Långtjärnen

A tarn in the Lapland backcountry

The name itself tells you what you are getting: in Swedish, a "tjärn" is a small natural lake or tarn, and Långtjärnen ("the long little lake") follows the shape of its name. Arjeplog municipality is stitched together by hundreds of such water bodies, and this one lies among the spruce-heath and bog forests of the southern Lapland interior, well below the high mountain fells but deep in roadless-feeling woodland.↗↗

There is no resort, no signed trail network and no ticket gate here — which is precisely the point. For a visitor already based around Arjeplog, a stop at a lake like this offers the chance to step off the main roads, hear absolutely nothing but wind in the trees, and feel the vast, thinly-settled scale of the Swedish north.

What to do

In the short, bright summer, the shoreline is at its best: good for a cold swim, for sitting out on a flat rock with coffee from a flask, and for watching the light run slowly around the trees almost all night. Fishing in remote forest tarns of this region is a long-held pastime, and any still, shallow woodland lake invites the question — though always check current Swedish fishing rules, since the general right to fish with hand line applies under specific local conditions and waters.

In winter the same lake turns into a pale disc surrounded by snow-laden forest, ideal for a quiet snowshoe or ski tour, and, far from town lights, for a chance to watch the northern sky. Conditions are wild and cold, so treat any visit here as part of a self-sufficient day trip rather than a stroll.

Getting there and around

Långtjärnen sits in the countryside outside the small town of Arjeplog, so a car or a guided/organized backcountry excursion is the realistic way to reach it, with the final approach likely on foot along informal paths and terrain rather than a marked trail. Distances between settlements are long and services sparse, so plan food, water, fuel and warm layers before you leave the road.↗

Good to know

This is an unmanaged natural lake, not a tourist facility: expect no parking signs, no information boards, no toilets and no opening hours. Summer brings mosquitoes over the forest bogs, so a head net and repellent are as essential as they are unexpected. In the deep of winter, darkness, cold and poor mobile coverage make experience of backcountry travel important.