Last weekend we took the camper van to Glaskogen Nature Reserve. My husband and I often send each other Instagram posts saying we should go here and this was one of those.
Glaskogen – Värmland
Glaskogen is the largest nature reserve in Värmland and actually covers a huge area of 111,000 square miles!
As you approach you will more than likely pass cyclists or hikers that are exploring the area.
The Amenities
We booked a space for a camper van, which was within the trees on the side of the lake and it was gorgeous! Each pitch in the area had tree coverage, a fire pit and its own path through the plants to access the lake.
The area we were in was about a 10/15 minute walk from the main centre in Lenungshammar and there were two toilets. It is not uncommon in Sweden in nature reserves and to find compostable toilets. Not these are not my favourite – looks like a toilet but is basically a toilet seat into a hole and I am always worried something is going to come up like an animal or something. Anyway the toilets on the site were compostable but were a tad bit stinky (not terrible but not great). There were toilets at the main centre also as well as facilities for washing up.
The showers are also by the main site so again need to walk and not super close. They were dated and also not the cleanest but I would note that cleanliness often depends not just on staff cleaning but also those using them.
There is a cafe on site about a 5 minutes walk from the main centre, called Cafe Carl. On a Friday they have a pub night and they have seating both inside and outside. We had food and drink here and it was lovely.
You can hire canoes, kayaks and paddle boats from the main centre too and we saw lots of people loading up with their kit before heading across the lakes to where they were camping. We have an inflatable kayak and paddle board so we did not use this facility.
There are loads of hiking trails that can be as long or as short as you like as well as cycling trails.
The main reception has a shop with both local produce include ceramics and hunting knives as well as camping equipment, food, ice creams and more. You can purchase fire wood from here and collect nearby. We actually bought some on arrival and needed more but as we were in the van and set up the young lad on reception offered to drop to our pitch when his pitch ended rather than us carrying it which was very kind of him!
You also need to purchase a licence called the Glaskogen card if you plan to hike, use the lakes in any way or cycle in the nature reserve. It also covers the use of the fire pits, wind shelters, overnight cabins, dustbins and toilets in the nature reserve.
Your contribution makes a difference and increases our opportunities to offer even better service in the future. All for you to have a magical and easy wilderness experience. The money paid for the Glaskogen card goes directly to the care and maintenance of the area. For the two of us this cost roughly £20.
Did We Like It?
I think it would be hard not to like this place and we will absolutely be returning!
I would say the clue in the name Glaskogen Wildcamping if you do not have a camper with toilet/shower or staying in a cabin is something to bear in mind. Originally I was disappointed a little in the facilities but then realised it is a site on the Nature Reserve intended to be wild camping so need to remember that.
Most people there had either paddle boards, kayaks, or bikes and it was great to see everyone enjoying the surroundings, which are just stunning.
Given the size we only saw part of the area and when we return would probably take our bikes to explore more.
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