Snowmobiling in Northern Dalarna
Snowmobile Area Northern Dalarna (SOND) prepares 1,800 km of snowmobile trails in the mountains of Northern Dalarna. SOND is responsible for preparing the trails and maintaining rest huts and barbecue areas along the trails.
Here in Fjätervålen, you can buy trail cards for SOND and combination cards for Lofsdalsspår. We also sell SOND trail maps. The snowmobile trails included in the SOND area are subject to a fee, and trail cards can be purchased for a day, weekend, or season. From Fjätervålen, it is easy to access the trails to Lofsdalen, Vedungsfjällen, and Morvallarna or Idre/Särna.
Guided snowmobile tours are organized in Fjätervålen in collaboration with Skoteräventyr.
Rules for snowmobiling
Snowmobiling is not included in the right of public access, and it is therefore not a given that you can drive on someone else’s land. It is therefore important to follow the snowmobile trails and make sure you always drive on well-covered ground.
There is a great sense of freedom in taking your snowmobile out into the mountains and forests. But with freedom comes responsibility. Make it a habit to find out in advance what applies where you intend to drive. Driving off-road may be a violation of the Off-Road Driving Act. If you do not have permission from the landowner, it may also be considered damage to property or illegal driving of a motor vehicle on someone else’s land under the Penal Code.
The Off-Road Driving Act states
Anyone who, without permission, travels over someone else’s land that may be damaged, may be convicted of trespassing and sentenced to a fine or imprisonment for a maximum of six months (Penal Code, Chapter 12, Section 4). Read more about the Off-Road Driving Act here. Please also note that there are restricted areas around our ski and cottage areas. See where you can drive on our area map below.
The forest owners in Lillfjäten, Storfjäten, and Häggbergets Skifteslag have prohibited all off-road driving. However, the snowmobile trails on these lands are open to SOND for snowmobiling. See SOND’s website
It is prohibited to
- Drive on forest and agricultural land, unless it is obvious that this can be done without risk of damage. The prohibition applies to driving on forest plantations or in young forests that are less than two meters above the snow cover.
- Drive on forest roads unless they are signposted as snowmobile trails
- Drive in planned areas and near homes and buildings
- Drive in ski resorts, on groomed ski trails, and on soccer fields
- Track, pursue, or disturb wild animals and reindeer
- Drive snowmobiles on public roads, except when crossing the road, or drive the shortest possible distance, at a maximum speed of 20 km/hour if the terrain is passable. Snowmobile driving may be prohibited on private roads. When crossing a road, all passengers must walk across, even those riding in sleds or toboggans.
Stay on the snowmobile trails
If you are unsure where you are allowed to drive, stay on the snowmobile trails, where you will be safest and cause the least disturbance. Snowmobile trails in the mountains are marked with trail crosses, just like other mountain trails. They are also marked with signs or markers that show what applies on the trail. Here at the Snowmobile Council, you can see which ones there are and what they mean. Some trails may also be shared with ski trails, so always be considerate of skiers and other activities you may encounter. The public snowmobile trails are marked on the mountain map, and more information about the trails is available from the county administrative boards in the mountain counties. Want to know more? Click here to read more about the Snowmobile Council’s snowmobile etiquette and rules.
At our office, you can buy snowmobile trail maps of the area. For all of Sweden’s snowmobile trails, these are available digitally at skoterleder.org.
Trail permit
The preparation of our snowmobile trails is handled by our non-profit snowmobile clubs in the area. SOND – Snöskoterområde Norra Dalarna (Northern Dalarna Snowmobile Area), 1,800 km of snowmobile trails, charges a trail permit fee in order to better maintain the snowmobile trails. You can choose to buy a day pass, weekly pass, or annual pass. If you are a member of the snowmobile club, you get a cheaper trail pass and you also get an invitation to their social trips that they organize every year. You can buy trail passes from us at our office at the slope.
For more information, contact us at tel. 0253-211 40 or via info@fjatervalen.se
Driver’s license
If you want to drive a snowmobile, you need a special driver’s license. You can also drive a snowmobile if you have a driver’s license or tractor license issued before January 1, 2000. However, it is still recommended that you obtain a driver’s license.
To obtain a snowmobile driving license, you must:
- Be at least 16 years old
- Have completed training with an approved instructor
- Have passed a knowledge test
Foreign visitors must have a snowmobile driving license; if you do not have one, you must book a guided tour.
Driver’s license on guided tours
If you join a guided tour, do you need a snowmobile driver’s license?
You must be at least 16 years old and have some type of driver’s license. Even a person who has a driver’s license with AM (moped class 1) authorization is entitled to drive a snowmobile under these conditions, even if he or she is not yet 16 years old.
Further information from the County Administrative Board:
Motorized traffic in nature | Dalarna County Administrative Board (lansstyrelsen.se)
Snowmobile riding in the cottage village
The Fjätervålen community association is creating snowmobile trails in the area to meet the growing interest in snowmobile riding in Fjätervålen.
The following rules apply
- The speed on the existing (blue) snowmobile trail in the area is limited to 30 km/h. Signs are already in place.
- SOND has also put up clear signs for a companion trail along the stretch at Blåbärsvägen where the snowmobile trail and ski trail share the same route. Skiers and snowmobiles each have half of the trail at their disposal.
- The walking and snowmobile trails (red) in the area may also be used to travel by snowmobile at walking speed to the nearest snowmobile trail. By walking speed, we mean 5 km/h.
- There are also some brand new snowmobile exits so that you can drive at walking speed to the snowmobile trail regardless of which area you live in.
- It is permitted to travel at walking speed along the edge of the community’s roads to take the nearest route to a walking/snowmobile trail or snowmobile trail.
- It is NOT permitted to travel by snowmobile on our cross-country trails.
- Off-piste skiing on the marshes around Fjätervålen is NOT permitted. We must take care of them because they supply our drinking water.
If snowmobile riders can comply with this, it will be an improvement for everyone and we will be able to eliminate reckless riding in the area. We now hope that all snowmobile enthusiasts will take responsibility and ensure that they follow these fairly simple rules for the benefit of skiers and pedestrians alike.
Fjätervålen Community Association
