Everyman’s Rights in Finland: What You Can—and Cannot—Do in Nature

Finland’s forests may seem almost completely open to exploration. In many ways, they are.

Thanks to jokaisenoikeudet, commonly called Everyman’s Rights or the right to roam, you can enjoy nature even when you do not own the land. You usually do not need to buy a ticket, ask the landowner or stay inside a designated recreation area.

But the freedom is not unlimited. Everyman’s Rights work on a simple principle: enjoy nature without causing damage or disturbing people, wildlife or livelihoods.

Here is what visitors should understand before setting off.

What Are Everyman’s Rights?

Everyman’s Rights allow anyone in Finland—residents and visitors alike—to spend time in nature regardless of who owns the land.

They are not based on one single law. Instead, different Finnish laws define what is permitted, restricted or prohibited. The rights are free to use and do not require the landowner’s permission when the activity falls within their scope. 

The Finnish name jokaisenoikeudet is gender-neutral and translates literally as “everyone’s rights.” Although “Everyman’s Rights” remains a familiar English term, “Everyone’s Rights” and “right to roam” are also used.

You May Walk, Ski and Cycle in Nature

You may generally travel on foot, skis or bicycle through forests, uncultivated land and natural meadows.

You do not have the right to enter private gardens, yards or cultivated fields. Keep a respectful distance from homes and holiday cottages, even when there is no fence.

The key question is whether your presence creates more than minor inconvenience or damage. A quiet walker passing through a forest is different from a large group repeatedly using the same private shoreline as a rest area.

Where marked trails exist, using them reduces erosion and makes navigation easier—particularly during Finland’s wet autumn.

You May Pick Wild Berries and Mushrooms

Wild berries and mushrooms may normally be collected without the landowner’s permission. This includes popular Finnish species such as bilberries, lingonberries, cloudberries and edible forest mushrooms.

There are still limits:

Do not collect protected species.

Do not enter private gardens or cultivated areas.

Do not damage trees or other vegetation.

Check the rules of protected destinations.

Pick only mushrooms you can identify safely.

Everyman’s Rights do not allow you to collect moss or lichen. You may not cut branches, damage growing trees or take dry wood and fallen trees from somebody else’s land. 

A forest full of materials is not a free craft or firewood supply.

Temporary Camping Is Usually Allowed

You may usually pitch a tent temporarily in a location where access is otherwise permitted.

Choose a durable surface and stay well away from homes, private yards and cottage shorelines. Avoid creating a permanent-looking camp or returning repeatedly to the same place if doing so could inconvenience the landowner.

Camping rules can be stricter in national parks and nature reserves. In Finnish national parks, camping is generally restricted to designated sites. Individual destinations may also have seasonal restricted zones to protect nesting birds or sensitive vegetation. 

Always read the destination’s instructions before an overnight trip.

You May Not Light a Fire Wherever You Like

One of the most common misunderstandings is that the right to roam includes campfires. It does not.

Lighting an open fire on somebody else’s land requires the landowner’s permission. In national parks and other managed hiking destinations, fires may be permitted at designated fireplaces, subject to local rules and current wildfire warnings.

Do not build a fire simply because you find an old fire ring. It may be unofficial or no longer permitted.

Use the provided firewood at maintained sites rather than collecting wood from the surrounding forest. During a wildfire warning, restrictions become stricter, and many open fireplaces cannot be used.

Swimming and Boating Are Generally Allowed

Everyman’s Rights normally allow swimming, boating and other non-motorised use of waterways.

Respect private shorelines. Do not swim, land a canoe or stop for a break so close to somebody’s home or sauna that you disturb their privacy.

Noise carries particularly well across water. A conversation that sounds quiet inside a boat may be clearly audible at a cottage on the opposite shore.

Motorised boating is governed by additional rules and local restrictions. Harbours, protected areas and military zones may have their own limitations.

Fishing Depends on the Method and Location

Simple hook-and-line fishing with one pole and no casting reel or lure is generally free, as is ice fishing with one rod. However, restrictions apply in some waters, including rapids and running sections of migratory-fish waters. 

Fishing with a lure is different. In 2026, anglers aged 18–69 generally need to pay Finland’s fisheries management fee when fishing with a spinning rod, traps or other specified methods. The fee allows fishing with one rod and lure in many areas, but special destinations and restricted waters may require an additional permit. 

Fishing rules apply equally to Finnish residents and international visitors. Check the exact waterbody before fishing rather than relying on general advice.

Dogs Must Remain Under Control

A dog does not have an independent right to roam.

On somebody else’s land, dogs must generally be kept on a leash or immediately capable of being leashed. Metsähallitus states that dogs must not be allowed to run free between 1 March and 19 August, which is an especially sensitive period for wildlife. 

Dogs are not permitted at public swimming beaches, children’s playgrounds, maintained ski tracks or sports fields.

Protected areas may impose additional requirements. Keeping a dog leashed also helps protect reindeer, nesting birds and other animals—and prevents the dog from disappearing after an unfamiliar scent.

National Parks Have Their Own Rules

A national park is protected land, not simply a larger public forest.

Visitors are usually free to walk in Finnish national parks, but activities such as camping, cycling and horse riding may be limited to designated areas or routes. Restricted zones may be completely closed during certain seasons.

Nature reserves can be stricter still. Some small reserves prohibit camping, while strict nature reserves may only be entered with permission or along a designated trail. 

Check the official destination page before your visit. The map alone does not show every rule.

A Simple Way to Remember the Rules

Before doing something in Finnish nature, ask three questions:

Could this damage the land, plants or water?

Could this disturb wildlife or another person?

Does this activity involve fire, a motor vehicle, fishing equipment or something taken from the land?

If the answer to any question is yes or uncertain, check the local rules or ask permission first.

Walking quietly, resting briefly and picking ordinary wild berries are at the heart of the right to roam. Cutting wood, driving off-road, making fires and disturbing homes are not.

Freedom Built on Respect

Everyman’s Rights give people an unusually direct relationship with Finnish nature. You do not need to own a forest to find silence there. You only need to leave it as you found it.

Bring a little of the forest home with our latest nature-inspired T-shirts and sweatshirts — for everyday moments when your mind is in the woods.

Teemu – Rather Be In Finland