This year we told ourselves “we’re going to make the most of our tent and camp the whole summer”. And then the weather in July was not on our side. But this August, we kicked off the camping season by spending a night away in Oxnö! Oxnö is an island in South-West Stockholm, in the archipelago. It happened to be a perfect location for camping in Stockholm! In this article, we are giving you all the details for the awesome and free camping experience in Stockholm as well as a short packing list for a weekend getaway!
Last year in August, we went camping in Stockholm’s archipelago and it was a true success! We loved our camping experience on the island of Utö and we knew we would go camping in Stockholm again. However, finding the right location is not easy. Many places by the sea are rocky and therefore putting a tent there is impossible or uncomfortable. By looking online, we’ve found a blog post about Gålö, an island nearby Stockholm. And after some research, we decided to head in that direction.
Getting to Oxnö
You can go to Oxnö without having a car. But be aware it will be much longer! But hey, we did it and it was fine! From the city center, we took the “pendeltåg” (commuter train) to Västerhaninge. From there we hopped on a bus (number 845) toward Gålö and stopped in Oxnö.
Once you’re at the bus stop, there is a bit of a walk ahead. Walk towards Oxnö Övre (a camping site) and keep on walking down the road. After a while, you will reach a parking lot, keep walking on the road until you see a gate with the sign “nature reserve”. If you made it there, you’re on the right track! Get in the nature reserve and follow the road until the end.
If you need a GPS to get there, insert location “Spjutsundsängar”, or coordinates 59°04’17.6″N 18°14’50.7″E. The walk took us between 20 and 30 minutes, but the overall trip close to 2.5 hours due to a lot of waiting time between the train and the bus.
The Camp
The campground in Oxnö nature reserve is really good! If it is your first time camping you will love it (you’ll also love it if it is not your first time)! The ground there is fairly flat, with trees for shade during the day and morning.
You can also find there some toilets, a shelter with a fireplace inside and running water. There are no showers but you can easily access the sea through a small beach or by the jetty for a swim. You can also find some fire pits which have grills for barbecue.
Around the camp, there is a nice forest and some rocky hills. Not much for a good hike but nice to walk around. As you are on an island, there are water and beautiful views everywhere! And now, in the summer, the ground is covered with wild blueberries. We have loved picking some and let me tell you – they are great in a pie!
Not far from the campsite, just before accessing the nature reserve, there is a lovely beach where you can spend some time. There is an infrastructure for swimming and lovely white sand!
What to Pack?
First time camping? Here are all the supplies you need for a successful camping experience! The below list is made based on a weekend gateway like the one we’ve had. The supplies needed are overall the same – except that you’d need more food! You can also easily print this packing list if needed!
Why Camping?
Why camping when you can sleep in a comfortable bed instead? Or why camping when you are close by home? Oh well… let us tell you! We have been camping on a few occasions now and we have loved it for a few reasons.
First, it is a very cheap gateway! For this camping, all we spent was for the food, and it cost us less than 200 SEK (20€) each for the whole trip.
Second, camping is great to reconnect. We were gone only for 1 night, but it felt like we were there for much longer! During our camping trips, we try not to use our phones and this makes a big difference. It allows us to be more relaxed and enjoy the moment rather than thinking about what’s coming next.
Lastly, camping feels like you’re on holiday right away. As soon as we leave our apartment with our gear, hop on a bus, or look for a campground, it feels like an adventure! Sleeping outside, enjoying some sun, making a fire, etc. are activities and things we usually do during holidays!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this article and that it will make you want to discover the beauty of Stockholm’s archipelago. Camping in Stockholm is an amazing and unique way to discover the city and the beautiful places and islands around it!
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