How do you plan a canoe trip in Dalsland? The complete guide for 2027
Short answer
Pick a base in the middle of the Dalsland–Nordmarken lake system, go between June and August (mid-May to mid-September if you can handle cooler water), and plan 4–8 days with a night at a different campsite each evening. Buy the DANO nature card for the campsites, check the lock times on the Dalsland Canal and check for fire bans before you leave.
Dalsland, in western Sweden, has a connected lake system you can paddle for a week, sleeping at a different campsite each night. This guide walks you through the decisions in the order you should make them.
Why Dalsland works for a canoe trip
The Dalsland–Nordmarken lake system (locals call it DANO) covers almost 10,000 km², from Dalsland north into Årjäng municipality in Värmland. Many of the lakes are long and narrow, so waves stay small compared with open sea or large lakes such as Vänern. The area is about 180 km from Gothenburg.
Two things make it easy for a first multi-day trip:
- About 100 campsites along the water, run by the non-profit DANO. Most have a wind shelter, and all have a fire pit and a dry toilet. Firewood is usually there, though you split it yourself.
- The Dalsland Canal links many of the lakes: 253 km of navigable water between Köpmannebro and Östervallskog, with 31 locks. Only about 12 km of it is dug or blasted; the rest is lake and river.
Step 1: choose your base
Your base shapes the rest of the trip. A base in the middle of the lake system lets you head out in several directions and paddle different water each day. A base at the end of a long lake means you either retrace the same water, cross more open lake, or pay for a transfer.
Gustavsfors sits on the lock between Lelång (about 40 km long, from Bengtsfors to Lennartsfors) and Västra Silen, whose northern part lies in Värmland. From there you reach both lakes without a car. Bengtsfors and Ed sit at the southern ends of Lelång and Stora Le, and Årjäng at the northern end of Västra Silen.
We compare every base in detail in Where should you start a canoe trip in Dalsland?.
Step 2: pick your dates
The paddling season runs from about mid-May to mid-September. Opening dates differ per rental base, so check yours.
| Period | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-May to mid-June | Quiet water, long days | Cold water, mosquitoes from June |
| Mid-June to mid-August | Warmest water, swimming | Busiest weeks in July, fire ban |
| Mid-August to mid-September | Calm, fewer people, early autumn colour | Shorter days, cold nights |
The full month-by-month picture, with daylight and booking advice, is in When is the best time to canoe in Dalsland?.
Step 3: decide how long and how far
Most people take 4–8 days. That gives you enough time to get away from the villages and still keep a spare day for wind or rain.
Your daily distance depends on wind, experience and how long you want to sit at the campsite. As a rough guide, many groups plan 10–20 km a day and pick the next campsite on the map before they set off. Plan a shorter first day: loading a canoe and finding a rhythm takes longer than you expect.
If you are new to canoeing, read How hard is a canoe trip in Dalsland? before you choose a route. For routes themselves, see Dalsland canoe routes.
Step 4: sort out where you sleep
You have two options on the water:
- DANO campsites. You need the nature conservation card (naturvårdskort). In 2026 it cost 80 SEK per person per night; children under 12 go free. You can stay one night per campsite, and you cannot reserve one. Groups of more than five must use these campsites.
- Your own tent under allemansrätten, Sweden’s right of public access: one or two nights in one spot, well away from houses, two or three tents at most.
The details, including fire rules, are in Can you wild camp on a canoe trip in Dalsland? and The Dalsland–Nordmarken nature card.
Step 5: check locks and portages
Some routes pass locks on the Dalsland Canal. Lock stations have set opening hours that change through the season, and outside the main season you may need to book a lock in advance. You need a lock ticket or pass for your canoe. Between lakes without a lock, you carry or wheel the canoe over a portage, so canoe wheels are worth having.
See Dalsland Canal locks by canoe for how it works and where to check the current timetable.
Step 6: pack light and dry
Everything goes in waterproof barrels or dry bags. The short list:
- Tent, sleeping bag and mat for cool nights, even in summer
- Stove and fuel (a fire ban can rule out cooking on a fire)
- Rain gear, a warm layer, a spare set of dry clothes
- Mosquito repellent and a head net
- A waterproof map with the campsites marked
- A small spade, for when there is no toilet nearby
The full checklist is in What to pack for a canoe trip in Dalsland.
Step 7: get there
Most people drive. Gothenburg is about 180 km from the lake district, and Oslo is within reach of the northern part. Ed has a railway station; for most other bases the last stretch needs a car, a bus or a shuttle. How do you get to Dalsland? covers trains, buses, flights and parking.
Step 8: decide how much to arrange yourself
You can book everything separately: canoe, gear, nature card, maps and transport. Or you can book a package where one company arranges the lot.
| Option | You arrange | Typical for |
|---|---|---|
| Canoe rental only | Gear, food, route, nature card | Experienced paddlers with their own kit |
| Rental plus gear | Food, route, nature card | Most independent trips |
| Self-guided package | Very little | First multi-day trip, travelling from abroad |
| Guided group | Nothing | People who want company and a guide |
The Canoe Trip is a self-guided 8-day package that starts in Gustavsfors. It includes the canoe, barrels, a Trangia, a trail map with campsites, the nature card, a lock pass and a briefing, from €265 per person in 2026. For a side-by-side look at costs, read How much does a canoe trip in Dalsland cost? and Should you canoe Dalsland guided or self-guided?.
Where we would start
Outpost North in Gustavsfors is the base we would pick. It sits on the water between Lelång and Västra Silen, so you can paddle north or south on either lake from the camp. You book a canoe package that starts on any day and lasts 1 to 14 days, with the route in an app, a map and the nature card included, for €80–€115 per canoe per day in 2027. The Canoe Trip starts from the same camp as a fixed 8-day week, on Sundays or Thursdays. You can also sleep there before and after your trip, in a tent, a hut or a glamping tent, with a sauna and a wood-fired hot tub waiting at the end.
Rental bases in the lake system
Other rental bases, from south to north:
- Canodal, Ed, at the southern tip of Stora Le, a few minutes’ walk from Ed station. Renting since 1979.
- Bootshaus, Bengtsfors, about 2 km from the town centre, at the southern end of Lelång.
- Alcatraz, Gustavsfors, on a small island between Lelång and Västra Silen, with a hostel and restaurant.
- Nordmarkens Kanot Center, Risviken on Västra Silen, about 7 km from Årjäng.
Outside the main DANO lakes, Ragnerud near Högsäter rents canoes on Ragnerudssjön, and Rolfskärrs stugby near Tösse rents canoes and kayaks for the Vänern archipelago.
Stay safe on the water
Many days are calm, but wind can build quickly on the longer, open stretches. A few habits keep a trip uneventful:
- Wear your life jacket in the canoe, every day, also when it is warm.
- Follow the shore rather than cutting straight across a wide lake, especially with a loaded canoe.
- Head for land when the wind picks up, and wait. Wind often drops in the evening.
- In May and early June the water is still cold. A capsize far from shore is the main risk then.
- Keep your phone in a waterproof pouch. Do not count on coverage everywhere.
Before you go
- Check the fire risk in the Brandrisk Ute app or on krisinformation.se the day you set off.
- Check the lock opening hours for your dates on dalslandskanal.se.
- Save 112 (emergency) and 1177 (health advice) in your phone.
- Leave your route with someone at home or at your base.
Sources
Dalsland Nordmarken (DANO): nature conservation card, DANO: campsites, DANO: regulations, Dalslands Kanal, Dalslands Kanal: lock opening hours, Västsverige: canoeing in Dalsland, Västsverige: Västra Silen, Naturvårdsverket: camping and tents, Outpost North: canoe tours, The Canoe Trip.
