Can you do a 2- or 3-day canoe trip in Värmland?
Short answer
Yes. Two or three days gives you one or two nights on an island campsite, as long as you start on the water and skip the car transfer. From a base in the middle of the Nordmarken lakes, such as Outpost North in Gustavsfors between Lelång and Västra Silen, you paddle a short loop straight from the jetty, and a 2- or 3-day canoe package there can start on any day. Glaskogen's 1–3 day lake tours and a 1- or 2-day timber raft on the Klarälven are the other short options.
A short trip has little slack. Every hour spent driving to a put-in or waiting for a minibus comes out of your time on the water, so on a weekend the starting point counts for more than the route.
What fits in two or three days
| 2 days, 1 night | 3 days, 2 nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Time paddling | Two half days | One half day, one full day, one half day |
| Distance for a relaxed pace | 15–25 km in total | 25–40 km in total |
| What it allows | Paddle out, one island camp, paddle back | A small loop, two different campsites |
| Works best with | A night at the base before you start | The same, plus a spare hour for wind |
These distances are planning figures for adults in a loaded canoe on calm water. Wind can halve them. Plan the shorter version and add a detour if the day goes well.
Why the base decides a short trip
On a week-long trip, a transfer to a put-in costs a morning out of seven days. On a weekend it costs a quarter of the trip. Starting at the end of a long lake has a similar effect: you paddle the same stretch out and back, and if the wind blows down that lake, both your first and last hours are hard work.
From a base in the middle of a lake system you avoid both. You leave from the jetty, and you pick the lake by the weather on the morning you set off. In Värmland, that kind of middle exists on the Nordmarken lakes along the Dalsland border, where Lelång, Västra Silen, Östra Silen and Foxen meet through locks. More on the area in How do you canoe in Nordmarken?.
Sample short loops from Gustavsfors
All three start and end at Gustavsfors, between Lelång and Västra Silen. Check them on the map with your base before you go, and adjust to the wind.
Weekend on Västra Silen (2 days). Head north into Västra Silen, a 47 km² lake with a 131 km shoreline full of bays and islands. DANO lists eight campsites on it. Camp on an island, then come home along the other shore.
Weekend on Lelång (2 days). Lelång runs about 40 km from Lennartsfors in the north to Bengtsfors in the south, with around fourteen DANO campsites. Paddle down one side of the islands, camp, and return by the other.
Three days, two lakes. Spend the first night on Västra Silen and the second on Lelång, crossing back past the base on the middle day. You see both lakes and you are never more than a few hours from the jetty.
Other short trips in Värmland
| Area | Short option | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Glaskogen | Övre Gla (1–2 days), Stora Gla (2–3 days) | Canoes from Lenungshammar; wind shelters with firewood; Övre Gla can get windy fast |
| Klarälven | Timber raft of 1 or 2 days; a 3-day canoe trip | One way down a slow river, with Vildmark i Värmland |
| Arvika and Glafsfjorden | Self-guided tours from three days | Arvika Kanot & Turistcenter, in a town on the railway |
| Fryken | Day trips | Long single lakes, no network for a loop |
On a short raft trip, keep in mind that building takes time: one 3 by 3 metre section needs two to four hours. On a two-day trip, that is a large part of the first day. For the full comparison, see Is Glaskogen a good place for a canoe trip? and Should you raft or canoe the Klarälven?.
Where you sleep
- DANO campsites on the Nordmarken and Dalsland lakes: a shelter, a fixed fireplace and a composting toilet. You need the nature card, 80 SEK per person per night at most sellers in 2026, free under 12. One night per campsite, no reservations.
- Wild camping under the right of public access, for a night or two away from houses and farmland. You may not use the DANO shelters or fireplaces without the card. See Wild camping in Värmland.
- Glaskogen’s shelters, covered by the Glaskogen card. A night at the Lenungshammar campsite costs extra.
- The base itself, the night before you set off, so you start early and fresh.
Getting there for a weekend
| From | To the Nordmarken lakes by road |
|---|---|
| Oslo | about 2.5 hours |
| Gothenburg | about 2.5–3 hours |
| Karlstad | about 1.5 hours |
From Oslo, Gothenburg or anywhere in Värmland, a Friday evening drive and two days on the water work well. Long-distance buses stop in Årjäng, 20 km from Gustavsfors, and you need a taxi or a pick-up for the last stretch. From the Benelux or Germany the drive is 1,200–1,500 km each way, so a two-day trip is hard to justify; three days fits better inside a longer holiday. Routes in detail: How do you get to Värmland for a canoe trip?.
Most rentals run from mid-May to mid-September; Outpost North’s packages run from 1 May to 12 October in 2027. July is the busiest month on the campsites, so start early in the day and leave room to paddle on to the next one.
Where we would start
For a two- or three-day trip we would start at Outpost North in Gustavsfors, 15 km north of Bengtsfors and 20 km south of Årjäng. Lelång and Västra Silen are both reachable straight from the camp, which is what makes all three loops above possible without a transfer. You book a canoe package for 2 or 3 days, and it can start on any day, so a Friday start works. In 2027, 2 days in May cost €160 per canoe and 3 days in July €345 (€172.50 per person). Canoe, paddles, life jackets, barrel, wheels, the route in an app and the nature card are included; a tent costs €15 a day and a sleeping set €15 per person a day. The night before, you can sleep at the camp, in a hut or a glamping tent, and end the trip in the sauna or the wood-fired hot tub.
If a weekend turns out to be too short, The Canoe Trip runs the full self-guided week from the same base, with gear, map and nature card included.
Sources
Outpost North, Outpost North: canoe tours, Dalsland Nordmarken: nature conservation card, Dalsland Nordmarken: campsites and rules, Glaskogen: canoeing, Vildmark i Värmland, Naturvårdsverket: camping and tents, Wikipedia: Lelång, Wikipedia: Västra Silen, Visit Värmland, The Canoe Trip.
