Americans queue for permits, enter lotteries, and refresh Recreation.gov at midnight. Norway's 48 national parks skip all that. No reservations, no entry fees, no timed windows. Just allemannsretten—the right to roam, enshrined since 1957. Here's what Norway does differently.

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Hardangervidda

Hardangervidda National Park is Norway's largest mainland park at 3,422 square kilometers. Camp anywhere for up to two nights. No permits required. Stay 150 meters from buildings—that's the only rule.

Yellowstone is roughly similar in size but required timed-entry reservations after visitation doubled from 2 million (2010) to 4.5 million (2024). At Hardangervidda, you pitch your tent where you want. Yellowstone makes you book months ahead with $2 processing fees.

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Jotunheimen: Highest Peaks, Zero Lottery

Jotunheimen holds Northern Europe's three highest mountains, including Galdhøpiggen at 2,469 meters. The 1,151 km² park sees "a few thousand" daily summer visitors spread across terrain three times Berlin's size. The busiest trail, Besseggen Ridge, gets 1-2 hikers every 2-3 minutes at peak.

Yosemite's 4.1 million annual visitors created 3-hour wait times in 2024. The park instituted "Peak Hours Plus" reservations with 5am-4pm entry windows. Half Dome permits? Less than 3% of John Muir Trail applicants succeed. Jotunheimen requires nothing—no hiking permits, no backcountry reservations, no lottery.

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Rondane: Norway's First, Still Unrestricted

Rondane National Park, established 1962, covers 963 km². Nearly roadless, mostly restriction-free. Camp where you want under allemannsretten.

Zion's 4.9 million visitors (2024) required a $6 Angels Landing lottery. Grand Canyon denies 75% of backcountry permit applicants annually. Rondane assumes the land can handle visitors if they follow basic principles: leave no trace, respect wildlife, stay away from buildings. No permits needed to test that theory.

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Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella: Wild Camping in Wildlife Territory

Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella spans 1,693 km² with Europe's only wild musk ox population. Camp free anywhere, including prime viewing areas. Forage berries and mushrooms. Collect dead wood for campfires (outside April 15-September 15 fire season).

Rocky Mountain's 4.3 million annual visitors need timed-entry permits for two-hour windows. Backcountry camping requires advance lottery permits six months ahead. Most US parks ban backcountry campfires entirely—Zion, Arches, and Bryce Canyon allow only pressurized gas stoves. Camp without permits in US parks? "Several hundred dollars" in fines.

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Reinheimen: New Park, Old Philosophy

Reinheimen National Park (2006) protects 1,969 km² of reindeer habitat. Free camping, no entry permits, minimal infrastructure—same as parks from the 1960s.

Mount Rainier's 40% visitor growth triggered timed-entry for Paradise and Sunrise corridors (May-September 2025). Entry windows: 7am-3pm. Cost: $2 per vehicle per corridor per day. Separate permits required for each area, each visit.

The difference is philosophical. US parks increasingly use scarcity management—permits, lotteries, fees. Norway's 1957 Outdoor Recreation Act protects access as "part of the national identity." The law doesn't just allow exploration—it guarantees it.