Everyman’s rights

Five lively young people with backpacks walk across a forest clearing, cheering with their hands raised. One is holding a guitar.

Everyman’s rights and duties

  • In Finland, we have everyman’s rights, which grant us all a right to use the nature regardless of who owns or controls the area.
  • However, this doesn’t mean that we are allowed to, for example, walk freely on fields someone has cultivated, carry away a fallen tree, light a fire on somebody else’s land or drive a motor vehicle in the terrain.

In nature reserves, everyman’s rights are not valid as such.

Finland’s nature is unique

Alexander Stubb, President of the Republic, has said that Finland’s nature is one of the main reasons why it has been ranked the happiest country in the world in the World Happiness Report many times.

According to Stubb, there are several reasons for Finland’s ranking, but here are three of his own:

  1. Nature
  2. Trust
  3. Education

Source: @alexstubb, X

A smiling man walks along a snowy forest path.

Everyman’s rights mean that you can:

  1. Walk, ski and cycle in nature, including in forests, natural meadows and water bodies.

  2. Go horse riding in nature provided that you do not harm the environment.

  3. Stay and set up camp temporarily in areas where access is otherwise allowed.

  4. Pick wild berries, mushrooms and plants provided that they are not protected species.

  5. Swim and go boating in waterways and move around on frozen waterways.

  6. Catch fish by hook and line fishing or ice-fishing (with certain exceptions).

     

    Source: Luontoon.fi

Sausages grilling over an open fire.

Everyman’s rights do not give you a right to:

  • interfere with a landowner’s land use
  • walk in private gardens or planted or cultivated fields
  • cut down or damage growing trees
  • collect dry wood or fallen trees
  • collect moss or lichen
  • light a fire on somebody else’s land
  • violate the privacy of other people’s homes, for example by camping too close to their houses or making noise
  • litter
  • drive a motor vehicle off the road
  • disturb or harm birds’ nests or chicks
  • disturb animals
  • fish and hunt without the appropriate permits (with certain exceptions)
  • allow your dog to go to a public beach, a playground for children, a maintained ski track or a sports field
  • let your dog off the leash in a built-up area, on an exercise track or someone else’s land
  • keep your dog unleashed between 1 March and 19 August (with certain exceptions)

Source: Luontoon.fi

In the ‘Outdoor life’ section, you will find more information on how to plan a trip, prevent accidents in the wilderness and how to treat someone in shock, among other things.

Outdoor life

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