Why are people so obsessed with the "right to roam" in Scandinavia?

I go into a lot of hiking/camping/travel subs... Somehow everyone is obsessed over the "right to roam in Scandinavia"

"Yes but in Finland they have right to roam which means you can hike or camp in private property or anywhere you want"

I hear this argument again and again, even by people that are not even into hiking. And even when I say you have something similar in the US called BLM land where you can do literally the same, people say "yes but that's federally owned, it's not the same"

People place so much emphasis on the right to roam now, which is only in particular countries that, if anything, have very little wilderness left. But why would you want that in the US?

Why would you want people camping in private properties or hiking on the loose in protected areas? Can you imagine the damage this would do in places like Yosemite or Yellowstone? Or places that are sanctuaries for wildlife? And you can wild camp in national parks, you just need to apply for a permit... Which makes sense!?

Posted Feb 26, 2026, 1:57 PM UTC

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