You can reach the start of the trail by car via the Kemin itäpuolentie road. There you will find the Kotikairantie turnaround. You can also park your car by the edge of the turnaround. A solid-surface road stretches 140 m to the lean-to. The difference in altitude between the road and lean-to is about 5 m, and the gradient is only about 5 degrees. This section is classified as accessible. You can admire the robust pine forests of Pöyliövaara along the trail.
There is a large, boarded lean-to at the end of the trail by Lähdelampi, or Lähde Pond, featuring a campfire site and benches. There is a woodshed. Pathways for wheelchairs have been built on the shore of the little lake.
Directions: drive 3.9 km out of the city centre of Rovaniemi along the Kajaanintie road, which turns into Ranuantie; turn right on Kemijoen itäpuolentie; drive 500 m; turn left on Kotikairantie; drive 400 m to the starting point of the Pöyliövaara accessible trail. You can also park your car in the nearby Virikkolammenreitti parking area. The trail is open when free of snow from May to October. There are several daily bus connections to the parking area.
]]>The Plant and Fungus Trail is a small-scale nature trail on Kielosaari, or Kielo Island, one of the Könkäänsaaret Islands. The trail introduces the lush vegetation and variety of fungi on the islands. Duckboards cover the entire trail. The length of the circular trail is about 370 m. The difficulty level is easy. Besides hiking, the trail is also suited for snowshoeing in the winter.
The conveniences of the Plant and Fungus Trail include the well-equipped rest stops of Könkäänsaari and Karhukumpu. There are benches, a lean-to, a campfire site, a woodshed and accessible outhouse at Könkäänsaari. There is a lean-to, campfire site, woodshed and outhouse at Karhukumpu. The Vaattunkiköngäs parking area is equipped with an outhouse.
Directions: drive 22.1 km out of Rovaniemi along Sodankyläntie; turn right on Vaattunkikönkääntie; drive 2.1 km to the parking area at the end of the road. Access the trail from the parking area by taking the Könkäiden Trail via Könkäänsaari. After 1 km, the starting point is on the left. The Arctic Circle Hiking Area is also accessible by bus along Sodankyläntie. The distance from Sodankyläntie to the Vaattunkiköngäs parking area is around 2 km along Vaattunkikönkääntie.
]]>The trail starts at the north-western edge of the Santa Claus Village. Along the trail, there are string bogs, coniferous bogs, and dry forests. First, you must descend to the tunnel running under the highway, where the trail starts with a duckboarded string bog stretch. The next stretch is through pine and spruce bogs, after which the gravel path crosses dry forests. Some stretches have duckboards. Information boards introduce the local nature. The path ends at a grand gate and continues into the hilly area of the Santa Claus Forest. It is a fenced forest area with thousands of planted spruce trees, where every tree features the planter’s name, date of birth, and date of planting. They are in rows with a groomed lawn between them. The 1.5 km, one-way path is open during the snow-free season.
Along the trail, there are four resting benches and a roofed resting spot on top of a grassy hill in the middle of the Santa Claus Forest. At the start of the trail in Santa Claus Village, there are diverse services and conveniences, and two service stations are also nearby.
Directions: drive 8.4 km out of the city centre along Sodankyläntie to the Arctic Circle and Santa Claus Village; turn right on Pukinpolku; drive 160m; turn right on Joulumaantie; drive 70 m; then turn right into the parking area. The start of the trail is 150 m from the parking area.
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The Puistolampi trail was made accessible by gravelling it in in the summer of 2017. Linear trails head south and west from the Puistolampi parking area. The trail is in use when the ground is free from snow. The length one way is 340 m. In the beginning, the view over Puistolampi is fantastic, and the western branch climbs over a beautiful flowered hill.
The Puistolampi beach is an excellent swimming place. Next to the lake, there is a playground, benches, and changing cubicles. There are two benches on a hill halfway through the western branch. There are several spacious parking areas. Santa Claus Village is around 2 km from the area, with diverse services and conveniences, and there are also two service stations next to the village.
Directions: drive 6.9 km out of Rovaniemi along Sodankyläntie until you reach the intersection of Lentokentäntie (Airport road); turn right on Myllymäentie; drive 1.1 km; turn left on Pukinpolku; drive 750 m; turn right into the parking area. The accessible trail starts at the edge of the parking area.
The Könkäiden Trail is well-equipped, and it connects two of the most impressive rapids of Raudanjoki – Vikaköngäs and Vaattunkiköngäs. When you start at Vikaköngäs, the trail passes on top of Vaattunkivaara, or Vaattunki Hill, then follows the southern riverside of Raudanjoki and leads you through the exotic Vianaapa Bog to the gorgeous Könkäänsaaret Islands with especially diverse and lush nature.
The trail is mostly duckboarded, so hiking is easy. The most demanding section is the climb to the Vaattunkivaara. The difference in altitude totals 80 m, so you do need to be somewhat physically fit to make it to the top. In addition, the trail is rocky in places on the hill and can be slippery when it rains.
Besides hiking, the trail is suitable for cross-country skiing (no maintained ski trails) and snowshoeing in the winter. Beautiful sights along the trail include: rapids, Vaattunkivaara, the Vaattunkilampi pond, Vianaapa bog, and the Könkäänsaaret islands. The one-way length of the linear main trail is 10.7 km, and the round trip of the path from the main trail to the Ukkoharri lean-to is 390 m. The difficulty level is medium.
There are several resting places along the Könkäiden Trail: Vaattunkivaara features the Kaltio lean-to, a campfire site, an outhouse, and a spring. At the end of the Kivalonaapa Meadow Culture trail, you will find a day-trip cabin, a campfire site, a woodshed and outhouse. There are also lean-tos, campfire sites, woodsheds and outhouses on the shore of the Vaattunkilampi, in Karhukumpu, and on the Könkäänsaaret Island.
Directions: drive 25.6 km out of Rovaniemi along Sodankyläntie to Vikajärvi; turn right into the Vikaköngäs parking area (200 m); cross the suspension bridge, following the Könkäiden Trail signposts. The Arctic Circle Hiking Area is also accessible by bus along Sodankyläntie. The Vaattunkiköngäs parking area is about 2.1 km from Sodankyläntie along Vaattunkikönkääntie. The Vikaköngäs parking area is close to Sodankyläntie.
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