Dalsland is the lake province between Lake Vänern and Norway, two hours from Gothenburg. Here is what the canal and the Håverud aqueduct really are, which rules bind you in Tresticklan National Park, and how to get there without a car.
When you need this
You are driving between Gothenburg, Värmland and Oslo and wondering whether Dalsland deserves a day or a week. You want to see a boat cross the Håverud aqueduct, or take a canoe through the locks. Or you are planning a hike or a night in Tresticklan and want to know whether you may light a fire, bring the dog or fish the lake.
Dalsland at a glance
West Sweden’s tourist board describes Dalsland as sitting between Lake Vänern and the Norwegian border and says a quarter of it is water. Dalsland is a historic province (landskap) with no administration of its own: since 1998 it has belonged to Västra Götaland county, whose county board runs the national park, fire bans and fishing rules described below. See provinces and counties for how that works.
| Area | What it is | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| The canal corridor | 253 km of navigable lakes and canal, 31 locks | Boat or canoe through the locks |
| Håverud | The aqueduct carrying the canal over a rapid | Engineering from 1868 |
| Dalsland-Nordmarken | Lake system with over a hundred DANO campsites | Multi-day canoe trips |
| Tresticklan | National park on the Norwegian border, about 2,906 ha | Roadless forest, lakes, three trails |
| Stora Le | Lake in western Dalsland | Free road ferry, ancient rock |
| The Vänern shore | Sweden’s largest lake | Free hand-tackle fishing |
The Dalsland Canal and Håverud
The Dalsland Canal links a chain of lakes from Köpmannebro on Vänern to Östervallskog in Värmland: 253 km of navigable water, a 66 m drop and 31 locks. Only 12 km of it was dug or blasted; the rest is natural lake. It was completed in summer 1868.
The highlight is Håverud. Here the rock was loose, the current strong and the drops too steep for an ordinary lock flight, so the canal builder Nils Ericson had the canal carried over the rapid instead. The aqueduct is a free-hanging bridge: a 33.5 m iron trough held together by 33,000 rivets, with the Håverud stream falling nearly nine meters beneath it.
Canoes and kayaks pay per lock chamber, just as boats do, and some stations have several chambers; Håverud’s is priced as four. A clip card gives ten passages over a season. The canal has been cash-free since 2025, so carry a bank card. Prices are in the Practical information table.
Paddling Dalsland-Nordmarken
Around the canal lies the Dalsland-Nordmarken lake system, where the association DANO runs over a hundred wilderness campsites for canoeists. The rules there come from the association, not from statute:
| Rule | Status |
|---|---|
| Campsites need a naturvårdskort (nature conservation card), per person and night; under 12 free | Association rule |
| One night per campsite | Association rule |
| Groups of more than five must sleep at the campsites | Association rule |
| Fires only in campsite fire pits, 1 June–31 August | Association rule |
| No landing in bird protection areas in season; keep 100 m off the shore | Law; distance as stated by DANO |
Without a card you still have allemansrätten, the right of public access, so you may land and pitch a tent for a night or two away from homes. You may not use the campsites’ shelters, firewood or fire pits. Our canoeing guide for Värmland and Dalsland covers renting, life jackets and the canoe map in depth; this page does not repeat it.
Tresticklan National Park
Tresticklan lies in Dals-Ed municipality in north-west Dalsland, on the Norwegian border. Formed in 1996, it protects about 2,906 hectares of fissure-valley landscape: long, narrow lakes and bogs between ridges, in what the park agency calls the largest roadless, uninhabited forest in this part of Sweden. The gneiss at Stora Le is among the oldest rock in western Sweden, probably over 1,650 million years old.
Its regulations have been in force since 1 January 2015, and they are stricter than many visitors expect:
| In Tresticklan | Status |
|---|---|
| No fires, including grills, all year; camping stoves allowed | Law (park regulations) |
| Dogs and other pets must be leashed | Law (park regulations) |
| No cycling | Law (park regulations) |
| Berries and edible mushrooms may be picked for your own use | Law (park regulations) |
| Two nights in a tent are allowed | County board guidance |
| Organised overnight activities over two nights in a row need a permit | Law (park regulations) |
Three marked trails start from the main entrance, Råbocken: Bodalsvikenleden, about 4.5 km to the Norwegian border; the Bråtane loop, about 8.5 km or roughly 2.5 hours; and Orshöjdsleden, 6.4 km over the park’s highest point to the southern entrance. Just over the border at Bodalsviken (Budalsvika in Norwegian), a multi-bed cabin offers overnight stays outside the park.
Råbocken is the only entrance you can drive to and the only accessible one, with two accessible toilets and a 180 m accessible path. A person with reduced mobility may use an electric wheelchair or mobility scooter in the park. See Sweden’s national parks for how Tresticklan fits among the others.
Stora Le, Vänern and the draisine line
Stora Le is a lake in western Dalsland, crossed by the Sund–Jarenleden road ferry. Like almost every yellow Trafikverket ferry it is free; see Sweden’s free road ferries.
On the east side, Dalsland faces Vänern, Sweden’s largest lake. Hand-tackle fishing there is free for everyone, foreign visitors included.
Inland, a heritage railway runs draisines (pedal-powered rail bikes) on 50 km of track from Bengtsfors to Kyrkerud in Årjäng, and a train between Bengtsfors and Mellerud. Our heritage railways and draisines guide explains how a draisine day works.
Fire, camping and fishing
Three layers decide whether you may light a fire in Dalsland. Tresticklan bans fires and grills all year. DANO limits fires to its campsite pits in summer. And a county board or municipality may ban outdoor fires altogether; breaching a ban can mean a fine, and a total ban closes DANO’s pits too.
Check the ban map at krisinformation.se on the morning you plan to light anything, and carry a stove. See fire bans in Sweden and camping stoves during fire bans.
Camping follows allemansrätten: a night or two in a tent, out of sight of homes and off farmland, free. Our wild camping guide has the details.
Fishing is not part of allemansrätten. Vänern is free with hand tackle; every other lake in Dalsland, Stora Le and the canal lakes included, needs the rights-holder’s permission. See free fishing in Sweden.
Staying safe
| Risk | What the authorities say |
|---|---|
| Cold water | Wear an approved, CE-marked life jacket and dress for the water, not the air; almost half of those who drowned after falling out of a boat would have survived in one |
| Ticks and TBE | TBE is found in large parts of Västra Götaland and cases are rising; vaccination is recommended for all children from 3 and adults who spend a lot of time in a risk area |
| Tick season | Usually March–November, though infection is possible all year |
| Winter access | Tresticklan’s gravel access road is not usually cleared in winter |
The TBE vaccine guide explains the doses and timing.
Getting there
Dalsland is about two hours’ drive from Gothenburg. By rail, Åmål and Mellerud are stations on Trafikverket’s Norway/Vänern line from Gothenburg. The line runs to Kil with a branch to Norway via Kornsjö, and it is double track only as far as Öxnered. Trafikverket’s page does not name the train operators, so check times in Västtrafik’s journey planner before you travel.
Planned for autumn 2027: Trafikverket’s planning for the 2027 timetable lists a roughly ten-week traffic interruption between Åmål and Mellerud in weeks 35–45, and about three months of disruption at Vänersborg central from August or September. Check how trains will run before you book.
Tresticklan is hard to reach without a car. Västtrafik’s demand-responsive närtrafik (local service booked in advance) can take you to the park’s address, Rävmarken, Tresticklans nationalpark 1. The southern entrance, Klevmarken, is a 5 km walk from its car park.
Every crossing into Norway is a customs border. Visitors living outside Norway may bring 1 L of spirits, 1.5 L of wine, 2 L of beer and 200 cigarettes; see the Sweden–Norway border guide.
When to go
| Period | What changes |
|---|---|
| 22–25 May and 6–7 June (2026) | Dalsland Canal premiere opening |
| 11 June–16 August (2026) | Canal main season |
| To 30 September (2026) | Booked canal passages |
| 1 June–31 August | DANO fire period: campsite pits only |
| Spring and early summer | Bird protection areas closed to landing |
| March–November | Usual tick season |
| Winter and spring thaw | Tresticklan’s access road may be impassable |
| Weeks 35–45, 2027 (planned) | Rail interruption Åmål–Mellerud |
Mistakes to avoid
- Bringing a disposable grill to a Tresticklan lake.
- Using DANO’s shelters and firewood without a card.
- Staying two nights at the same DANO campsite.
- Fishing Stora Le because “Vänern is free”.
- Arriving at a lock with only cash.
- Heading to Tresticklan without a car and without booking transport.
- Booking a train to Åmål or Mellerud for autumn 2027 without checking.
Practical information
| Item | Cost or rule (checked 2026-10-15) |
|---|---|
| Hiking, paddling, a night or two in a tent | Free under allemansrätten |
| Tresticklan National Park | No entry charge stated |
| DANO nature conservation card | SEK 80 per person per night; under 12 free |
| Canal lock, canoe or kayak under 6 m | SEK 60 per chamber; SEK 120, 180 or 240 at stations with 2, 3 or 4 chambers |
| Canoe clip card, under 6 m | SEK 960 for ten passages in a season |
| Sund–Jarenleden road ferry | Free |
| Fishing Vänern with hand tackle | Free |
| Fishing other lakes | Rights-holder’s permit; price per water |
| Canoe and draisine rental, canal boat trips | Set by private operators |
FAQ
Where is Dalsland and how do I get there?
Dalsland lies in western Sweden between Lake Vänern and the Norwegian border, about two hours’ drive from Gothenburg. Regional trains on the Norway/Vänern line from Gothenburg stop at Mellerud and Åmål, and a branch continues to Norway via Kornsjö. The wilder north-west, including Tresticklan National Park, is hard to reach without a car.
What is special about the Håverud aqueduct?
At Håverud the Dalsland Canal could not be built with ordinary locks, so boats cross the rapid in a free-hanging, 33.5-meter iron trough held together by 33,000 rivets. It was part of the canal built from 1864 to 1868 under the canal builder Nils Ericson. Håverud’s lock station is priced as four chambers.
Can I camp anywhere when canoeing in Dalsland?
Almost. Allemansrätten lets you land and pitch a tent for a night or two away from homes and farmland, free. The DANO wilderness campsites in Dalsland-Nordmarken are different: they need a nature conservation card, allow one night per site, and groups of more than five must sleep there. The canoeing guide covers these rules in depth.
Can I light a fire in Tresticklan National Park?
No. The park regulations prohibit lighting fires, including using a grill, all year round, not only in dry summers. A camping stove is allowed. Elsewhere in Dalsland, DANO limits fires to its campsite fire pits from June to August, and a county fire ban can close those pits too. Check the national ban map before lighting anything.
Do I need a fishing license in Dalsland?
Only off Vänern. Fishing with hand tackle in Vänern is free for everyone, foreign visitors included. Every other lake in Dalsland, including Stora Le and the canal lakes, needs the rights-holder’s permission, usually a local fishing card. Fishing is not part of allemansrätten, so a canoe trip or a night in a tent does not include it.
Can I visit Tresticklan National Park without a car?
It is possible but takes planning. The county says the park is hard to reach without a car. Västtrafik’s demand-responsive local service can be booked by phone to the park’s address at Rävmarken, the main entrance. From the car park a marked path of about 700 meters leads to the park boundary. The other two entrances are reached only on foot.
When is the Dalsland Canal open?
In 2026 the canal opened for premiere weekends in late May and early June, ran its main season from 11 June to 16 August, and took booked passages until 30 September. Lock tickets are valid for the whole season, and the canal is cash-free. Dates change every year, so check the 2027 season on the canal’s own site before you plan.
Related guides
- Canoeing in Sweden: Värmland and Dalsland — DANO’s campsites, life jackets and renting, in depth.
- Värmland: Sweden’s Canoe Country — the neighbouring lake region to the north.
- Trollhättan — the canal town on the way from Gothenburg.
- Bohuslän and the West Coast — the coast to the west.
- The Göta Canal by boat — Sweden’s other great canal.
Facts verified 2026-10-15. Sources: Länsstyrelsen Västra Götaland, Naturvårdsverket, Dalslands Kanal, DANO, West Sweden Tourist Board, Trafikverket, SMHI, Krisinformation.se, Sveriges riksdag, 1177 Västra Götaland, Svenska Kanotförbundet, DVVJ and Tolletaten — full register in this topic’s source file. Canal season and prices are 2026 figures. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.