Færder National Park covers 340 square kilometres of mainland, islands, skerries and sea bed in Færder municipality. It stretches from Ormøy in the north to Færder lighthouse in the south. The national park also encompasses the islands south of Hvasser, as well as Verdens Ende and Moutmarka.

Færder National Park lies close to major population centres and is one of Norway’s most widely used national parks. The park’s management plan recommends providing facilities for large numbers of visitors at Verdens Ende, in the Bolærne area and in the port of Tønsberg, which are all very close to the national park itself. These places should also provide visitors with useful information about the park and what it has to offer.

There are no plans to build new infrastructure within the national park itself. The main emphasis will be on simple, low-impact outdoor recreation. With that in mind, simple landing places, toilets and rubbish bins have been installed on the most popular islands. The idea is to make the park accessible to large numbers of visitors without harming it in the process, so that we don’t “kill the goose that lays the golden egg”.

Moutmarka and the large, polished rocks at Verdens Ende are an easily accessible but unique habitat. The fringes of the national park also offer lots of outdoor recreation such as walking, kayaking, swimming, fishing, etc. This includes the marked coastal paths around the north of Hvasser and on the west of Nøtterøy.

Færder National Park is managed by an executive board, made up of elected politicians from Færder Municipality and Vestfold County Council. The board has executive authority within the constraints of the rules on conservation.

Members of the Færder National Park Board

A national park manager acts as the secretariat for the Board. The manager is employed by the County Governor. The national park manager has a duty to ensure that the park’s management is based on scientific principles, and that it complies with international obligations, national guidelines, the Norwegian Biodiversity Act and the Nature Conservation Regulations.

The Norwegian Nature Inspectorate (SNO) is responsible for the government’s environmental field work, which includes monitoring environmental conditions. The SNO makes sure that visitors comply with laws and regulations, boats keep to speed limits, fishers do not break any laws and birds are not disturbed during the nesting season. The SNO also provides visitors to the national park with information about the countryside.

The coastal service often carries performs activities in Færder National Park. These include removing rubbish, cutting the grass, maintaining quays, buoys to mark swimming areas and sea stairs, and encouraging visitors to behave in a way that minimises the impact on the environment. The coastal service is jointly operated by the municipalities of Færder, Stokke and Tønsberg.

National Park Manager:
Bjørn Strandli
Phone: 33 37 11 01
Mobile phone: 997 44 225
Email: fmvebvs@fylkesmannen.no