Camping and everyone’s rights
Short-term camping and other nature stays are part of everyone’s rights. When you stay overnight in local natural areas near cities, please be respectful of nature and considerate of other hikers. Camping may not disturb landowners or nature. For example, if you sleep in a hammock, protect tree trunks with equipment referred to as ‘tree huggers’.
Everyone’s rights do not allow camping in nature reserves, swimming areas or designated summer cottage areas. In summer cottage areas, such as Kivinokka and Satamasaari, the cottages are so densely packed that camping is not possible without disturbing the holidaymakers. Camping in other natural areas can also be restricted so that it does not degrade nature or disturb other visitors.
Read more about everyone’s rights(Link leads to external service)
Top 5 camping destinations in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area’s archipelago
Also, check out UUVI Association / Helsinki-Uusimaa Outdoor’s top 5 camping destinations(Link leads to external service) (in Finnish). You can camp at the Nuuksio(Link leads to external service) and Sipoonkorpi(Link leads to external service) national parks in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
Frequently asked questions about camping
Everyone’s rights allow for short periods of camping in recreational areas, provided it does not disturb nature or other hikers. Camping is not permitted in the immediate vicinity of lean-tos, cottages or campfire sites. This is to ensure that break areas are available to everyone who wants to use them. When planning a camping trip, please note that only some outdoor recreation areas have overnight facilities. It is important to make sure you do not leave litter or other traces in nature after your stay. Please note that open fires are not part of everyone’s rights, and building a fire is only permitted at official campfire sites.
Kaunissaari and Pihlajasaari are the City of Helsinki’s recreational islands where camping is subject to fees. They are also official campgrounds, where camping is restricted to designated areas that provide campers with various services, such as blankets, waste bins, and firewood. Outside the high season, generally from 15 September to 1 May, services on these islands will be on winter break and camping will be free of charge.
Short-term camping is allowed, but it must not disturb other hikers, cottage holidaymakers or nature. Please note that making a fire is only allowed in designated cooking shelters built for this purpose, which means you must bring your firewood with you. Cooking with your own camping stove is often the easiest solution. If no waste collection has been arranged, you must take your waste back with you to the mainland.
Dogs or other pets must not be allowed to roam freely in the wild. You must not disturb nesting birds or the privacy of any cottages or villas. You are always responsible for your own safety while visiting the City of Helsinki’s islands and recreational areas. Proper equipment, diligence and common sense are the best companions on an island trip.
Delivering firewood to the archipelago is very expensive. Firewood is also heavily used and often stolen, making it impossible to guarantee a sufficient supply, as newly replenished stocks of wood could be gone the very next day. Pihlajasaari, Kaunissaari and Pikku Leikosaari have firewood, the consumption of which is monitored by the person responsible for the maintenance of the island.
According to the general interpretation, it is camping that lasts for one or two nights.