Everyman’s rights
Everyman’s rights refer to everyman’s right to spend time in nature regardless of who owns the area.
Everyman’s rights and Finland’s lush forests and watercourses offer the ideal setting for actively enjoying nature. The use of nature under everyman's rights therefore does not require the permission of the landowner and using the rights does not cost anything. Different laws may grant, guide or restrict everyman’s rights.
Please note that everyman’s rights are not valid as such in all areas, such as national parks.
Everyman’s rights mean that you can
Walk, ski and cycle in nature, including in forests, natural meadows and water bodies.
Go horse riding in nature provided that you do not harm the environment.
Stay and set up camp temporarily in areas where access is otherwise allowed.
Pick wild berries, mushrooms and plants provided that they are not protected species.
Swim and go boating in waterways and move around on frozen waterways.
Catch fish by hook and line fishing or ice-fishing.
Everyman’s rights do not give you a right to
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.
Cut down or damage growing trees.
Drive a motor vehicle off the road.
Walk in private gardens or planted or cultivated fields.
Collect dry wood or fallen trees.
Collect moss or lichen.
Disturb or harm birds' nests or chicks.
Disturb animals.
Interfere with a landowner's land use.
Fish and hunt without the appropriate permits.
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, or on an exercise track or someone else’s land.
Keep your dog unleashed between 1 March and 19 August.
Everyman’s rights in nature reserves
Moving around in protected areas may be restricted by the Nature Conservation Act if it is necessary to preserve the fauna or flora in the area.
Moving around in protected areas may be restricted by the Nature Conservation Act if it is necessary to preserve the fauna or flora in the area.
Camping may be restricted or prohibited altogether. Such restrictions can be found in the rules and the provisions on the establishment of the natural reserve. Please note that different types of nature reserves differ considerably in this respect.
The instructions and rules for each destination are also provided on the destination’s page in the Nationalparks service.
As a rule, collecting plants and parts of plants and catching insects is subject to a permit and only permitted for scientific research.
Soil may not be extracted or soil or bedrock damaged in nature reserves.
Hook and line fishing and ice fishing may be restricted in some water bodies (e.g., rapids and currents in migratory fish waters).
As a rule, hunting for metals is subject to a permit and only allowed for scientific research. Everyman’s rights allow the use of metal detectors on state-owned land administered by Metsähallitus to find metal objects. You will still need the landowner’s permit to dig.
Principles by type of protected area
Visitors are usually free to roam inside national parks, except in restricted areas.
- Using marked trails reduces the wear and tear of nature and is safer for you.
- Camping is only permitted at designated sites. Picking Berries and mushrooms, hook and line fishing and ice fishing are permitted.
- Modes of transport covered by everyman’s rights such as horseback riding, bicycling and dog sledding are usually only permitted on designated routes.
Everyman’s rights are usually not restricted in any way in mire reserves. You are free to move around and set up a camp, as well as pick mushroom and berries and collect plants. However, some mire reserves have restricted areas where access is prohibited during the nesting season of birds.
Camping is prohibited in some smaller protected areas, such as old-growth forests and herb-rich forests. You are otherwise free to move around as well as pick berries and mushrooms.
You are only allowed to access strictly protected areas, strict nature reserves and seal reserves with the permission of Metsähallitus.
- The exception to this rule are nature reserves through which a hiking trail passes. Stepping off these routes is prohibited.
- Unlike other strict nature reserves, you are allowed to camp at designated locations in the Kevo Strict Nature Reserve and in the Sompio Strict Nature Reserve.