Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Canoe Guide - Dalslands Round Tour
Canoe Tours in Dalsland: Dalslands Round Tour
Dalsland is possibly the premier canoe touring area of Sweden. Many different tours are possible on the
extensive system of large lakes and the Dalslands canal. This is a wilderness but with many facilities for
canoeists. As well as the suggested route there are many possible shorter round tours on this lake system.
Start and Finish: Ed. Ed is at the junction of highways 164 and 166 in Dalsland. This is a circular route so
can be started anywhere.
Distance: 210 km (350 km using my suggested extensions)
Route extension: There are many possible extensions to this tour. Details below.
Maps: There are good canoe maps for this route.
Portages: 7 portages, 0.1 - 8 km plus a few locks. You can portage or pass through most of the locks on the
Dalsland Kanal. Where I have said portage the locks in the route description this means portage or pass
through.
Difficulty: Medium. Paddling this route is easy unless the wind gets up big waves on the large lakes.
The route:
From the Canoe Centre in Ed at the southern end of Stora Le, portage about 8 km to Vångsjön. Paddle this
lake and then portage into lake Grann. Paddle along the southern shore of this lake and into lake Ivägsjön
which is entered at its NW tip and left at its NE tip for the paddle down the Stenebyälven, a small stream.
There is a portage as this stream drops steeply into lake Laxsjön. This lake is part of the Dalsland Kanal.
Paddle south to Dals Långed where you must portage the 5 locks. Enter lake Råvarpen and portage another
lock as you enter lake Åklången. Leave this lake through the locks at Håverud and enter lake Övre
Upperudshöljen and portage more locks into lake Spången and on into lake Östebosjön. You might like to
enter Svanefjorden and Köpmannebro where the canal enters the inland sea Vänern before heading north to
Snäcke where you portage the lock to enter lake Ånimmen. Another lock will take you into Ärrsjön and up to
Fröskog. Portage into lake Knarrbysjön and paddle into Bräcketjärn. At the north end of this lake you will
need to portage through Edsleskog nd into lake Edslan. At the north end of this lake you will need to portage
into lake Limmen. Portage out of Limmen into into the SE tip of Östra Silen . Paddle up this lake and then
west to Krokfors where you portage locks into Västra Silen. Head a little way up this lake and then head for
the lock at Gustavsfors where you enter lake Lelången. At the north end of this lake are more locks at
Lennartsfors which take you into lake Foxen. Keep to the southern shore of this lake and you find yourself
entering Store Le for the long paddle down to Ed.
Route extensions:
1) When I paddled the route from Östra Silen I headed north to Sillebotten then along the north shore of the
lake to Sillerud where I portaged into Svensbysjön and then into Järnsjön and portage into the north end of
Västra Silen, near Årjäng. Head south down Västra Silento regain the route at Gustavsfors. This variation is
about 50 km longer.
2) From Foxen you can paddle north to Töcksfors and portage into lake Töck and paddle up to lake
Östen.Return by the same route to Foxen. This variation is about 70 km longer.
3) From Lelången, instead of heading for Lennartsfors, portage at Blomma into Nedre Blomsjön and then a
short portage into Övre Blomsjön. Portage into (another) Stora Le and head south to Foxen to rejoin the
route. This variation is about 20 km longer.
Information:
Canodal
Gamla Edsvägen 4
668 30 Ed
Phone: 0534-618 03
info@canodal.com
http://www.canodal.com
Canoe hire, canoe transport, maps and information
Sketch map of route on the website
Nordmarkens Kanot Center AB
Risviken
SE- 672 91 Årjäng
Tel +46 (0) 573 38060
canoes@swipnet.se
www.nordkanot.se
Canoe hire, canoe transport, maps and information
Sketch map of Dalsland lake system on their website
Route description (German)
Kanu DKV-Auslandsführer Band 4: Skandinavien
Dalsland is possibly the premier canoe touring area of Sweden. Many different tours are possible on the
extensive system of large lakes and the Dalslands canal. This is a wilderness but with many facilities for
canoeists. As well as the suggested route there are many possible shorter round tours on this lake system.
Start and Finish: Ed. Ed is at the junction of highways 164 and 166 in Dalsland. This is a circular route so
can be started anywhere.
Distance: 210 km (350 km using my suggested extensions)
Route extension: There are many possible extensions to this tour. Details below.
Maps: There are good canoe maps for this route.
Portages: 7 portages, 0.1 - 8 km plus a few locks. You can portage or pass through most of the locks on the
Dalsland Kanal. Where I have said portage the locks in the route description this means portage or pass
through.
Difficulty: Medium. Paddling this route is easy unless the wind gets up big waves on the large lakes.
The route:
From the Canoe Centre in Ed at the southern end of Stora Le, portage about 8 km to Vångsjön. Paddle this
lake and then portage into lake Grann. Paddle along the southern shore of this lake and into lake Ivägsjön
which is entered at its NW tip and left at its NE tip for the paddle down the Stenebyälven, a small stream.
There is a portage as this stream drops steeply into lake Laxsjön. This lake is part of the Dalsland Kanal.
Paddle south to Dals Långed where you must portage the 5 locks. Enter lake Råvarpen and portage another
lock as you enter lake Åklången. Leave this lake through the locks at Håverud and enter lake Övre
Upperudshöljen and portage more locks into lake Spången and on into lake Östebosjön. You might like to
enter Svanefjorden and Köpmannebro where the canal enters the inland sea Vänern before heading north to
Snäcke where you portage the lock to enter lake Ånimmen. Another lock will take you into Ärrsjön and up to
Fröskog. Portage into lake Knarrbysjön and paddle into Bräcketjärn. At the north end of this lake you will
need to portage through Edsleskog nd into lake Edslan. At the north end of this lake you will need to portage
into lake Limmen. Portage out of Limmen into into the SE tip of Östra Silen . Paddle up this lake and then
west to Krokfors where you portage locks into Västra Silen. Head a little way up this lake and then head for
the lock at Gustavsfors where you enter lake Lelången. At the north end of this lake are more locks at
Lennartsfors which take you into lake Foxen. Keep to the southern shore of this lake and you find yourself
entering Store Le for the long paddle down to Ed.
Route extensions:
1) When I paddled the route from Östra Silen I headed north to Sillebotten then along the north shore of the
lake to Sillerud where I portaged into Svensbysjön and then into Järnsjön and portage into the north end of
Västra Silen, near Årjäng. Head south down Västra Silento regain the route at Gustavsfors. This variation is
about 50 km longer.
2) From Foxen you can paddle north to Töcksfors and portage into lake Töck and paddle up to lake
Östen.Return by the same route to Foxen. This variation is about 70 km longer.
3) From Lelången, instead of heading for Lennartsfors, portage at Blomma into Nedre Blomsjön and then a
short portage into Övre Blomsjön. Portage into (another) Stora Le and head south to Foxen to rejoin the
route. This variation is about 20 km longer.
Information:
Canodal
Gamla Edsvägen 4
668 30 Ed
Phone: 0534-618 03
info@canodal.com
http://www.canodal.com
Canoe hire, canoe transport, maps and information
Sketch map of route on the website
Nordmarkens Kanot Center AB
Risviken
SE- 672 91 Årjäng
Tel +46 (0) 573 38060
canoes@swipnet.se
www.nordkanot.se
Canoe hire, canoe transport, maps and information
Sketch map of Dalsland lake system on their website
Route description (German)
Kanu DKV-Auslandsführer Band 4: Skandinavien
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