September 4, 2020 | Posted by misfitwanders | Adventures, blog, Hiking, Lifestyles, Nature, Sweden, Traveling
A calming breeze carried the melody coming from the birds as we began canoeing in Glaskogen Nature Reserve. Beauty surrounds us as we paddle through the translucent water. There are several great places to go canoeing or kayaking. Plus, on many places in this nature reserve, there are all kinds of levels of hiking you can do. Our trip involved canoeing and hiking! What a treat! Choose from over 300 km of hiking trails. They even have little cottages you can rent if you´re planning a trip for the weekend.
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The steam begins to bubble up as we heated up some water on our backpack sized propane tank. Our small tin pot is a great size for warming up water for 2 glasses of piping hot tea. The smell of the green tea wafted in the air. We rested at one of the many grill/resting spots on the hiking trails. This nature reserve was established in 1970. It´s about 28,000 hectares of land! There are several lakes throughout Glaskogen Nature Reserve and many different kinds of birds that call this area home.
The area in Sweden known to have an abundance of nature is Värmland province. This is where you´ll find the peaceful Glaskogen Nature Reserve. The city that´s near it, is Arvika. A place filled with college kids and outdoor activities. This nature reserve first settlers were from Finland sometime in the 1500s. If you´re interested on following the finnish immagrants footsteps, you can check out Finnskogleden.
When venturing in Glaskogen nature reserve, you can enjoy wild camping, fishing, boating, biking, canoeing, and hiking. The sun´s rays hit the lake and us as we paddled. It seemed we weren’t the only ones that thought it would be a good idea to venture here and go on a watery journey. A group of canoes passed us and once we stopped on one of the islands, there were more people we saw sunbathing or swimming. If you love the outdoors, then Glaskogen nature reserve is the place to see!
Since it´s a nature reserve, you´re only allowed to put up your tent in the designated areas. This helps keep the wilderness as it is. The camping area for tents is in the middle of Lenungshammar. There´s a tiny pond nearby and two of the lakes Övre and Stora Gla are close as well.
If you have a RV, then that can go in Lenungshammar´s foresty grove spot. It can feel secluded since you´re almost surrounded by forests. On the hiking trails, many have wind protections areas. You can stay the night in one of those if you´ve bought the Glaskogen card. For camping prices, check out Glaskogen´s website.
Stay in one of the traditional red cottages in Lenungshammar or enjoy a tiny camping cabin. There are several different options for cabins in Glaskogen Nature Reserve. It just depends on how many you have with you and how comfortable you want it. Be sure to book in advanced.
In Lenungshammar, you can rent nicely taken care of canoes or bikes. The workers at the information center are helpful with any questions that you might have. This is also where the small store is where you can purchase items and the Glaskogen card. They have a map that costs about 125kr. It helps since there are parts of the nature reserve where there is no reception. It helps us a lot!
Wading in the water and fishing in Glaskogen nature reserve can be done if you get the Glaskogen card and the fishing card. This allows you to fish in about 80 different lakes. They even have a boat rental if you´re planning on getting farther out in the water. You can catch perch, salmon, trout, and a few other kinds of fish. For 24 hours, it costs 400kr for a boat rental. The fish card costs about 150kr for one person for a whole day.
Feel the wind course through your hair as you take to the bike trails in Glaskogen Nature Reserve. If you wander on the hiking trails, you´ll notice that bikes can´t get through. That´s why there are specific trails just for the bike riders. You can rent bikes from the information center in Lenungshammar. They even have bike tours you can learn more about at the information center. Renting a bike for a whole day will cost 200kr. Or you can rent a bike for a week at 750kr.
If you plan on staying here for a day or more and want to use the facilities, then you need to buy the Glaskogen card. For 1 person/ 24 hours, it´s 60 kr. This card reserves resting places, firewood, overnight cabins, garbage bins, and toilets. You need this card plus the fishing card if you plan on fishing. Learn more about the Glaskogen card here.
As you wander to begin your journey in Glaskogen Nature Reserve, don´t forget to check out the regulations. There, you´ll learn about the guidelines to follow as you enjoy the wonderful nature reserve. They have these set to help maintain the nature and keep it preserved. You´ll learn about the protocol on fires and about the ´right to public access.
The air fills with birds chirping away and the lush greenery overtakes the forest. Spring is when life begins in Glaskogen Nature Reserve. But summer can be a good time too! These are the best times to take to the lakes and begin paddling away. Or enjoy a nice hike through some of the untouched forests. It can even be a wonderful place in the winter if you enjoy ice fishing or winter activities. We ventured here a couple of times in the summer and had no issues with bugs. But the weather has been a bit crazy everywhere in the world now.
As we wandered the hiking trails for hours, it was time for a break. The resting places were great for just that. With our biolite camping stove, it made it easier to heat up water for tea. A sigh came from me as I stared off into the water. Venturing out into the wilderness, man, there´s nothing better than that! Since I adore hiking, I have some reliable gear that I recommend. Check it out on Hiking Gadgets. There I break it down more about each item.
The only way you can travel to this peaceful place is by renting a car. From Stockholm, it takes about 5 hours of driving. Take E18 straight to Glaskogen Nature Reserve. They have parking near the information center and other places in this huge area near the lakes and camping areas.
Check out Google Maps to see the directions.
Glaskogen Nature Reserve
Telephone +46-570-440 70
Fax +46-570-440 04
glaskogen@arvika.se
If you´re an adrenaline junkie, or just like new experiences, check out Adventures in Sweden. You´ll learn about some of the once in a lifetime things that you can do in wonderful Sweden. There´s a moose park where you get to meet them up close. Feel their wiry hair as you get to give them leafy goodies. Or explore an overgrown abandoned mine that looks as though you stepped into Jurassic Park! Check it out here!
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