Camping responsibly

Basic environmental requirements that must be followed in order to spend time in nature responsibly

Many people choose forests, lakes, rivers, or the seaside for recreation. However, entertainment and recreation must be planned responsibly, without forgetting the basic rules and requirements for behavior in nature, which are designed to protect wild animals, plants, and preserve a tidy environment for future visits. This section provides the most important information about the rules and requirements that are currently in effect and must be followed when relaxing and spending time in nature.
Littering pollutes the habitats of animals and plants, reducing the number of places attractive for recreation
Throwing unextinguished matches, cigarette butts, and lighting bonfires in places not designated for this can cause fires
Setting up tents in places not designated for this damages or destroys the natural forest floor
Noise disturbs wild animals and interferes with the recreation of other people
Driving cars, quads or other motor vehicles outside forest roads or parking them in unauthorized places damages and destroys the grass cover, natural forest floor, and pollutes nearby bodies of water
Driving of watercraft without complying with the requirements scares birds and causes stress to fish and other aquatic animals. Fuel, lubricants, hull paint, combustion or other environmentally harmful products enter the water
Use of chemical detergents and other products near bodies of water (such as shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) pollutes water and soil, harms plants and animals, and has a negative impact on human health

Vehicles

	Entering the forest and driving through it with motor vehicles and towed transport is only possible by road.
	Vehicles can only be parked in designated parking lots or on the side of the road, ensuring the possibility of passing for other vehicles on the road. Avoid driving over moss, lichen, and berry stems when parking a vehicle on the side of the road.

	It is prohibited to:
1.	Drive motor vehicles and park them closer than 25 meters from the shore of a body of water.
2.	Wash vehicles in the forest.

Recreation areas, camps, and camping sites

Staying in forests is only possible in equipped public recreation facilities:

recreation areas, rest areas;
camps (possible with tents);
camping sites (possible with tents, campervans);
other recreational engineering structures.

Public recreation facilities are usually marked with the following signs.


Possible to stay only for a short break	Possible to stay with tents	Possible to stay with campervans	Possible to stay with tents and campervans

	It is prohibited to:
1.	It is forbidden to spend the night in dunes or foothills and set up campsites on beaches of the Lithuanian seaside.
2.	It is prohibited to pick or destroy plants of protected species on the beach, and to visit with pets areas of the beach not designated for this purpose.
3.	Lighting fires and using open fire (including disposable barbecues, portable grills and barbecue pits), except for fire pits installed and marked in public recreation facilities*, throwing unextinguished matches, cigarette butts, and other objects that may cause a fire.
4.	Polluting and littering.
5.	Cutting down or otherwise damaging trees, bushes, other plants and mushrooms, destroying the forest floor. Preparing fuel for fire pits is only possible by collecting branches and twigs.
6.	Catching and killing wild animals, transporting them, collecting eggs, destroying animal dwellings (caves, trees, nests, anthills, nest boxes, etc.).
7.	Making noise or otherwise disturbing wild animals, disturbing the rest of other persons.
8.	Releasing a dog in the forest without a muzzle. A muzzle is not required when a dog is walked on a leash.
9.	Damage greenery protection measures, recreation areas and other recreational equipment, information (warning) signs, sector line poles, geodetic signs, boundary markers or other devices.

	Required
1.	Collect garbage.
2.	Fishermen must collect garbage within a 5-meter radius around the fishing spot before starting fishing and during fishing, and take it to municipal waste collection containers.
3.	Constantly observe the lit bonfire, after finishing stoking the fire, cover it with earth or water until it stops smoldering completely.
4.	If a fire is noticed, it is necessary to immediately notify the emergency services by calling 112.

* It is possible to create bonfires in other places, camp, organize mass cultural, sports, and other events only after receiving the written consent of the forest manager.

Water entertainment

Jet skis can be used in 7 bodies of water and inland waterways in accordance with the established terms. Information on how to safely and responsibly drive jet skis, other motorized and non-motorized watercraft in various bodies of water can be found here (in Lithuanian).

The owner, manager, or user of a private land plot may not obstruct access to a water body (5 meters to the water line), but it is not allowed to walk through a private yard/land plot, use platforms legally installed by other people (jumping into the water, sunbathing, fishing, etc.) and other private infrastructure without permission (consent), violate public order, litter, etc.

On the coast of the Baltic Sea, where official beaches end, the Rules of Curonian Spit National Park (in Lithuanian) and the Rules for visiting the Seaside Regional Park (in Lithuanian) apply.

Mushroom and berry picking

Mushroom and berry picking are allowed in all Lithuanian forests, except for reserves*, protected areas defined by the Law on Protected Areas (in Lithuanian), the Regulations on Protected Areas, or other legislation. The prohibition also applies to other places where visiting is prohibited temporarily or restricted by decisions of institutions of self-government (e.g., due to a high risk of forest fires, logging, the need to preserve forest resources, etc.).

	It is prohibited to:
1.	Use special combs and other mechanical tools (including homemade combs) when picking berries.
2.	Cut, chop, break, or otherwise damage the branches and trunks of these trees or shrubs when picking berries and fruits (including seeds) from trees and shrubs.
3.	Visit forest areas where logging operations are taking place or chemical, biological or other forest protection measures are used.

* Residents who have declared their place of residence in a village or a hamlet bordering a nature reserve are allowed to pick berries and mushrooms there, if picking berries and mushrooms does not harm ecosystems and protected valuables. Residents, when picking berries and mushrooms in reserves, must provide the following information upon request by environmental protection state control officials: name, last name, date of birth and declared place of residence.