Pyhä-Luosto National Park Trails

Hiking Trails

Starting Points for Trails

Possible starting points for the areas trails are Pyhätunturi Visitor Centre, Rykimäkero or the Luoston Portti as well as Luostonloma parking area at Luosto.

Nature Trails

Tunturiaapa Nature Trail is 5 km long and starts at the Visitor Centre. The trail has boards that give information on the area’s nature. If you wish to visit the Tunturiaapa bird watching tower it adds 500 metres to your trip. The tower is the perfect place to observe the habits of birds living in aapa bogs. The wetlands, which the trail crosses, have duckboards and the steepest slopes have had steps built up them. When it is not wet, you will only need light shoes when walking this trail. At Isokuru Lapp pole tent, located early on the trail, and Tiaislaavu lean-to shelter, near the bird watching tower, visitors can light campfires and enjoy picnic lunches in the peace of the forest. Hikers should reserve 2 to 3 hours to walk this trail. In winter the natural skiing trail leads by Isokuru Lapp pole tent and Tiaislaavu lean-to shelter.
• Services: Isokuru Lapp pole tent, Tiaislaavu lean-to shelter, a dry toilet, a toilet for the disabled and a water point.
• Sights: Tunturiaapa bird watching tower
• Luosto Nature Hiking Trail is 14,5 km long. It is marked and parts of it have duckboards. It opens each spring when the ground thaws and snows melt. There are boards along this trail with information on the natural features of the area’s forests, fells and especially its mires. The information boards are situated at a few central locations, where visitors can stop and rest. There are two campfire sites along the trail, which are good places to eat packed lunches. The natural features along Luosto Hiking Trail are the most magnificent and diverse in Central Lapland. The trail runs through old-growth forest, which has been totally untouched by loggers and across vast aapa bogs. At its end, the trail rises to the top of Ukko-Luosto Fell. The start and finish point is Luoston Portti. Hikers should reserve 6 to 8 hours to walk this trail.
  • Services: Tikkalaavu and Pyhänlatva lean-to shelters, which both have dry toilets in their vicinity.

Circle Trails

Noitatunturin valloitus 12 km, the trail leading to the top of Noitatunturi Fell, should be on a hiker’s agenda if they want a true challenge. This 540 metre high fell used to be a place of worship for the Sámi and is definitely worth the climb. From the top of the fell there are vast views of typical Northern Finnish landscape filled by aapa bogs and fells. The route takes approximately 5 hours to travel. The trail is marked with orange paint markings on tree trunks and there are signposts at each crossroads. Where the trail travels across open fells it is marked with wood crosses and orange paint markings on rocks. The visitor centre is the starting point for this trail and a portion of the trail’s route leads along a nature trail past Isokuru Ravine and turns off the trail towards Oravalampi lean-to shelter from where the climb to the top of Noitatunturi Fell begins. From the top of Noitatunturi Fell the trail leads to Lake Annikinlampi and from there to Karhunjuomalampi Day Trip Hut and on through Isokuru Ravine back to the trail’s starting point. The trail is classified as very demanding and its most difficult section is the climb to the top of Noitatunturi Fell. The trail should be travelled in the clockwise direction. There are connecting trails to Pyhätunturi Nature Trail and the Pyhä-Luosto Hiking Trail from this trail.
• Services: Isokuru campfire shelter, Oravalampi lean-to shelter,
Karhunjuomalampi Day Trip Hut. There are dry toilets at all the rest points.
• Sights: Noitatunturi Fell, Pyhänkasteenputous Waterfall, Isokuru Ravine
Karhunjuomalampi Trail, 8 km, leads through Isokuru Ravine and around Kultakero Hill and so gives a great cross-section of the area’s geology. The rugged nature of the ravine silences hikers and on the north side of Kultakero Hill a breathtaking view opens towards Lake Pyhäjärvi. The trail is 8 km long and it takes around 3 hours to travel the distance. The trail is marked with orange paint markings on tree trunks and there are signposts at crossroads.. The starting point for this trail is at Pyhätunturi Visitor Centre and the trail can be travelled either clockwise or anti-clockwise. Karhunjuomalampi Trail is also marked as a Nordic Fitness Sports Park^TM Nordic walking trail. The trail is of medium difficulty. There are connecting trails to for example Pyhätunturi Nature Trail and the Pyhä-Luosto Hiking Trail.
• Services: Isokuru campfire shelter,
Karhunjuomalampi Day Trip Hut and dry toilets at both these locations.
• Sights: Pyhänkasteenputous Waterfall, Isokuru Ravine
Rykimäkuru Trail 12 km is a circle trail which has its starting point beside the Pyhä - Luosto road (about 14 km from Pyhä towards Luosto) at Rykimäkero parking area. The trail travels via Lampivaara Hill, Lake Pyhälampi and Rykimäkuru Ravine. The area’s grandest canyon Rykimäkuru Ravine is one of the trail’s best sights. It differs from the area’s other ravines in that it actually a tear in the Earth’s crust, while the other ravines were formed by flowing water after the ice melted at the end of the Ice Age. The trail’s bird population is impressive and it is very likely that hikers will at the very least either see or hear a Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) or a Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus). The trail is marked on tree trunks with orange paint markings and there are signposts at each crossroad. Hikers should reserve at least 3 hours for travelling the trail. The trail is suited for beginners and is classified as easy to travel. There is a connecting trail to the Pyhä-Luosto Hiking Trail.
• Services: Rykimäkero campfire shelter,
Pyhälampi Day Trip Hut and Lampivaara lean-to shelter and cafe. There are dry toilets at all these locations. There is a drinking water well at Rykimäkero. Rykimäkero campfire shelter is accessible from the parking area by wheelchair and with a baby pram (0.7 km from the parking area).
• Sights: Rykimäkero niliaitta (niliaitta = a food storage room built on a high pole or tree stump) and storehouse, the Lampivaara Amethyst Mine, Rykimäkuru Ravine
The Ukko-Luosto Hiking Trail 17 km has its official end and starting point at Luoston portti, but an alternative starting point would be Luostonloma parking area. The trail travels via the interesting Luostonloma Ravine to Torvisen maja cabin. From the cabin the trail continues along the slope of Ukko-Luosto Fell through old-growth forest to Lampivaara. From Lampivaara visitors can enjoy a view which opens towards Pyhätunturi Fell. The trail then turns back towards Luoston portti. The trail is classified of medium difficulty, but as the trail is long it is demanding and requires good physique. The Ukko-Luosto Hiking Trail is also marked as a Nordic Fitness Sports Park^TM Nordic walking trail. There are connecting trails to Luosto Nature Trail and the Pyhä-Luosto Hiking Trail.
• Services: Tikkalaavu lean-to shelter, Torvisen Ski Trail Café, Ukko lean-to shelter and Ukko campfire shelter, Lampivaara lean-to shelter and café
• Sights: The Lampivaara Amethyst Mine, the Ukko-Luosto area’s old-growth forests
Summit on Ukko-Luosto Fell, Trail 3 - 6.5 km. Getting to the summit of Ukko-Luosto Fell is a worthwhile challenge. There are steps up the slope and at the top of the fell there is a lookout platform from which an utterly unforgettable view opens in the direction of Siurunaapa Mire. From the top of Ukko-Luosto hikers can travel north towards Torvisen maja cabin or they can return to Luoston portti along Luosto Nature Trail. If hikers take the latter option the length of the trail is 6 km. The trail is classified as very demanding, but as it is quite short it is suited for beginners. The trail is also marked as a Nordic Fitness Sports Park^TM Nordic walking trail. At some points the route of this trail leads along Luosto Nature Trail and the Pyhä-Luosto Hiking Trail.
• Services: Tikkalaavu lean-to shelter, there are dry toilets at all the areas rest spots
• Sights: The summit of Ukko-Luosto Fell
• Poropolku Trail, 7 km. The starting and end point for Poropolku Trail is at Pyhätunturi Visitor Centre. The beginning of the trail follows the route of Tunturiaapa Nature Trail. Poropolku Trail turns off the nature trail just before reaching Tiaislaavu lean-to shelter and heads southeast towards Porolaavu lean-to shelter. The trail first travels through dry heathland forest. The trail leads to the edge of a small mire depression where there hikers can see the ruins if an old loggers cabin. Soon after passing the ruins hikers will arrive at a reindeer fence owned by the Pyhä-Kallio reindeer herders co-operative. From Porolaavu lean-to shelter the trail travels along a road for some distance until it turns right and leads across easy to travel terrain through pine forest to the visitor centre. The trail is classified as easy. The trail is suited for beginners. The trail is also marked as a Nordic Fitness Sports Park^TM Nordic walking trail.
  • Services: Tiaislaavu lean-to shelter (100 m from the Porolaavu lean-to shelter crossroad), Porolaavu lean-to shelter. There are dry toilets at all the areas rest spots.
  • Sights: Reindeer fence, ruins of an old loggers cabin

Other Trails

Pyhä-Luosto Hiking Trail approx. 35 km. This trail connects the area’s fells to one another in winter and summer. The trail offers scenery such as stream banks, hills and ravines. There are many geologically and historically interesting sights along the route. The length of the hike is about 35 km depending on the route hikers choose. There are two possible starting points for this trail; Luoston portti and Pyhätunturi Visitor Centre. There are connecting trails to most of Pyhä-Luosto’s day-trip trails. The Pyhä-Luosto Hiking Trail is classified as demanding, but it is suited for beginners as the distances between rest spots are relatively short and the trail is well-marked in the terrain.
• Services:
Huttuloma Open Wilderness Hut, Huttujärvi Rental Hut, the Karhunjuomalampi, Kapusta and Pyhälampi Day Trip Huts and the Oravalampi, Porontahtoma and Lampivaara lean-to shelters as well as a café offer shelter to and a resting place for hikers. There are dry toilets at each of these resting spots.
• Sights: Noitatunturi Fell, the Lampivaara Amethyst Mine, Isokuru Ravine and Pyhänkateenputous Waterfall are unforgettable.
• Visitors can get to the Luosto - Yliluosto Hiking Trail 8-12 km (in one direction) from either the Luoston Portti or Luostonloma parking area. When setting off from Luoston Portti the trail first heads to Luostonloma (in the direction of Torvisen maja cabin) At Luostonloma parking area the trail crosses a road and continues along a fell-back first to Keski-Luosto Fell and then to Yli-Luosto Fell. The views are magnificent: the route on the fell is at points narrow and steep. The end point of the trail is Yli-Luosto open wilderness hut which was built in 1949. You can follow the same route back or arrange for a ride back from the bottom of the Perhe-Luosto ski slopes (about 4 km back from Yli-Luosto), which is accessible by car. The Luosto - Yliluosto Hiking Trail is marked by wooden poles with blue/white signs carrying a picture of a walker. There are signposts at each crossroads. The trail is classified as demanding.
  • Services: Tikkalaavu lean-to shelter, Yli-Luosto Open Wilderness Hut.

Cross-country Skiing Trails

• There are about 150 km of maintained cross-country skiing trails in the Pyhä-Luosto area. Experienced skiers can enjoy a day trip from one fell to another and take the SkiBussi bus for the return journey. The best way to experience cross-country skiing in Pyhä is along the area’s natural skiing trails.
  • Most of the maintained trails in the area are suited for both classical cross-country skiing and free style cross-country skiing. When designing the trails, ski method, as well as, scenic potential were both taken into consideration. The trails pass through the most beautiful parts of the area. Forty kilometres of the trails are lit, so they can be enjoyed after a day of slalom for example. There are wonderful cafés by the trails, which serve drinks and snacks.
  • The trails in the Orresokka area are demanding and suited for experienced skiers. The free style skiing track at Ukko-Luosto Fell is also for those with less experience. During late winter a more modest skiing trail between Rykimäkuru and Luosto is opened. Visitors can also walk with snowshoes along this trail.
  • The beauty of Pyhä-Luosto National Park is breath-taking. Reserve as much time as possible and a backpack full of food and your ski-trip will be a guaranteed success.

Snowmobile Trails and Tracks

• A snowmobile track called the Arctic Trail travels by Pyhä-Luosto National Park on its west side and across Keski-Luosto. There is also a snowmobile track which cuts through the national park at Lake Huttujärvi. Snowmobile trail and track maps are available on the Metsähallitus website (www.metsa.fi/Recreation). On the Wild North website you can also find information on the permits (www.wildnorth.net, in Finnish) needed to drive a snowmobile.