Accommodation

Few countries in the world allow such freedom to pitch your tent for free for the night even on private land. I’ve had many incredible nights sleeping by a fjord or lake listening to the therapeutic sounds of water hitting the shore as I fall asleep. It’s a wonderful feeling of freedom and adventure that perhaps burns in us all. However, with great opportunity comes great responsibility. Wild camping in Norway is built on trust and Norwegians from an early age are educated about the need to respect the natural environment so all can continue to enjoy this freedom they are blessed with. 

Wild Camping Rules: ‘Allemannsretten’ – Right to Roam Act (1957)

• Rule No 1: Only permitted on uncultivated land that is not fenced off. Such as woods and forests, mountains, marshlands, and beaches. Cultivated land is everything humans have modified such as plowed fields (with or without crops), meadows and pastures, gardens, building plots, and industrial areas.
• Rule No 2: You must be at least 150 meters away from the nearest inhabited house or cabin.
• Rule No 3: Small areas of uncultivated land within cultivated land are not regarded as open country. For example, putting your tent up on a small patch of uncultivated land in-between two farms is not cool.
• Rule No 4: If you want to stay for more than two nights in the same place, you must ask the landowner’s permission, except in the mountains or very remote areas.
• Rule No 5: Campfires are prohibited from 15 April to 15 September. Exceptions are low fire hazard areas by the sea or at an approved campfire site. You should always check that there is no danger before you begin. In times of extreme drought barbecues, gas burners, and camping stoves may be prohibited. If you make a campfire, bring firewood from home or a shop or dead wood on the ground. Do not saw or break fresh branches. 
• Rule No 6: Some areas of National Parks, Nature Reserves, Popular natural tourist attractions, & World Heritage Sites will have restrictions in place. You must abide by all signs and local information. Fines can be heavy
• Rule No 8: LEAVE NO TRACE – When you leave you should not be able to notice you spent the night there. 

If Nature calls…

Use public toilets where possible. If that’s not possible ensure you are away from trails, water sources, and camping spots. Dig a hole that limits damaging or disturbing the natural environment. Ensure you fill it in well afterward. Have a small plastic bag to put all toilet paper in and dispose of it when you pass a public bin in a local town or public road rest stop.

Swimming and bathing in Lakes

Don’t use soap or any products that will pollute the water. Even if your soap is biodegradable, it can still be harmful to the water. Chemicals in the soap can change the pH levels in the water, making it toxic or challenging for animals to thrive in the lake.

Fishing:

Please see the rules here: https://fishspot.no/en/fishing-rules-in-norway/

Finding a wild camping spot:

Cycle Norway will never provide locations of wild camping spots as to do so is irresponsible. Wild camping is a personal endeavor. Finding the right spot takes time and there are many areas where it will be difficult to find anything practical. I tend to use google street view and satellite images to help discover where suitable areas are located.

Ideally, you want the following:

• Not too far from the road you are cycling on but out of sight. 
• Access to fresh water for cooking and drinking. 
• Some form of natural protection from the elements 
• Away from any wild animal breeding and feeding grounds
• Mosquito and midges free (not easy at times)
• A spectacular view for that perfect bike and tent photo.

Things to be aware of 

During the day it can be warm but very cold in the evening. If you are high up above 300-400m you may experience single-digit numbers in the night even in July. Above 1000m expect it to be very cold at night. 

On the other hand, in the Arctic on a clear warm day, the sun will be shining on your tent all night and turning it into an ‘oven’ by the morning. Finding shade from the morning sun can be important.

It is very common to find condensation forming on your tent from the mixture of your body heat and cold nights. Expect in many places to discover a very wet tent in the morning. 

Mosquito and midges

From late June to late August there will be plenty of places where they’re present especially in forests and around lakes. We go into more detail on the FAQ page. The bottom line, bring repellent and cover your skin. 

Ticks

In Norway, ticks are most abundant along the coast from Oslo up to Helgelandskysten (close to Brønnøysund). Some areas have a high abundance of ticks, while other areas have none. Ticks don’t fly or jump but they crawl up grass or twigs for example and then climb on to animals or humans passing by. Keep out of areas of dense forest or high grassland. Check yourself after wild camping. A Tick removed within 24 hours will rarely pass on any disease.

Confrontation with locals.

If you are approached by a local farmer or resident regarding your wild camping spot. Be polite and try to come to an agreement. If you are asked to move on even if you think you’re not in the wrong it’s not worth causing trouble. It’s better to move on than to annoy and cause a confrontation with local people. You won’t sleep well knowing an angry farmer is next door.

Where not to wild camp:

Every year some people think it’s cool to turn up at a very popular tourist location and illegally camp there when everyone has gone home. Preikestolen and Trolltunga are two prime examples. World heritage sites such as Geiranger and Aurlandfjorden are two places you should not be seeking wild camping spots. Lofoten is also a hot potato due to the confrontations between locals and tourists. Over the last few years, many people have camped illegally in Lofoten, leaving litter and human waste behind. As a result free camping areas have been closed down and stricter rules have been put in place. Wild camping only works when a place is not overrun with tourists. On a bike, you will pass through many quiet areas. When you reach a busy area think about your impact and consider staying in a campsite.

Free and paid shelters

There are wooden shelters in many areas of rural Norway. Unfortunately, many different organizations build them, and thus getting an overview is extremely hard work. For example, you have bird watching, fishing, hiking, hunting, & tourist organizations that have all built shelters across the country. Who can use them, when, and what are the rules, are at times not straightforward. Some shelters are built for only day visits but many people will use them for overnights and how you stop or manage this is not clear. 

What are the shelters like:

Some will only have three walls and no designated sleeping areas (known in Norwegian as Gapahuk). Others are old wooden cabins used back in the day for lumberjacks etc. They will have no power and just some random old furniture including a wooden bed without a mattress. Some will have a fire pit or stove and sometimes free wood may be available. 

If you turn up at a shelter and people are already there it’s common to move on as the unwritten rule is first come have claim. Of course, if there’s plenty of room you are welcome to ask especially if it’s bad weather! Note, expect shelters to be busy during the hunting period of September.

Useful websites

• Amateur Site:  This is the closest I have found to a complete overview: This amateur map is a bit overwhelming but a lot of work has gone into mentioning as many free shelters as they can: You should note that the majority of these shelters are not suitable for cyclists due to their remote locations. There are also a lot of paid shelters that you will require a key to access (see the DNT Cabins section below). Furthermore, nothing is guaranteed, shelters may have been torn down, or sold off and if you plan to use this website don’t presume it’s as described. 
• Statskog: is a Norwegian state-owned enterprise responsible for the management of state-owned forest and mountain real estate totaling approximately 20% of the area of Norway. There are both free shelters and cabins to rent on their website. Some are located only on hiking paths many kilometers from a road. Others are very close to gravel roads and perhaps perfect for a night’s stay. 
• DNT / UT.no: The Norwegian Trekking Association has built around 80 shelters known as ‘Gapahuk’ and you can find where they are located on ut.no. (Tent sign)
• Norwegian Scenic Routes: have built some bird-watching shelters in the far north and one cycling shelter in Lofoten. Then intend to build another on Sognefjellet.