Camping in Skagen: An Unexpected Change of Plans

Camping in Skagen was officially the beginning of our summer camping trip around Denmark. Our plan was to start in the north and slowly make our way west, south, and eventually east.

And our first stop was Skagen.

We had already chosen a campsite that seemed perfect for us: parking nearby, access to a toilet and clean water, and plenty of nature around us.

Or at least, that was the plan.

Jump To

• Choosing Our Campsite in Skagen
• A Very Last-Minute Change of Plans
• Finding Our New Campsite
• Our First Walk to the Coast
• Exploring Skagen Klitplantage
• A Day in Skagen
• Råbjerg Mile
• What We Learned
• Campsite Review

Choosing Where to Go Camping in Skagen

About an hour before leaving, I checked Udinaturen one last time to make sure our chosen campsite wasn’t reserved.

We had picked Skagen Klitplantage – Lejrpladsen ved Vestre Opsyn.

According to the information on Udinaturen, groups could reserve the site, while other visitors could use it when there was no existing booking. I checked the calendar before we left and there was no reservation, so off we went.

When we arrived, we parked very close to the campsite and decided to explore it before carrying all our equipment from the car.

It was only around a two-minute walk from the parking area.

The campsite itself was huge, with benches, a fire pit, a small toilet, access to clean water, and hiking trails nearby.

There was just one thing we didn’t like.

It was very close to the road.

We could clearly hear the cars passing by, and since we were hoping for a quiet experience surrounded by nature, it wasn’t exactly what we had imagined.

But then we had a much bigger problem.

A Very Last-Minute Change of Plans

Before unloading the car, I checked Udinaturen one final time.

And boom.

The campsite had been booked.

Someone had made a reservation during the hour between my first check and our arrival.

Not exactly the beginning we had imagined for our summer camping trip. 😅

For a moment, it was stressful. Skagen was busy, there were tourists everywhere, and suddenly we needed to find somewhere else to sleep that same night.

So I started searching again.

There were alternatives, but each seemed to have a problem for us. Some required walking around three kilometres from the parking area, which wasn’t realistic with the amount of equipment we had. At others, we couldn’t pitch our own tent.

Then, almost by accident, I found another option:

Skagen Klitplantage – Lille Teltplads ved Pælebakke Klit.

And somehow, losing our original campsite turned out to be a very good thing.

Finding Our New Campsite

The new campsite was only around 700–800 metres away, so we didn’t even need to move the car.

Google Maps showed us a walking route of around 20 minutes. When we arrived, we found a completely different atmosphere from the first campsite.

It was small and peaceful, with trees around it, sandy ground, and a fire pit.

On one side, we could sense that the sea wasn’t far away. On the other, there were trees and forest. The campsite was also right in the middle of a hiking area.

It immediately felt much more like what we had been looking for.

There was, however, another lesson waiting for us:

Our gear was WAY too heavy.

We had packed some things in boxes and only had one backpack. Carrying those boxes all the way from the car was not fun.

That experience completely changed how we packed for the rest of the trip. You can see what we ended up bringing, and what worked for us, in our car camping checklist for Denmark. 

Eventually, we got everything there and set up the tent. Luckily, by now we were getting pretty good at it, and setting it up was easy.

We had filled up with clean water at the previous campsite, so once everything was ready, it was finally time to explore.

Our First Walk to the Coast

I had been curious from the moment we arrived.

On the walk to the campsite, I had noticed two sandy hills and signs that the sea was nearby. So after setting up the tent, we followed one of the hiking paths to see where it would take us.

After walking through the trees for a while, we reached a large sandy hill.

We climbed to the top.

And then I saw one of my favourite views from the trip.

Sand, vegetation, rolling dunes, and then the sea.

The coastline felt completely isolated. There were no buildings and almost no signs of people around us.

For some reason, it reminded me of the landscapes you see in period dramas: wild, open, and slightly dramatic.

It was completely different from what I had expected when we first arrived in Skagen.

After exploring for a while, we walked back to the tent, enjoyed the evening, and grilled sausages.

Exploring Skagen Klitplantage

The next morning, after breakfast, we decided to explore in the opposite direction.

This time: the forest.

Again, the landscape felt completely different.

There were long walking trails through the trees, and at times the area seemed endless. We later realised just how large Skagen Klitplantage actually is.

During our walk, we noticed signs pointing towards a tower hidden somewhere in the forest.

Obviously, we had to follow them.

After walking for a while, we found it. There were plenty of stairs to climb, but the view from the top made it worth it.

The funny part was that instead of choosing the easiest trails back, we deliberately started choosing the more difficult ones.

It had been raining, some of the paths were challenging, and there were plenty of hills to climb.

We probably made the hike unnecessarily difficult for ourselves.

But that also made it much more fun.

A Day in Skagen

Of course, we couldn’t camp near Skagen without visiting the town itself.

We went to Skagens Museum, which I really enjoyed. Seeing the works of the Skagen Painters while actually being in the landscape that inspired so much of their art made the visit particularly interesting.

We also found a lovely bakery and stopped for some very good food and pastries.

There was also a useful discovery during our walks.

Google Maps had originally shown us quite a long route between the parking area and our campsite. But while exploring the hiking trails, we discovered a marked shortcut that saved us around ten minutes.

Another reminder that Google Maps doesn’t always know the best walking routes in nature.

One Last Stop: Råbjerg Mile

Before leaving the Skagen area, we made one final stop at Råbjerg Mile.

It’s Denmark’s largest migrating dune, and the enormous mass of sand slowly moves northeast with the wind every year.

Walking there feels completely different from the forests and coastline we’d just explored. Suddenly, you’re surrounded by sand in every direction.

And I have one recommendation:

Take your shoes off.

Walking barefoot through the sand made the experience so much better.

What We Learned

Our first proper stop of the summer trip didn’t go according to plan at all.

But it gave us some useful lessons:

• Check the campsite booking status as close to arrival as possible.
• Always have a backup campsite in mind.
• Don’t underestimate how heavy your camping gear becomes when you have to carry it.
• Backpacks are much easier than carrying boxes.
• Hiking maps and trail markers can sometimes be more useful than Google Maps.
• A campsite that looks perfect online might feel completely different when you arrive.
• And sometimes the backup plan turns out better than the original one.

That last one was definitely true for us in Skagen.

Campsite Review: Pælebakke Klit

What started as our backup option actually became the campsite we were happiest with.

What I liked

• Small and peaceful.
• Surrounded by nature.
• Very close to both dunes and forest.
• Hiking trails directly from the campsite.
• Beautiful coastline within walking distance.
• Much quieter than our original campsite.
• It felt more isolated and natural.

Things to consider

The biggest disadvantage for us was carrying our equipment from the parking area. Around 700–800 metres doesn’t sound very far until you’re carrying boxes, food, camping equipment, and everything else you thought you needed!

There was no toilet or drinking water directly at the campsite, which is something to consider before staying here. Luckily, we had filled our water container at the first campsite before walking to Pælebakke Klit. 

Would I camp here again?

Yes.

This was exactly the type of camping environment we had hoped to find: simple, quiet, and surrounded by nature.

Rating: 4.5 /5

Next Stop…

After dunes, forests, rain, art, pastries, hiking and our first unexpected change of plans, it was time to pack everything again.

Next stop:

Thy National Park →