Finland has lots of hiking possibilities starting from the small national parks of Southern Finland and reaching all the way up to the big national parks and wilderness areas of Lapland. When I was planning my first hike abroad in Norway, I realized how many things need to be taken into account beforehand before hiking in a foreign country. Hence, I have tried to write down a list of basic things people should know when planning their first hike in Finland. This text assumes that you are already experienced in hiking, but are just unfamiliar with this country. Also, English is not our first language so apologies for any writing errors.

Every man’s right

One of the signatures of many Northern European countries, including Finland, is ‘every man’s right’ or ‘freedom to roam’. Every man’s right means the law that allows anyone living or visiting Finland to enjoy the nature regardless of land’s ownership. It gives you permission to hike even in private lands. However, it does not mean you can do anything anywhere and comes with responsibilities. Check https://www.nationalparks.fi/everymansright for details. There are restrictions in the rights in nature conservation areas (including most of the popular hiking trails)! You always need to check their specific rules before going.

Most important points for hikers:

You ARE allowed to:

• Walk, ski, cycle, or horseback ride freely as long as it’s not near the housing
• Camp temporarily in reasonable distance from homes (usually restricted in nature conservation areas)
• Pick wild berries, mushrooms and flowers, as long as they are not protected species (not allowed in strict nature zones)

You ARE NOT allowed to:

• Disturb humans or animals or destroy nature or property (you need to follow ‘leave no trace’ principle)
• Make a fire without landowners permission
• Camp close to the housing

Nature conservation areas

Finland has different types of conservation areas, including but not restricted to 19 strict nature reserves, 41 national parks, and 12 wilderness areas. Generally, no camping permits are needed but you need to check the rules of each area in case you wish to fish or hunt as those may need specific permits. There has been some discussion about voluntary payment for national park users to be better able to maintain them, but for now, they are completely free.

Strict nature reserves (‘Luonnonpuisto’) are mainly fully closed to the public with a few exceptions: in Sompio, Kevo, and Malla strict nature reserves in Lapland you are allowed to hike but only in marked trails. In Kevo canyon, hiking time is also limited and the trails open mid-June.

National parks (‘Kansallispuisto’) have several different services, including marked and maintained routes, nature trails, campfire and camping sites such as huts, and other shelters. For an inexperienced hiker, marked route in a strict nature zone or national park is a good choice. In most of the national parks, you are also allowed to walk outside marked trails, but each park may have restricted zones (marked in the map and/or listed in the parks webpage) as well and you must avoid leaving new trails in nature. Restricted areas are usually due to nature conservation or, in some cases, for your own safety. National parks usually have maintained English web pages and contact information to people who can advise you in case you have any questions.

Wilderness areas (‘Erämaa-alue’) are big areas mostly in Lapland that are uninhabited, roadless and mainly without marked trails or services. They may have a few wilderness cottages here and there. Aim is to keep them in near-natural state. Due to the lack of marked routes and usually nonexistent cell signal, you need to be an experienced hiker to hike in wilderness areas as it is possible to hike there for several days without seeing a soul. You are mostly allowed to hike off the trail and any restricted ‘no go’ zones are generally marked in the map. Camping is also usually less restricted than in national parks and strict nature reserves.

General aspects of hiking

Camping

Outside National parks and other conservation areas, you are allowed to camp temporarily out of visibility from homes according to every man’s right when hiking in Finland. Camping rules in National parks vary and you need to check the rules of the park before going. Most of them only allow camping in specified locations. Wilderness zone of Urho Kekkonen national park is an exception as they allow camping anywhere excluding a couple of small, restricted zones.

Making fire

Making a fire is not an every man’s right! You need landowners permission for that. In national parks, you can mostly only make fire in specified fireplaces. This can, however, vary between parks. Fireplaces are marked in maps. Also, next to the wilderness cottages, there is usually always at least one fireplace even though they are not separately marked in maps.

Before the trip, always check the forest fire warning. If there is a warning, you are not allowed to make an open fire. Fire in the stoves of the huts is not considered open fire and can still be done. Most cookers (Trangia, PocketRocket, Jetboil etc.) are also allowed. Wood burner (‘Risukeitin’) is considered an open fire and should not be used during warning. 

Cell phone signal

Cell phone coverage is generally good in southern and central Finland, but occasional no-signal areas are possible. Sometimes signal is, however, so poor that it eats your cell phone battery faster than average. Cell signal is poor or nonexistent in wilderness areas and big national parks in Lapland. You can usually find signal from higher altitudes but even that cannot be guaranteed. So far I have always managed to send one ‘Hi, I’m alive’ message home every day but be prepared to hike several days without cell signal in Lapland. If you want to report home, plan it so that you send the message when you climb on fells. It is very likely that you have no signal down at the camp.

Water

Finland has one of the best water qualities in the world and many hikers in Lapland drink flowing water without water purification for decades without issues. Even though it is unlikely that you catch any diseases from flowing water in higher elevations in Lapland, it’s still not impossible so any drinking water should be purified if you want to make sure you don’t get infections from drinking water! Many well-known water-borne pathogens like norovirus, campylobacteria, E. coli, cryptosporidium, giardia etc. have been described in hikers in Finland, despite the relatively low numbers. Due to the generally good water quality, any purification system you are used to using anywhere else in the world, is sufficient in Finland.

Public transport

Public transport varies and you can only get to some of the national parks with public transport. National Park webpages have information on how to get there. Bus timetables can be found in Matkahuolto webpages and train schedules in VR webpages. Google maps is also really useful in finding transport. Unfortunately, some national parks don’t have any public transport.

Weather

Finland has less extreme weather events than many other countries but that does not mean you can’t end up in a storm. Especially if you are planning a summer hike in open landscape, make sure you know what to do if you encounter a storm. Thunder is most frequent in summertime and average number of thunder days per year per place is 12. During a risk of thunder, avoid open swamps, water, and fells. Low growing forest is usually the safest place if there is no housing nearby and thunderstorm usually passes by quickly. Storms that are strong enough to knock down trees also happen annually but they are generally well predictable in weather forecast and only make up for a small minority of storms. When in higher elevation, get down as soon as possible when you hear/see the 1^st signs of thunder.

Fells can be windy. Wind between 10 and 20 m/s is really common. Worst case scenario is over 30 m/s (67 mph). If you plan to camp in open landscape of fells, make sure your tent can handle strong wind.

Temperature and and the amount of rain vary a lot. If you plan a summer hike in Lapland, you may encounter temperatures around or slightly below freezing point and above 30 degrees Celsius both during the same hike. 3-season sleeping system is often needed in northern Finland even during the summer. Southern Finland is generally warmer, but it can still be chilly after sunset even during the summer. It’s a good idea to check the weather statistics of previous years before going.

Rain is rarely a safety issue. In some cases, days of heavy rain can make it difficult to cross streams safely and you may have to alter your route. Check national part webpages and social media sites before going into the park. Hiking groups in Facebook are especially useful when it comes to getting up to date information about the route. National park webpages also mention if some of the paths are temporarily closed e.g. due to floods. Floods are especially common in Lapland during the 1st half of June due to melting snow so be cautious with planning early summer hike in Lapland.

Winter hiking is a whole another business that we are not covering due to lack of experience. It is, however, popular especially in Lapland despite temperatures between -20 and -40 degrees Celsius and over a meter of snow but can also be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Winter weather in Southern Finland is less extreme and it is common not to even have snow much of the winter.

Wilderness cottages

We have different types of wilderness cottages. Excluding the reservable huts, they are free to use and you do not have to apply for a key. They usually have wood and gas stoves, table and sometimes space to dry your gear. They have no electricity and are warmed with wood by users. They usually have user manuals, but general rules include:

• Don’t use huts for more than two nights in a row
• Leave the huts at least as clean as they were when you came in. Cleaning is done by the users.
• Take all your trash away with you and don’t leave them in the hut. There are no trash cans in national parks anymore because it takes too much manpower to empty them.
• If you use wood, chop a new set of wood and kindling for the next user and leave it next to the fireplace. This is because the next user might be exhausted, cold, wet, and hungry, and it is considered polite to make sure there is a small set of ready-to-use wood.
• There is a guest book in all the huts. That is for communicating with other users. You can e.g. use it to inform others if you encounter problematic wild animals around the campsite. Some people also write short stories about their travel to entertain others. It is also a good habit to tell where you are coming from and where you are going. This is a good extra safety measure. If you don’t report back when you should, it makes it easier for the rescuers to target the search.
• Make space for others. You cannot reserve the whole hut for yourself. An old habit is that the person who comes in last needs the hut the most. The person who came in first is most likely already rested, warm and dry and should make space. Also, 8-person hut is meant for 8 people – not 4 people and their backpacks. Backpacks should be left outside if the hut is full. (does not apply to reservable huts)
• Always carry a tent or some other sleeping system even when you plan to use free-to-use huts! Huts may not have enough space and sometimes due to circumstances (e.g. bad weather or difficult terrain), you may not make it to the hut. There have also been cases where the hut has burned down, even though that’s rare.  

Day huts (‘Päivätupa’)

• These are only for day use (except in emergencies)
• Usually have at least a stove and tables

Wilderness huts (‘Autiotupa’)

• Free-to-use huts that can also be used for sleeping. See the basic rules above.

Reservable huts (‘Varaustupa’)

• These needs to be reserved and paid for but are a good way to ensure that you have a spot in the hut. You just need to know your hiking speed to be able to reserve a bed for correct night.

Wildlife

Finland is one of the safest countries when it comes to wildlife. There is still, however, a few animals you should consider when hiking.

Rodents can be a problem especially near huts and crowded camping sites. Protect your food by packing it well and, if needed, lifting it up e.g. into a tree. Rodents can easily eat their way into your backpack in the tent if they want to. Don’t leave any food into the ground as that can attract rodents.

Mosquitoes are the biggest problem in Lapland. Mosquitoes start waking up in mid-June and usually last until second half of August but there is a lot of yearly variation. Worst mosquito season (‘räkkä’) is sometime between late-June and late-July in Lapland. During räkkä, the number of mosquitoes can be so huge that they can easily cause hundreds of bites and lead to severe symptoms. Hence, it is a good idea to avoid Lapland during räkkä or pack proper protection. If you want to avoid räkkä, don’t go to Lapland during the 1^st half of July and be cautious with the last week of June and July as well. Mosquito situation in southern and central Finland is usually tolerable throughout the summer but mosquito repellent can still be a good idea. Mosquitoes can also transmit diseases (e.g. tularemia) but nothing that is life threatening to healthy people.

Blackfly and biting midge are small insects that resemble mosquitoes. They cause similar symptoms as mosquitoes and same protection methods can be used. They are the biggest problem in Lapland. Blackflies are seen from June to September and biting midgets from late August to early autumn. Please note that some mosquito nets don’t work against the smallest insects. Look for no-see-um nets.

Mooseflies are seen wherever moose or deer are seen. They are not dangerous but can be a huge nuisance late summer in southern and central Finland and you might end up finding them from your gear several days after the travel.

Tick is probably one of the most dangerous animal you can encounter in Finland due to the diseases it transmits. Main diseases are tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and borreliosis. Ticks are found everywhere in southern and central Finland and only northern Finland is free of them so far.  TBE is focused on certain risk areas that are mainly located in the coastal regions. There is no treatment, and the virus is transmitted within minutes from the bite but there is an effective vaccination. If you are traveling in risk areas, e.g. Åland islands and parts of the archipelago, seriously consider taking a vaccination. According to studies, TBE has been found in a couple of percent of tics in risk areas.

Borreliosis is found in all regions that have ticks – in one fifth of tics on average. There is no vaccine, but it is treatable with antibiotics. Borreliosis takes several hours to one day to transmit so an effective way to avoid it is to do a thorough tick check every evening. If you remove the tick during the first few hours, transmission is unlikely (not impossible though). If you hike in tick area, carry tweezers or other equipment to be able to remove ticks, check your whole body daily and use covering clothing if possible. Remember that tiny larval forms can also transmit diseases and can be almost impossible to find. In addition to TBE and borreliosis, ticks also carry other pathogens (like rickettsia-bacteria), but their significance as human pathogens is unknown.

Snakes: There is only one venomous snake species – adder – in Finland. It can be seen in whole Finland but is most common in southern and central Finland. Adder bite is rarely fatal to healthy adults but can cause severe complications and always requires an immediate doctors visit. Try not to move the limb that has been bitten. Adders only attack if they feel threatened so watch where you step especially in warm and sunny open places, such as rocky surfaces, in southern Finland.

Bear: There are around 2000 brown bears in Finland, and it is Finland’s national animal. They usually avoid humans, and it is unlikely that you see any because they hear or smell you way before you see them and walk away. I personally have never seen one. It is anyway good to know what to do in case of bear encounter and this king of the woods should always be considered dangerous.

If you see animal killed by a bear or bear cup, walk away to the same direction you came from because adult bear can still be close by.  If you see a bear, walk away from it slowly without turning you back or looking it in the eyes. Talk calmly. Don’t run, swim, or climb into a tree because the bear is better at all those things. If the bear attacks, play dead by throwing yourself on the ground, protecting your head and the back of your neck. Bears are generally not a problem in Finland when it comes into your food and no bear bags or other bear-proof containers are needed. In that front, rodents are your biggest worry. More detailed instructions on how to avoid bear encounters and what to do in case you see one can be found e.g. in the following webpage: https://www.largecarnivores.fi/large-carnivores-and-us/meeting-a-large-carnivore/meeting-a-bear.html.

Wolf: First of all, wolf has not killed a human in Finland in over a century and just like with brown bears, it is extremely unlikely that you encounter one. If you are the unlucky one who encounters an aggressive wolf, try to exit the situation and, if needed, climb onto a rock, tree, or some other high object. If the wolf attacks you, try to make yourself look as big and threatening as possible and fight back to convince the wolf that you are not an easy snack. More information can be found in: https://www.largecarnivores.fi/large-carnivores-and-us/meeting-a-large-carnivore/meeting-a-wolf.html.

Reindeer is a semi-domesticated herd animal that lives in large numbers in Lapland. They are usually not dangerous, and you should only worry about angry males during mating season. They can come uncomfortably close to humans, but they are still semi-wild so don’t try to pet them. Their voice can spook you if you have never heard it before, so it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with their voice to avoid a heart attack when a reindeer herd starts having a conversation right next to your tent in the morning. If you are traveling by car, be extra careful when it comes to reindeer as they have a bad habit of suddenly jumping in front of your car. If you see a dead reindeer during your hike, notify the owner (e.g. by contacting National park services).

Other animals: We of course also have other animals like moose, foxes, raccoons, bats, birds, lynxes, and wolverines, among other things, but they are either extremely rare or not a problem to hikers. There are occasional exceptions. For example, there used to be a problem with a fox that was stealing hikers’ stuff near one of the wilderness huts in Lapland. Also, birds might sometimes try to steal your food, but they are not considered as big risk as rodents. Most likely problem has probably been a curious but harmless animal (like moose, fox, or raccoon) making scary noises in the middle of the night. Hence, it is a good idea to learn animal voices. Especially foxes can sound like little demons and scare the hell out of you despite being totally harmless.

Popular hiking trails

Below, we have listed some of the popular hike trails in Finland. We have only included the trails one or both of us have either done ourselves, know well enough to recommend, or are currently planning to do. This, however, includes most of the trails people start from so the list should be representative enough.  

Marked trails for multi-day hikes

Karhunkierros (Bear’s trail/Bear’s ring), 82 km

Bear’s trail is probably the most popular hiking trail in Finland. It locates in Kuusamo on the border of Lapland. This 82 km route takes the hiker through Oulanka national park – best known from its raging waters, cliffs, and canyons.  Among the most well-known sightings are Ruka area fells, Jyrävä waterfall, Kiutaköngäs, and Oulanka canyon. If you don’t want to do the whole 82 km, the route can also be completed in shorter trips. This trail is well accessible by public transport during summertime.

Bear’s trail if a perfect choice if you enjoy forest and water nature and want a diverse route. Difficulty is classified as medium due to some elevation gain. Despite the name, it’s not any more likely to encounter a bear in bear’s trail than anywhere else. Also, despite the misleading name, Bear’s ring is not a circular route.

Tip for the route: learn from our mistake and be prepared for mosquitoes. Even though most of the trail is not in Lapland, räkkä is a very true thing in Bear’s trail. You may encounter millions of mosquitoes between late June and July, especially along the Kitka river.

Hetta-Pallas trail, 50 km

The oldest hiking trail in Finland, Hetta-Pallas is also competing about the title of the most popular trail. It locates in Pallas-Ylläs national park in western Lapland. The trail passes over open fell landscapes, descends into ravines and climbs back up onto the next fell, offering a lot of breathtaking views. This trail is excellent choice for those who wish to hike in Lapland and get a good representation on everything Lapland has to offer. Trail is well marked, and it is very difficult to get lost on the route even without orienteering skills.

Hannukuru wilderness sauna is a worthwhile experience, and you can try going back and forth between hot sauna and a cold lake – often considered a must-try thing in Finland. Another top sighting is Taivaskero fell – the highest fell in western Lapland – where Olympic fire was lit many decades ago. Hetta is accessible by public transport. Pallas is not but taxi transport to closest bus stop (Jerisjärvi) is relatively cheap. If you are willing to hike 15 extra km, it is also possible to hike to Jerisjärvi bus along a marked hiking route.

Kevo strict nature reserve (Kuivi route (86 km) and Kevo canyon route (63 km))

This area is located in the very north of Finland. Top sighting in Kevo strict nature reserve is the over 100 m deep and 40 km long Kevo canyon – the biggest canyon in Finland. You can choose from two routes: Canyon route takes you through the entire canyon and is considered challenging due to rocky path and elevation gain, whereas Kuivi route (medium difficulty) departs from the canyon and continues in open fell landscape of Paistunturi wilderness zone. Both routes include two of the top sightings in the area: Fiellu waterfall and the breathtaking opening of the canyon. If you wish to specifically experience the entire canyon, pick the canyon route. If you want a more diverse route, pick the Kuivi route. Both routes will show you arguably the best views of the canyon.

Both trails mainly go in strict nature reserve and leaving the trail is forbidden. Trails open for summer hikers mid-June due to flooding and/or nesting birds and after days of heavy rain, the routes may be temporarily closed due to safety reasons. Both trails are accessible by public transport. Bear’s trail and Hetta-Pallas don’t have any major stream crossings without bridges, but both Kevo routes have so prepare accordingly. Heaviest streams have wires to help with the crossing. There is no cell signal in the canyon.

Tip for the route: We personally hiked the Kuivi route in early August, but we’ve heard that Kevo offers the most beautiful autumn colors in Finland because the forests mainly consist of birches. Pine and spruce occurrence lines are located south of the route. If you are not scared of chilly autumn weather, hike the route in early September to experience a breathtaking color show.  

Heräjärvi trail (30-60 km)

Herajärvi trail is in Koli national park in central Finland. Trail consists of northern (35 km) or southern parts (30 km), but they can also be completed together (60 km). Koli is considered Finland’s national landscape and the route gives you many stunning views to local lake landscapes that are fully comparable to the views from fells of Lapland. Northern Herajärvi trail was my 1^st proper hike and was a great place for a relatively inexperienced solo-hiker to start. Route can be easily discontinued at several points in case of trouble and cell signal is decent. There is also clean drinking water, a kiosk, a sauna, and a possibility to swim in the lake in Kiviniemi. Elsewhere in the route, drinking water is more limited and you may have to carry more water than usually.

Tip for the route: Learn from another one of my mistakes and don’t be fooled by lower altitudes than in Lapland. Rocky and muddy path and constant uphill-downhill-uphill-downhill exercise makes the route challenging. 

Non-marked popular hiking trails for multi-day hikes

Luirojärvi trail – Urho Kekkonen national park (70-80 km)

Urho Kekkonen national park is the second largest national park in Finland and is located in eastern Lapland next to the Russian border. Park has a lot of hiking opportunities but no marked trails longer than day hikes. That means that good orienteering skills are required. Probably the most popular route is the Luirojärvi route that takes the hiker to a beautiful lake Luiro and its wilderness sauna. From Luiro, you can summit the highest fell in eastern Lapland – Sokosti as a day hike. There are a couple of different route options but the most popular one is probably: Kiilopää-Suomunruoktu-Tuiskukuru-Luirojärvi-Lankojärvi-Rautulampi-Kiilopää.  Thanks to the cell phone tower on top of Sokosti, cell signal can be found from top of the fells. There is no signal in lower altitudes. Kiilopää is accessible by bus.

Despite officially being a national park, wilderness zone of the park is practically like a wilderness area due to total lack of any marked trails and a long distance from civilization. Route can be altered endlessly. We personally continued our hike from Luirojärvi to Aittajärvi to experience more open fell landscapes and more of the famous sightings of the park. However, there is no bus transport to Aittajärvi so you will need a ride from someone or an expensive taxi. If you have a car, Aittajärvi is a good place to start a hike instead of Kiilopää because many of the famous sightings (e.g. Paratiisikuru (‘Paradise canyon’), Pirunportti (‘Devils gate’), and Lumikuru (‘Snow canyon’)) of the national park are located between Aittajärvi and Luirojärvi and are not included in the basic Luirojärvi trail.

Halti – the highest peak of Finland (length varies)

This is the route I have not yet done but it’s in our bucket list of summer 2024. Highest point of Finland is not easily accessible as it is located in northwestern Lapland behind a minimum of 50 km one-way hike from Kilpisjärvi. Halti locates right at the border of Finland and Norway and the peak is actually located in Norway. Halti on Finland side is, however, still the highest point of the country. This area has the highest fells of Finland and hence probably the most stunning views for those who love mountain landscapes.

If you don’t have a car and don’t want to pay for a taxi, the most common route is to hike back and forth from Kilpisjärvi along Kalottireitti – a total 800 km route in Finland, Sweden, and Norway. This way the total journey will be 110 km. It is possible to alter the route, but this usually means more kilometers and/or having to find an alternative transport to some other starting spot. Route to Halti is shorter from Norway but requires a car transport. Summitting Halti in bad weather can be dangerous and the route is considered challenging. Finland’s ‘arm’ also has other hiking possibilities in Käsivarsi wilderness zone and Malla strict nature reserve. For example, a ‘three country hike’ in Finland, Sweden, and Norway is another popular hike.

See more: https://www.nationalparks.fi/kasivarsi/trails and https://www.visit-lyngenfjord.com/activities/hiking/adventurous-hike/Kilpisj%C3%A4rvi-halti

Summary

Below is a summary of some of the popular hike routes for multi day hikes in Finland. The list is not exclusive.

Route	Location	Length	Terrain	Difficulty	Marked	Cell signal	River crossings	Public transport*
Bear’s trail	Oulanka national park	82 km	Forest, canyons, water nature, fells	Medium	Yes	A few no signal Areas	No	Yes
Hetta-Pallas	Palla-Ylläs national park	50 km	Fells, some forest	Medium	Yes	A few no signal areas	No	Requires a short taxi ride
Herajärvi trail	Koli national park	30-60 km	Forest, lake	Medium/hard	Yes	OK	No	Requires a short taxi ride
Kuivi route	Kevo strict nature reserve	86 km	Fell, canyon	Medium	Yes	Mostly poor	Yes	Yes
Kevo route	Kevo strict nature reserve	63 km	Canyon	Hard	Yes	Poor	Yes	Yes
Luiro trail	Urho Kekkonen national park	70-80 km**	Fells, forest, lake	Medium	No	Only on top of fells	Yes	Yes
Halti	Käsivarsi wilderness area	110 km**	Fell	Hard	No	Poor	Yes	Yes
Hämeen Ilvesreitti	Southern Finland	220 km***	Forest, lake, road	Easy	Yes	Good	No	Depends on starting point
Kaakkuri trail	Repovesi national park	26 km	Forest, lake	Medium	Yes	Mostly good	No	Yes
Vajosuo trail	Kurjenrahka national park	30 km	Swamp and forest	Easy	Yes	Good	No	Yes

Extras

Below are some examples about the weather history in Lapland. Data is from open data source of Finnish Meteorological Institute. Pictures were drawn with R version 4.2.3 utilizing dplyr and ggplot2 packages.