A day trip from Stockholm: Stendörren’s Nature Reserve

Last weekend, Erikas and I rented a car for the day and decided to hop on a short adventure. There is no lockdown in Sweden (yet) but as we are staying home so much, we needed a gateway. Going to other cities is not an option as we still want to isolate and avoid contact with others in case we would be carrying you-know-who. However, going somewhere out of town, to nature, was a good plan! We did some research and found out that Stendörren National Park would be perfect for a day trip!

Stendörren’s National Park is located about 100 km south of Stockholm, close by the city of Nyköping. Going there with public transport was not an option for us as we want to avoid it as much as possible. So, we decided to rent a car for the day, using Aimo*. This car-sharing company offers a lot of electric cars in Stockholm, so we thought it would be the perfect time to try it, as we also needed to run some errands outside the city center.

If you want some inspiration for gateways closer from Stockholm (and accessible by public transport), have a look at Björnö Nature Reserve, Tyresta National Park, or Utö.

How to get to Stendörren National Park

I believe you can easily reach the park with public transport from Nyköping and/or Trosa. However, coming from Stockholm, we’ve rented a car for the day.

Getting to the park is fairly easy and does not require much planning. We’ve been driving on the highway most of the time (E4 toward Helsingborg) and then got onto the smaller roads for the remaining part of the trip. The park is not really indicated on road signs but you can follow the signs to Trosa. If you are using a GPS, set it to “Stendörrens Naturreservat” and it will take you right there!

Be aware when arriving in the park, as you need to drive through the forest and there could be wild animals. It did happen to us – 2 young deers were fighting in the middle of the road. In this case, keep the speed low, stay calm and wait for them to move!

There are a lot of parking options when arriving there so it should not be an issue for you!

What to do in Stendörren Nature Reserve

There is so much you can do in the national park! And that’s the best part of it! But note that since we went in April, not everything was opened or in place. Make sure to check their website if you’re looking for something more specific.

The ‘Naturum’ was not opened when we went, but I am sure this is a great thing to check out, especially if you are planning on staying in the reserve for a couple of days.

Hiking

Hiking was the reason why we went to Stendörren National Park. There are a lot of trails available, with different lengths and difficulty. Maps are available at the entrance of the park, but as we did not know what to expect, we chose the first trail on the island called Äspskär. It is really easy to follow the trails and there are marks on the trees to keep you on track.

Overall, we thought that the trails were quite short, which was great as we got to do a few of them and see different places. It also allowed us to stop where and when we wanted. We have done the following trails:

Äspskär: Starting the hike by walking on suspended bridges is really fun! This part of the reserve is probably the busiest as it is the most accessible and the easiest to find upon arrival. There are a lot of places to stop by the sea, enjoying the sun, a picnic or a swim! The hike is a mix of seaside and forest – a really nice one!
Långuddsviken: Up on the rocks. We started by hiking our way up to the top and highest part of the reserve. This is great if you want to enjoy the view over the national park, this is more of a “forest” hike, rather than being close to the sea.
St. Krokholmen: Another island, but shorter trails than the first one. As this one is further out in the reserve, there are fewer people and some areas for camping. In some parts of the trail, you are well protected from the wind, which is great if you want to enjoy a cup of tea in the sun!

Picnic & Camping

Stendörren National Park is also great for a weekend or a few days. There is a ton of places with barbecues and picnic areas on-site, which you can easily find when hiking. You’ll find the grills with a suspended grill for the food, chopped wood, and sometimes a bottle of liquid to help light up the bbq (picture below!).

For camping, it is the same! There are a few areas where you can pitch a tent, but you can also find shelters scattered in the reserve. Everything is well indicated and you should not have any issue finding them. On top of this, you’ll also find toilets (often close to the camping or picnic area).

Swimming & Kayaking

Stendörren nature reserve is a really great place, and we’ve loved visiting it during the spring! And without a doubt, we will be returning in the summer as there are other great things to do, such as kayaking!!

Over the summer months, the kayak rental opens (located around Lerkrok), from which you can visit the whole archipelago. So it goes without saying that finding a place for a dip in the summer is not too hard in Stendörren – but make sure you have a bonfire ready to warm up quickly!

Note that Stendörren National Park has free access, there is no fee if you wish to stay overnight or anything, so make sure to keep the place clean and use the appropriate equipment and dedicated places when having a barbecue!