Finnish national parks

The parks are open to the public without any entry or hiking fees. Many have services such as marked hiking trails, cottages, goahtis and saunas for rent. The right to access is usually somewhat restricted in the parks, but the offered free services should compensate that for most visitors. National parks and strict nature reserves are always on state owned land, but other protected areas may be on ground owned by other entities, even privately owned.

There are nature trails in most of the areas listed below. In nearly all but the smallest areas, there are locations for rest (with campfire sites and pit toilets) and in the bigger ones hiking trails and some lodging facilities (often lean-to shelters, in the north more commonly open wilderness huts, in popular areas also rental cabins).

Berry and mushroom picking is usually allowed, in regard to edible species. Taking anything else (such as insects, plants or stones) is usually forbidden in national parks and nature reserves. Dogs must be kept on leash with few exceptions; you may see people letting their dog free, but even a friendly dog can wreak havoc, especially among nesting birds and among reindeer.

Information is usually available in English, but some (such as most information boards along nature trails) may be in Finnish only, or Finnish and either Swedish or Sami.

Most of the really large parks are in the far north, in the Sami native region. Regulations of the parks try not to disturb the traditional livelihood of the Sami. Thus e.g. reindeer herding, hunting, fishing, taking wood for households needs and even driving are often allowed for the locals also where forbidden otherwise. The local population is sparse enough that this does not generally threaten the ecology of the areas.

You are free to explore the landscape more or less everywhere, thanks to the so-called Every man's right (jokamiehenoikeus, allemansrätten), the right to access. There is usually plenty of undeveloped land also near cities, and most cities have recreational areas. The destinations listed here, as outlined above, are worth some more travelling.

Most of the national parks, national hiking areas and wilderness areas are reachable by car and by public transportation. A taxi ride can be worth its price for freer choosing of endpoints of a hike, and needed for getting to some trailheads without an extra day of hiking or a car. There are seldom roads into the destination itself.

A few of the national parks cover archipelago areas, either in the lakes or by the coast. They are best explored by kayak or boat, but usually some parts are reachable by road or ferry. Kayaks, canoes and boats suitable for the destination can usually be rented. If you are not confident commanding your own vessel, at least taxi boat services are available, often you can get a wilderness guide to arrange a canoe trip for you.

There are visitor centres, Metsähallitus customer service points and nature information huts, where you can get advice, maps, some literature, fishing permits and an introduction to the area.

The visitor centres are usually outside the main entrance of national parks, but sometimes quite a distance from the destinations. At some national parks there are hotels, ski resorts or other big tourist businesses by the visitor centre.

The visitor centres are usually accessible by wheelchair, if assisted, as are a few nature trails.

For destinations other than national parks there are not necessarily any obvious visitor centres. Wilderness areas are usually handled by other visitor centres in the area, like some other destinations. For some areas not administered by Metsähallitus you may have to do some research to find the responsible entity and people able to give information on it.

Just visiting an area, hiking and camping does not involve any fees. Some campsites may have fees, but they are never the only or even main option when on a hike.

You might want to pay for transport, equipment, a guided tour, a rental hut, a guaranteed bed in a reservation hut or a fishing permit.

Entry is allowed around the clock on any day, except that bird nesting sites may be off limits in the spring and summer, many nature reserves in the snow-free season (often except marked trails) and there may be similar more specific restrictions at some sites. Some nature reserves are entirely off limits. In the east, note the border zone.

In most areas you are allowed to enter anywhere, but using marked trails may be obligatory in nature reserves and in popular or restricted areas of national parks.

As the right to access does not apply in most protected areas, check the rules of the specific site.

See also: Hiking in the Nordic countries, Wilderness backpacking

There are usually nature trails and hiking trails in the areas, especially near the visitor centres, as well as maintained skiing tracks in the winter. Except in nature reserves you are usually allowed to find your own paths. although keeping to trails where possible is recommended, to minimise impact. In the archipelago and by some rivers you might want to use a boat or kayak.

At most parks it is possible to get a guide through the businesses the park is cooperating with. This is especially useful if you are uncertain about your skills, but the guide can be useful also by knowing the nature, culture and sights and by being able to arrange meals, boat tours and similar.

The nature trails and other shorter (day trip) trails are usually well maintained, have duckboards at wet terrain and bridges at waterways, so that no special equipment is needed in the normal season (but leave high heels at home). In spring (when the snow is melting), in rainy summers and in the usually wet autumns rubber boots or similar may be needed. On longer (overnight) trails you are more likely to meet some rough or wet terrain and are supposed to have proper equipment and some hiking skills.

There is an ongoing project, where trails are being classified. "Easy" trails are usually suitable also for families with small children without much preparation (but leave the pram, except on the routes for wheelchairs), "intermediate" trails can have some rough terrain and on "demanding" trails there may be fords and missing signs and hiking skills and proper equipment are expected. Trails for several days' hiking are usually demanding in this sense. In wilderness areas and in the backcountry of larger national parks you are expected to know what you are doing: there may be shelters and bridges where most needed, but not necessarily where you need them.

In winter – in Lapland most of the year – one should be prepared for snow and low temperatures. Getting disabled or getting lost without proper skills and equipment can easily be fatal, so be serious about safety, although accidents are rare.

The best way to get around in winter is by ski. There are well maintained skiing tracks in many national parks and around ski resorts (which may be situated by a national park). Some of the routes are wide enough for both traditional track skiing and freestyle "skate skiing". For longer journeys, where you cannot depend on weather forecasts, or any journeys in wilderness areas or backcountry, you should have skis suitable also for trackless terrain, and enough experience to cope with bad weather, broken equipment and the like.

In national parks and hiking areas there are often shorter snowshoe trails (and snowshoes for rent). Snowshoes are less efficient than skis, but one does not need any training to use them.

In the northern parts of the country there is a network of snowmobile routes and tracks. The "routes" are regarded part of the road network and therefore free to use, while to use the "tracks" you must pay a fee. Check regulations and safety advice if renting a snowmobile. The routes usually avoid sensitive areas, so a snowmobile is seldom the way to get around in a national park, but the route may lead to a hut by the border of the park, from where you can make an expedition by ski. There are also tracks through some wilderness areas. The open wilderness huts may not be used for overnight stay by those coming by motor vehicle, but you can use them as day huts and sleep in reservation huts or rental cabins.

In the archipelagos and bigger lakes yachts, boats and kayaks are often the best means to get around. The areas are also accessible by ferries, tour boats or taxi boats. In many other areas there are some watercourses suitable for canoes, kayaks and possibly riverboats, providing a different and often quite handy way to see part of the area. Rowing boats are available at many cottages, freely available for patrons or for rent. Renting a vessel is seldom a problem, but you might want to check in advance, to have transport arranged.

See also: Eurasian wildlife

Hiking in the Nordic countries has advice on many topics relevant for visiting national parks or otherwise spending time in the Finnish nature.

There are many businesses arranging tours in national parks or at other destinations, usually trying to pack many different experiences in a day or a few days. This may involve hiking to a hut where dinner is served, sitting down to enjoy the silence at a lake shore and ending the day with roasting salmon at open fire listening to local legends and lastly having a sauna bath and a dip in the river. Programme of course differs between locations and depending on the tour organizer and your choices. Usually you could do most of it by yourself, but getting it all fit a tight schedule without knowing the location is difficult.

With more time at hand or going independently you will probably come closer to the experiences many Finns seek in the forest and fells. Slow down, immerse in the natural landscape, enjoy the silence. You can also roast your salmon, but only if you were lucky with your lure, otherwise to have a good dinner you should have packed what you need to make hiking food something special, and the sauna is doubly refreshing after a few days of trekking.

Tours can be tailored to your wishes, but then it helps to be many enough to afford paying a guide – or to be able to do some of it by yourselves. You could for example take a tour with a river boat, having coffee and sandwiches with the guide telling the local legends, continue the trek by the route he recommended, and return to his cottage village to get the dinner and sauna.

• Hiking. In the small national parks of southern Finland the hiking trails are usually suitable for day trips or a weekend. In the larger parks and wilderness areas many go hiking for a week. There are longer trails also in the south, extending outside the protected areas.
• Skiing. In winter there are skiing tracks at least in most national parks and hiking areas. Plenty of backcountry remains for wilderness back-packers making their own tracks. See Cross-country skiing.
• Canoeing. At parks with a suitable waterway there are usually small businesses that can rent a canoe, give advice and take care of any arrangements. Depending on destination, options can include whitewater sports, more quiet canoeing and sea kayaking.
• Boating. Several parks have parts best accessed by boat.
  • There are tour boats in some parks. In parks with a suitable river a riverboat may be the best way to get around or to get to your trailhead.
  • Cruising with a yacht. At the coast and the bigger lakes (especially the Saimaa complex) chartering a yacht or getting a guided tour with a taxi boat should be easy. See also Boating in Finland.
  • Rowing boats are included in the rent of some cottages and can be rented at some other.
• Fishing. In most areas it is possible to fish. Except in flowing waters rich in salmon or related species, or otherwise restricted areas, rod and hook fishing (without reel) and ice fishing (angling through the ice) is an Every man's right, i.e. free. For lure fishing you need to pay the national fishing fee and for some areas an additional fee. For waters rich in salmon day cards are used (in addition to the national fee) and local restrictions apply. Catch-and-release fishing is not practised. See Finland#Outdoor life and check minimal sizes, closed seasons and restricted areas. Note the Gyrodactylus salaris salmon parasite and the crayfish plague, which mean you need to disinfect your equipment (including boots and canoes) when moving between certain waters and bury entrails when birds otherwise could spread them.
• Gold panning. In Lemmenjoki National Park, in Tankavaara and perhaps at some other locations in Lapland you can get a possibility to try your luck in panning gold, or meet people spending their holiday digging gold. There were gold rushes in the middle 19th and 20th centuries, the traditions remain. The gold of Lapland is unusually pure, larger pieces often used as jewellery with just fittings added.
• Mushroom gathering and berry picking for food are included in the Every man's rights, often not restricted even when taking other things is strictly forbidden. This allows varying your menus on longer hikes and is a nice pastime regardless. Be sure to know the species you intend to eat and beware of poisonous mushrooms unknown where you come from. This is less of a problem with berries, but there are still some poisonous ones.
• Sauna bathing. There are saunas at many lakeside huts and cottages, even at some open wilderness huts. In the wilderness you are supposed to heat the sauna yourself, at commercial lodging facilities probably not – or at least you get help if needed.

Local family businesses near the destinations often offer meals, lodging, tours, equipment and other service. Near some destinations there are also proper restaurants. At most destinations you will not find any meals or drinks inside the area, other than what you cook yourself – or have a wilderness guide prepare for you (also without a guide you may be able to have a local business bring you meals).

Picking edible mushrooms and berries is often allowed also when collecting other things is strictly forbidden. Make sure you know the ones you are going to pick and – at least for mushroom – any local doppelgangers. Fishing is often allowed, with the usual restrictions or requiring a local fishing permit. Hunting is allowed in the wilderness areas, given needed licences and paying for a permit (usually for small game only).

Good looking water in springs, streams and even lakes is often potable untreated, but boiling it for a few minutes may be recommended. In some areas water has to be brought. There may be wells or other water sources provided. The authorities make tests to evaluate the general quality of natural water in many of the areas, but give no guaranties, except where a specific water source has been tested and recommended (typically tap water or a well).

There are designated camp fireplaces in many areas, allowing cooking at the camp fire. Making an open fire in Finland always requires permission of the landowner (use your own judgement in emergencies). Permission is not required to use the campfire sites at official destinations, for state owned backcountry in the wilderness areas and for some backcountry areas in national parks; check rules for the specific destinations. Use established fireplaces where available and make sure you have enough water at hand to extinguish it. There are stoves in the wilderness huts. A camping stove is still recommended for any serious hiking.

Making open fire is always forbidden when a wildfire warning is in effect, or the fire otherwise risks spreading. The warnings are announced in most weather forecasts.

The permission to make a fire does not in itself include a right to take firewood; at huts and campfire sites firewood is mostly provided for free, but at some campfire sites you need to bring your own. The firewood is usually in a separate wood shed, sometimes a shed some distance from the fireplace, to avoid excess use, sometimes even under a tarp at a nearby forest road. Use sparingly. If not all the firewood is ready-made, use the provided axe (or your own) to make some more in addition to what you use. Likewise, take firewood indoors instead of what you use in huts. Where making a fire is allowed in the backcountry, permission is usually also given for using dry twigs and branches on the ground. Don't take branches from trees, neither living nor dead.

There are outhouse dry toilets at most huts and shelters, and at some campfire sites. Toilet paper may not be supplied. Washing your hands is your own problem. Do not use vessels meant for drinking water, and do not go upstream from your water source.

There are lots of commercial lodging facilities near at least some popular parks – but if you are going to spend more than a day in the park, you should look also at other options.

The options provided by the park itself are:

• Own tent or under the stars. Free, no reservation required. Mostly you should camp by infrastructure, such as cooking shelters, lean-to shelters, open wilderness huts or campfire sites. Wild camping is permitted in the wilderness parts of large national parks and in wilderness areas (except in possible restricted areas). Sometimes there are dedicated tent sites. Outside protected areas you can camp according to the right to access, but take care not to upset the landowner.
• Lean-to shelters. Free, no reservation required. Use your own mattress.
• Open wilderness huts. Free, no reservation required. Primitive cabins, use your own mattress. Available in large protected areas away from the visitor centre.
• Reserveable wilderness huts, where you reserve a bed with mattress, pillow and blanket for €16.50/night. Available in popular large parks and along popular long-distance hiking trails.
• Huts that you rent for your company, for €40–400/night. Available only in the largest areas (mostly former open wilderness huts off the beaten path).

In the protected areas, at the facilities, or camping wild, remember that you are a guest, as are your fellow hikers. Be respectful to them and the surrounding nature, always make them feel welcome to share the facilities. If camping with a tent by a campfire site, put up your camp a stone's throw or a half away. Avoid loud voices and other noise. Non-live music is not appreciated, singing may or may not be, depending on the site, company and circumstances. Leave no trace, pack out even when there are garbage bins: emptying away from proper roads is costly and means unnecessary traffic. There may be a sorting station outside the area, such as near a visitor centre or at a rest spot by the nearest highway.

At the hiking destinations in northern Finland there are open wilderness huts providing accommodation for the night for free, often a day's hike or more from any trailhead. They may be used by anybody, but staying overnight is disallowed on commercial tours or arriving by motor vehicle. Also big groups should sleep in reserved beds or in their tents instead. You need about the same equipment as when sleeping in tents, but will be able to get warm and dry as you have got the fire going in the wood stove, and sometimes even have the luxury of a gas stove for cooking or of a sauna bath (do not even think about electricity or running water; have some candles for light in autumn and winter). There are no mattresses, so carry your own, in addition to sleeping bags etc.

If you are from a hot climate, heating the hut to your desired temperature would require a lot of firewood, and may make the upper beds too hot for those sleeping in their three-season sleeping bags (intended for sleeping also in close-to-freezing temperatures). In summer, the stoves are mostly used to get rid of moisture, not for heating. In winter it takes time to warm the hut. The gas cookers are for cooking, not for warmth.

If hiking in the winter and not used to wood-fired stoves, learn how to use them beforehand. Lighting a fire (without filling the room with smoke) may be difficult in certain conditions, and there are some things to know about, such as safe use of the damper and starting the heating cautiously if the chimney is cold. Even if you are in the know, check the folder for specific instructions.

Latecomers have an absolute right to the facilities; those who already had a chance to get warm have to arrange room, by leaving if necessary, be it in the middle of the night. The common thing to do is to arrange room for possible other guests before they show up, at latest before you go to sleep, or, if the hut is small and you want to overnight indoors, put up your tent anyway to make freeing up the hut easy. The sauna fee (€10/5 per person) should be paid before or afterwards, online or at a Metsähallitus service point such as the visitor centre. If you are not alone at the hut, agree on turns, such as one hour for women and one for men (don't keep the sauna heated for more time than necessary).

In popular areas there are also reservation huts, where you get a guaranteed bed, usually with blanket, mattress and pillow, for about €15 (bring your own linens and toilet paper). Usually you get (and leave) the key at the visitor centre or a nearby business. Large or commercial groups should use this option, as should people with snowmobiles.

The open and the reservable huts are meant for staying a night or two, not longer. Typically one stays in the same hut for two nights only for a rest day, to dry equipment, or waiting out foul weather. Make sure those arriving later feel welcome; don't monopolise the whole space. Staying more than two nights is permitted in some huts off season, otherwise bad manners (and disallowed). If the trails are busy, you should probably spend your rest day somewhere else, and leave an open wilderness hut for your tent as soon as you have got warm and dry.

Some of the less popular wilderness huts have been transformed into rental huts, which are booked for a party, often for somewhat longer periods, e.g. as a base for fishing trips in the area. They might have a rowing boat, sauna and similar.

Also day huts can be used for overnight stay if there is a change of plans, e.g. a storm. Using them overnight just for comfort as part of your plan is not allowed.

Beside the normal "huts", which are small log houses, more primitive turf huts and Lap pole tents also exist. The former is partly dug into the ground and with a roof made of turf, the latter are timber constructions that may have a plank floor. In most you have to sleep on the floor or ground. There may be a fireplace instead of a stove.

In the south, open wilderness huts get sparse. As winters are less severe here, you can get away without them. Instead there are lean-to shelters, where you can spend the evening by a campfire and get shelter from rain in the night.

All the huts work mainly by self service. Read the instructions (there is a folder in most huts) and leave the hut as you would like to find it. You may be supposed to chop firewood, and at least to carry some indoors from the wood shed, instead of what you used. Note your visit in the guest book, including where you came from and where you are going. There are guest books also at many shelters, often in what looks like a post box. Nowadays there is a web page for most Metsähallitus huts, specifying nominal capacity and equipment, and warning for deficiencies, check if you have the chance.

The main option is of course a tent. You might want to carry one even if you plan to use huts, especially in peak season (get warm and dry in the hut, but sleep in the tent, if you suspect another party may arrive later) or hiking in severe conditions (where you might not reach the hut before dark). In spring and autumn (when the conditions are mild and there are no or few mosquitoes even in the night) a tarp tent or similar shelter can be used instead of a tent.

There are seldom proper camping areas in the parks. Instead you can put your tent near provided infrastructure, such as open wilderness huts and campfire places. In some busy parks only designated areas are to be used, but the facilities are similar. In the backcountry of larger parks you can usually put your tent anywhere but in a few restricted areas.

When visiting smaller areas without facilities, you can still use your tent: sleeping in the wood outside the area for a night or two is allowed by the right to access.

For toilets, see Eat and drink above.

There are usually dry toilets near campfire sites, huts and other infrastructure. Toilet paper and hand washing facilities are usually not provided. Don't wash your hands in creeks, as people downstream may use the water for drinking.

Bring your own fire-starters. There is often firewood provided for free. Use it sparingly. Chop some extra firewood for future use by others, in addition to what you need.

Keep warm and afloat. In remote areas you will not be able to get any quick help in emergencies, so know your limits and prepare well for anything demanding. Carry a first aid pack. Remember that mobile phone coverage may be poor.

In the backcountry, use the guest books also to note where you are going next, especially if you make changes in your plans. They will help the rescue teams find you if you do not make it to your destination. You did tell somebody when to call the rescue service, and your planned route, didn't you?

In emergencies you do what you have to do, such as overstaying in a wilderness hut in dangerous weather or making a fire without permit – or even using somebody's private cottage after crashing through the ice of a lake. If you cause damage or use resources you are not entitled to, be respectful and do your best to compensate afterwards.

In any emergency and in anything that could develop into one, call ☏ 112. They can send any appropriate help, including volunteers or the boarder guard. There are helicopters that can bring a doctor or evacuate you, were an ambulance wouldn't reach you. In winter, snowmobiles may be used. If you don't have a good address, preferably use the DD° MM.M' N, DD° MM.M' E coordinate format (EUREF-FIN/WGS84, i.e. what your GPS tells) to tell your position and, in addition, tell approximate direction and distance from a prominent or well-known landmark, to avoid mistakes. They will also ask about municipality, tell if you know it. At wilderness huts there is often a "helipad" (a pole by a spot of open land), in backcountry you may want to suggest some usable spot (provided you have some understanding of helicopter needs). Stay clear from landing helicopters (which will throw stones and branches on you).

Near borders, your call may get picked up in the neighbouring country, especially if you allowed automatic roaming; the Swedish and Norwegian services should be able to get you help from Finland.

At sea, marine VHF's channel 16 may be a better choice, although 112 will work also there.

Dangerous encounters with animals are rare. The European adder is the only poisonous snake (see Finland for advice). There are bears and wolves, but they avoid humans. As long as you do not manage to get between a bear and her cubs or let your dog find and provoke a bear, you should be pretty safe (they have not learnt to come after your food). Also elk, owls, terns and some other wildlife can be dangerous unless you stay clear of their young.

The ticks can carry Lyme disease or TBE. Both are potentially nasty; you might want to take precautions. Northern Lapland is still tick-free.

Mosquitoes are a non-trivial nuisance in many of the areas in summer, especially in the north and by wetlands. Hundreds of stings may even make you ill. Make sure you have plenty of repellent at hand, a hat with a mosquito net (in the worst areas) and a mosquito proof tent. Black flies (breeding in streams, not still water, and thus more common in the north) are even worse, as they will find any small hole in your protection.

One more little beast, which can drive people crazy, is the deer fly (hirvikärpänen, älgfluga). This poor flat fly crawls around in your hair and clothing in the hopeless quest of finding the deer in you. After having cut off its wings it has no choice but to continue, even realising its mistake. They are harmless and seldom bite humans, but rather difficult to chase away or squeeze.

• Norwegian or Swedish national parks or – for the adventurous – the Russian taiga or tundra.
• Estonia is most famous for cities and history, but certainly has nature to explore too.
• National parks