Wild (Stealth) Camping in Netherlands

[stokell]

I'm planning a tour of the North Sea Route and so I've asked similar questions in the other regional forums.

Basically, I wild camping in wooded areas, away from housing on unmarked, unimproved land for one night. Are there areas along this route where I can do this? What is the Dutch attitude toward people who wild camp?

 

[Aziraphale]

Hi,

Sorry, wild camping is not allowed here. You'll have to find an official campsite, but there are loads of them!

Erik

 

[stokell]

Hi,

Sorry, wild camping is not allowed here. You'll have to find an official campsite, but there are loads of them!

Erik

Stealth camping is camping on unimproved land where there are no signs saying you can't camp, on property that is neither marked nor fenced, away from any building. Of course it is illegal, but who is the victim?

I was under the impression that the Dutch didn't do victimless crimes. How about smoking marijuana or prostitution?

 

[Aziraphale]

Stealth camping is camping on unimproved land where there are no signs saying you can't camp, on property that is neither marked nor fenced, away from any building. Of course it is illegal, but who is the victim?

I was under the impression that the Dutch didn't do victimless crimes. How about smoking marijuana or prostitution?

Yeah, right... Talking about bias... Prostitution isn't illegal down here, so that isn't a crime. And the marijuana is a complex (and weird) system in which coffeshops are allowed to sell the stuff (and possess a limited amount), but can't buy it as growing hemp commercially is strictly forbidden. And if you want to smoke marijuana then that's completely your own business as long as your over 18. Personally I think you shouldn't touch the stuff, but I don't make the laws.
Stealth camping is something else since we want to protect the precious little amount of nature that we've got left.

Erik

 

[stokell]

Okay, so trying this another way:
In some nordic countries, and I'm thinking of Finland and Scotland in particular; everyone has the right to access the land. Giving Finland as an example, go to this site:
http://www.ymparisto.fi/default.asp?contentid=49256&lan=EN

Stealth camping follows the Leave No Trace principles:
http://www.lnt.org/programs/lnt7/index.html

Minimum impact on the environment, access to public land. Is there a problem there?

 

[xilios]

Hey you pay a lot more to come to europe whats the problem with paying 10/15 euro to visit tiny holland for a day and have a joint if you like.
shower included

 

[slisk]

Okay, so trying this another way:
In some nordic countries, and I'm thinking of Finland and Scotland in particular; everyone has the right to access the land. Giving Finland as an example, go to this site:
http://www.ymparisto.fi/default.asp?contentid=49256&lan=EN

Stealth camping follows the Leave No Trace principles:
http://www.lnt.org/programs/lnt7/index.html

Minimum impact on the environment, access to public land. Is there a problem there?

I moved to Holland last year and every time I fly back to Arizona, I take more fishing/camping gear home that I won't use. If you are changing your destination based on the earlier comments, it is a wise choice. Holland is great and in many regards is one of the best places for a cyclist to live but there are some things that a person from the wide open lands of Western North America will not find. Wild spaces and camping are among them in general. Dutch love camping and that means going to an established campground that won't be more than the equivalent of a KOA next to a motorway. You will be very hard pressed to get away from people for any length of time while anywhere near the Western Netherlands. I love biking here but touring Holland and stealth camping don't go together.

 

[Mr. Coop]

Stealth camping is camping on unimproved land where there are no signs saying you can't camp, on property that is neither marked nor fenced, away from any building.

Just curious, but where in the heck are you going to find a place like that in the Netherlands? We live in a 16033 square mile country (of which more than 18% water) and an average population density of more than 1000 people per square mile.

Anyway, especially along the north sea coast there are a lot of good, cheap campingsites. Wild camping (as in camping at the roadside) will get you fined. If you get caught wild camping in a nature area, which are mostly privately owned or owned by the state, you will most likely get fined for wild camping and trespassing. If you get caught in a nature reserve, you might even get arrested (actualy not a bad option, as dutch jail cells are usually about the same luxury level as a cheap hotel).

If you really insist on sleeping out in nature, look for the so called 'paalkampeerterreinen'. These are dedicated areas where camping in nature is allowed. There are little to no facilities available, but use is free. These areas were created to give people the option to camp in nature, while protecting the little nature we have left here.

 

[stokell]

Just curious, but where in the heck are you going to find a place like that in the Netherlands? We live in a 16033 square mile country (of which more than 18% water) and an average population density of more than 1000 people per square mile.

Anyway, especially along the north sea coast there are a lot of good, cheap campingsites. Wild camping (as in camping at the roadside) will get you fined. If you get caught wild camping in a nature area, which are mostly privately owned or owned by the state, you will most likely get fined for wild camping and trespassing. If you get caught in a nature reserve, you might even get arrested (actualy not a bad option, as dutch jail cells are usually about the same luxury level as a cheap hotel).

If you really insist on sleeping out in nature, look for the so called 'paalkampeerterreinen'. These are dedicated areas where camping in nature is allowed. There are little to no facilities available, but use is free. These areas were created to give people the option to camp in nature, while protecting the little nature we have left here.

I guess you should never underestimate the power of human stupidity, because I didn't know I couldn't do it, so I went ahead and did it. You might be interested in viewing my tour journal.

Just as a matter of interest, stealth camping is illegal in many places. But if you do it properly you don't get caught. If no one knows you are there, then you may not even be breaking the law!