Hiking in Tresticklan National Park
Dals-Ed

Beautiful to walk whatever the time of year

Tresticklan National Park is one of the largest road free and uninhabited wilderness areas in southern Sweden. You’ll hike here on well marked trails through majestic pine forests, by magical lakes and along narrow ridges.  

In Tresticklan every season has its charm. In spring the wood anemones bloom and birdsong fills the treetops, during summer you’ll be tripping over bilberries, and then with wild mushrooms in autumn, and during winter the spruces are laden with a sparkling covering of snow and you’ll have the whole forest to yourself.

Choose between Tresticklan’s three trails

The absolute best way to explore the area is on foot. There are three trails to choose from: Bråtaneleden, Bodalsvikenleden and Orshöjdsleden. There is also a fourth, shorter trail, an accessible circular route just outside the national park.

Bråtaneleden Trail

Bråtaneleden is a nice circular route that offers many beautiful views, not least of Lake Tresticklan, which you’ll follow for quite a while. Lichen and moss covers the rocky outcrops and and on the heaths tufts of white cotton grass sway in the breeze. If you’re lucky you can find cloudberries here when they’re in season.   

The Bråtaneleden trail is also known as the Tresticklanleden.

Bodalsvikenleden

The Bodalsvikenleden trail crosses the national park from the main entrance in the east to Budalsvika at the western entrance in Norway. The trail follows the old Hallevägen trading route between Rävmarken in Sweden and Halden in Norway, which is why it used to be called the Halleleden (leden means the trail in Swedish).

At Budalsvika, on the Norwegian side of the border, there’s an old cottage where you can hire beds for the night and use the kitchen. Perfect if you want to hike for several days and don’t feel like camping. You can read more about the cottage in Budalsvika here.

Orshöjdsleden

The Orshöjdsleden trail goes from north to south through more or less the whole national park, from the main entrance to the southern entrance. You’ll pass, among other things, Lake Kleningen and Lakes Lilla and Stora Pylsan, as well as the highest point in the national park, Orshöjden (275 metres above sea level).

This route is ideal for anyone interested in history and heritage sites. Some things worth a look along the way are the Bråtane and Ekedrågen crofts, which were lived in until the beginning of the 20^th century, Orstjärnsgruvan mine at the foot of Orshöjden and Glimmergruvan mine by Lake Stora Pylsan

Accessible trail

The accessible trail goes along a gravel path from the main entrance car park to a pretty wetland where there’s an info point. A circular trail along a wide wooden boardwalk takes you around the wetland and back. Around the half way point there’s an accessible picnic bench table for a fika stop.

Day trips or longer tours

If you’re planning to do a day trip we suggest you start from the main entrance, walking west along the Bodalsvikenleden. Just after you’ve passed the wooden bridge over Lake Lilla Tresticklan head south on the Bråtaneleden. If you want you can also make a short detour up Orshöjden, otherwise just continue along the Bråtaneleden trail till you come out on the Bodalsvikenleden again, and can walk back to the main entrance. This route is around 8-10 kilometres.

If you want to go on a longer trip and head deeper into the national park then a night wild camping in a tent is a good idea. You are allowed to camp two nights in Tresticklan. Remember that lighting fires is not permitted, but you can make food using an outdoor stove. Would you like to experience true wilderness? Then Tresticklan National Park is definitely the place for you!

Nearby accommodation and sights

Among accommodation near to Tresticklan National Park we recommend Vita Huset vid Stora Le in Nössemark or Hotell Dalsland, Stationshuset B&B and Gröne Backe Camping in Ed.

Do stop and say hi to the moose at Dalslands Moose Ranch in Ed, just 20 minutes by car from Tresticklan. The ranch also provide accommodation and offer guided walks in the national park.