoor destination? Let me know in the comments 😊