Nature is open – year round A large part of the nature in North Jutland is state-owned, this goes for forests as well as nature areas and they are as a rule open 24 hours a day. You can walk or cycle on the designated paths and roads, but you are also welcome to explore and examine nature off the paths. Many places have fire or barbeque places with tables and benches for everybody to use.
You recognize the State forests and nature areas by the red-painted wooden posts situated by the access roads with signs informing you about what you may and may not do in that particular area.
Privately owned forests and nature areas are only open from 6 am to sunset, so please be aware of the local signposting when you take off. Here, you are welcome to walk or cycle on the designated paths and roads.
Informative folders and maps The Danish Forest and Nature Agency's nature trail folders provide a wealth of information and descriptions of the state-owned areas. All folders are free and available from the tourist offices, in small boxes by the entrances to the state-owned areas or from the website
www.skovognatur.dk. There are also trail folders for a number of privately-owned forests and nature areas. They are published by the
Danish Forest Association and they are available from the Internet or the tourist offices.
Nature guides
A great way to experience nature is by joining a ranger who in an informative and exciting way tells you about the things and areas you pass on the way. Ask at the local tourist office which tours are available in the area or visit the Danish Forest and Nature Agency's
website.
Bringing your dog
As a general rule, the dog must be kept on a lead when you bring it out in nature, however, the State forests have some so-called dog woods where you can take it off lead. Dogs are also welcome at the beaches but they must be kept on a lead from 1st of April till 30th of September. There is a list of dog woods on the wensite
www.skovognatur.dk, furthermore, you will find national and local folders at the tourist offices.
Nature playgrounds
All over North Jutland there are nature playgrounds – however, most often in forests where the "toys" typically consists of tree trunks, the forest floor and some source of water. Often, there is also a bonfire where you can roast sausages and other foods.
Nature's pantry
Depending on the time of year, nature is overflowing with berries, mushrooms, nuts and cones. You are welcome to gather some of everything – also moss and sprigs as long as you do it with care and leave something for those who visiting after you. A rule of thumb is not to gather more than what could fit in a carrier bag.
Animals and plants in the nature
The animal and plant life is rich and diverse and you can among other things meet deer, foxes, hares, frogs and reptiles. But remember that all wild mammals and birds in general are protected. Also many plants are protected to prevent them from extinction and therefore they can not be removed from the areas where they grow. Get an overview of protected animals and plants at the Danish Forest and Nature Agency's
website.
Bird watching
It is always entertaining to study bird life both in nature as such and in particular in the bird sanctuaries spread all over the country, so remember to bring your binoculars. Read about the options and get a list of bird sanctuaries from the
Danish Ornithological Society.