Which canoe routes can you paddle in Dalsland, from 3 to 8 days?

The Dalsland–Nordmarken lakes are long, narrow and joined by the locks of the Dalsland Canal. That shape decides which routes work. Below are round trips of 3, 5 and 7–8 days, all starting and ending at Gustavsfors, where Lelång meets Västra Silen.

How the lakes fit together

The main chain of the Dalsland Canal runs from Lake Vänern north: Svanefjorden, Åklång, Råvarpen, Laxsjön, Lelång, Foxen and Stora Le. Side branches lead through locks to Västra and Östra Silen in the north.

The lakes that matter for a multi-day canoe trip in the north:

• Lelång runs about 40 km from Bengtsfors in the south to Lennartsfors in the north, and is at most 2.4 km wide. It sits on the border between Dalsland and Värmland.
• Västra Silen (47 km²) lies between Lelång and Östra Silen. Its northern end reaches Sillebotten, about 1 km south of Årjäng in Värmland.
• Östra Silen (37.7 km²) lies east of Västra Silen and is linked to it by the double lock at Krokfors.
• Foxen connects to the north end of Lelång through the three-chamber lock at Lennartsfors, and leads on to Stora Le, which runs about 70 km along the Norwegian border.

The Gustavsfors lock (one chamber, 2.8 m) joins Lelång and Västra Silen. This is where the Silen lakes branch off the canal, and it is why Gustavsfors works as a hub.

Routes at a glance

Distances are rough figures measured on a map from the lake lengths above. Your own line, wind detours and side trips will change them.

Route	Days	Lakes	Rough distance	Locks	Portages
Västra Silen round trip	3	Västra Silen	40–50 km	none	none
South Lelång round trip	3	Lelång	30–40 km	none	none
North Lelång and Foxen	5	Lelång, Foxen	60–80 km	Lennartsfors (3 chambers) both ways, optional	none
The Silen lakes	5	Västra Silen, Östra Silen	60–80 km	Krokfors (2 chambers) both ways	none
Grand tour	7–8	Lelång, Foxen, Västra Silen, Östra Silen	100–130 km	Gustavsfors, Krokfors, Lennartsfors	none

Lock fees, opening hours and what to do when a lock is closed are in How do you canoe through the locks of the Dalsland Canal?.

3 days: Västra Silen or south Lelång

Västra Silen. Paddle north up one side of the lake towards Årjäng, camp on an island or a headland, and come back down the other shore. The lake is wide and broken up by islands and bays, so you rarely paddle the same water twice. Around 15 km a day leaves time for swimming and a long lunch.

South Lelång. If the wind is from the north and Västra Silen is choppy, head south on Lelång towards Bengtsfors, about 15 km away, and return. The open connection to Lake Ärtingen, 5 km north of Bengtsfors, gives you a side trip.

With no lock or portage on the way, both suit a first trip with children or a new canoe partner.

5 days: north Lelång or the Silen lakes

North Lelång and Foxen. From Gustavsfors to Lennartsfors at the north end of Lelång is roughly 25 km. You can go through the Lennartsfors lock into Foxen, paddle a day there, and come back. Or skip the lock and use the extra day for the bays of upper Lelång. This is the more open of the two 5-day options: Lelång is long and straight, so wind along its length builds waves.

The Silen lakes. Cross Västra Silen to Krokfors, lock through the two chambers into Östra Silen, and spend two days among its bays before you return. The two Silen lakes have 131 km and 151 km of shoreline for their size, which tells you how indented they are. More shoreline means more shelter and more places to land.

7–8 days: the grand tour

Join the routes above: Västra Silen and Östra Silen first, back through Krokfors, then through the Gustavsfors lock onto Lelång and north to Lennartsfors and Foxen before you come home. Around 15 km a day over 7–8 days puts you at 100–130 km, with one or two rest days if the wind turns against you.

This is close to the shape of a self-guided week from Gustavsfors. The Canoe Trip runs an 8-day version starting on Sundays and Thursdays (6 nights wild camping, the last night at basecamp) and adjusts the loop to the group and the weather.

Why a central base makes these routes possible

Look at the map and count the directions you can paddle from a base without a lock or a car:

• From Gustavsfors: north on Lelång, south on Lelång, and north on Västra Silen. Three directions straight from the shore, and Östra Silen and Foxen one lock further.
• From the end of a long lake (Bengtsfors at the south of Lelång, or Töcksfors at the north of Stora Le and Foxen): one direction. Every trip starts and ends on the same stretch of water, and a longer tour often means a transfer by car.

A base in the middle gives you a choice every morning. If the forecast brings a strong south-westerly, you pick the lake where that wind does the least harm. From an edge base you paddle into it or wait.

There is more on choosing a base in Where should you start a canoe trip in Dalsland?.

Adding a portage

All routes above follow lakes joined by locks. If you want quieter water, short land transports connect the main lakes to side lakes such as Svärdlången, which lies downstream of Västra Silen. Check the exact portage on the DANO map or with your rental before you count on it, and bring canoe wheels.

Our pick

We would start these routes from Outpost North, the camp at Gustavsfors on the water between Lelång and Västra Silen. Both lakes are reachable from the camp, and you can book a canoe package there that starts on any day and lasts 1 to 14 days, with the route in an app, a map and the nature card included.

Sources

Dalslands Kanal: lock stations, Västsverige: Gustavsfors lock, Västsverige: paddling in Dalsland, Västsverige: Västra Silen, Visit Värmland: Sillebotten harbour, Wikipedia: Lelång, Wikipedia: Västra Silen (Swedish), Wikipedia: Östra Silen (Swedish), Wikipedia: Stora Le (Swedish), DANO.