What does a 5- or 7-day canoe trip in Värmland look like?
Short answer
A 7-day canoe trip in Värmland's Nordmarken is a loop of about 110 km from Gustavsfors on the Dalsland border, through Lelång, Västra Silen, Järnsjön and Östra Silen, with four portages and around 16 km a day. A 5-day version stays on Västra and Östra Silen, about 58 km, which leaves room for a rest day. You sleep at island campsites with the DANO nature card and spend the first and last night at your base.
A week on the water in Nordmarken has a rhythm: pack the barrel, paddle until early afternoon, pick an island, swim, cook, sleep. Both routes below are loops from Gustavsfors, the lock village between Lelång and Västra Silen.
The 7-day loop, day by day
This loop follows The Canoe Trip’s “Värmland Moose Tour”, which its route page puts at 110 km with two locks and four portages (2026). The average works out at about 16 km a paddling day.
| Day | Water | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lelång | Briefing at the base, a short drive to the shore of Lelång, a first loop south and a camp near the start |
| 2 | Lelång to Västra Silen | Through the Gustavsfors lock (shop and restaurant at the lock), then north onto Västra Silen |
| 3 | Västra Silen to Järnsjön | The long portage from Badbarna beach, wheels under the canoe |
| 4 | Järnsjön towards Östra Silen | Two short portages, one about 700 m; a small shop near Sillerud |
| 5 | Östra Silen | Islands and peninsulas; camp at Sillebotten |
| 6 | Östra Silen | Back south across the lake, camp near the Krokfors lock |
| 7 | Krokfors to Gustavsfors | Through the double lock into Västra Silen and back to the base |
| 8 | Pack up and leave |
Days 3 and 4 are the hardest, because the portages take time and force you to unload. Day 5 is the natural place for a slow day: you can stay longer on Östra Silen, fish, and still reach Krokfors on day 6.
You can also paddle it the other way round. Going anticlockwise means wading the canoe up a small stream.
The 5-day version
Five days suits you if you want the islands without the portages. Paddle north on Västra Silen, through Krokfors into Östra Silen, and back. The Canoe Trip sells this water as a 3-day “Krokfors Short Tour” of 58 km. Spread over five days, it becomes a relaxed trip with one full rest day.
| Day | Plan | Rough distance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Launch at Gustavsfors, north on Västra Silen, first island camp | 12–15 km |
| 2 | Through the Krokfors lock into Östra Silen | 12–15 km |
| 3 | Rest day on Östra Silen: short paddle without luggage, swim, fish | 0–8 km |
| 4 | Back through Krokfors onto Västra Silen | 12–15 km |
| 5 | South to Gustavsfors, with an optional loop on southern Västra Silen | 10–15 km |
The day distances split the 58 km by map. Wind decides the real numbers, so treat them as a guide.
If you want Lelång in the mix too, swap day 4 for a crossing back to Gustavsfors and spend day 5 on Lelång. Lelång is about 40 km long, between Bengtsfors and Lennartsfors, so a day there means an out-and-back on part of it.
Where you sleep
Every night apart from the first and last is on the shore.
- DANO campsites: about a hundred across the Dalsland–Nordmarken system, with a fireplace and a toilet, and a shelter at most of them. You pay with the nature card, 80 SEK per person per night (2026), children under 12 free.
- No reservations: you share a site with whoever arrives. In July, stop by early afternoon so you have a choice.
- Right of public access: without the card you may still pitch a tent for a night or two away from houses, but not use DANO’s shelters and fireplaces. See wild camping in Värmland.
- First and last night: at your base, in a tent, hut or glamping tent.
A day on the water
A typical day: pack up by 9 or 10, paddle three to five hours with a long lunch on a rock, and look for a campsite from mid-afternoon. On the bigger lakes the wind tends to pick up after lunch, so do long crossings in the morning.
Expect firewood that you saw and split yourself, and phone signal in most of the area. On the 7-day loop you pass a shop at the Gustavsfors lock on day 2 and a small one near Sillerud on day 4.
What to plan for
- Wind: keep one day free on a 7-day loop. Wind on Lelång or Östra Silen can keep you ashore for a morning.
- Portages: take a barrel and bags you can carry. Wheels help on paths; over rocks you carry.
- Locks: Gustavsfors is a Dalsland Canal lock and you need a lock pass for it. Ask your base whether one is included.
- Food: pack for the first days and top up at those two shops. The Canoe Trip also sells a food pack for €129.
The full cost breakdown is in what a canoe trip in Värmland costs.
Organised or your own dates
The Canoe Trip is the organised version of this week: 8 days, 7 nights (six wild camping, the last at the base), with canoe, barrel, cookset, map with campsites, nature card, lock pass and a briefing, from €265 per person (2026). It starts on Sundays and Thursdays from mid-May to mid-September. Bookings for 2027 open on 12 November.
To choose your own start day and length, book a canoe package at Outpost North in Gustavsfors. It sits on the water between Lelång and Västra Silen, so the 5-day loop starts at its own jetty. The package runs from 1 to 14 days and includes a canoe for two, paddles, life jackets, a barrel, wheels, the route in an app and the nature card. In 2027, 7 days cost €560 per canoe in May and €805 in July (about €403 per person); 5 days in September cost €425. Tent, sleeping set and food packs are extras. The camp, huts and a sauna cover the night before and after. Why that spot works as a base is in where to start a multi-day canoe trip in Värmland.
Sources
The Canoe Trip: canoe routes, The Canoe Trip, Outpost North: canoe tours, Dalsland Nordmarken: nature conservation card, Dalsland Nordmarken: campsites, Wikipedia: Lelång, Naturvårdsverket: camping and tents.
