Rotsidan from Barsta, back by Fällsvik

From the car park at Barsta harbour the walk follows Världsarvsleden, the World Heritage Trail, south-west along the shore into the Rotsidan nature reserve. Rotsidan is a low shoreline four kilometres long of flat, smoothed slabs of diabase, framed by wind-swept pines, with fields of boulders (klapperfält) behind the shore and a rest area with fire places and toilets near the middle. The path goes on to Fällsvikshamn at the south-west end of the reserve. The county board's own suggestion for the longer day is to come back by the road, and the line does that: north on the unpaved road, through Fällsvik, and on tertiary roads to Barsta.

It is 10.6 km round with 152 m of ascent; allow about 3 hours, more with stops on the rocks. The county board gives 11 km for the whole round. The grade is Moderate: the length, with about half of it on roads, is what makes it so; the climbing is small. The tertiary roads on the way back are mapped 3.8 to 5 m wide with a 70 km/h limit (county roads Y 836, Y 837 and Y 838), so walk facing the traffic.

Fires are allowed only at the places provided, camping only by the toilets and rest areas in the central part of the reserve, and branches may not be broken off nor plants, grasses, mosses or lichens dug up or picked. The county board's brochure says that in a south-easterly storm the sea throws waves high over the flat rocks, and that the rocks can be slippery and the waves strong, so keep back from the water's edge in rough weather. The county board's page for the reserve gives no rule about dogs and no season or closure.

The county board's brochure suggests parking at Barsta harbour for the walk; the car park there is mapped without a name or a charge. In winter the county board's page says the signposted forest road from Fällsvik to the reserve's own car park is not ploughed; you can park by the road in Fällsvik or down in Barsta, and the county board does not plough those places, so winter parking is at your own judgement. The brochure says the most suitable way in winter is to start from Barsta on snowshoes or skis, and that the stony ground needs quite a lot of snow. The county board's page lists Barsta chapel, from the 1600s, on a rise in the old fishing village of Barsta, east of the reserve. No bus times were read for this walk.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.