The surrounding areas of Saariselkä and the Urho Kekkonen national park offer spectacular conditions for all sorts of hiking.
The areas of Saariselkä and Kiilopää have hundreds of kilometers of marked trails and plenty of huts and fireplaces. In Saariselkä you can start hiking on the marked trails which makes it easier even for the total beginners.
For more information about the huts and fire places in the Urho Kekkonen national park.
To a short day tour
If you are planning on going to a short day tour you can start your journey from the center of Saittajärvi (lvo)Saariselkä or from Kiilopää. There are plenty of different options between a 1,5 km nature trail and 15 km day tour in the national park. More about Saariselkä hiking area and facilities
To a longer hike in the wilderness
If you are planning to go for a longer hike, the Urho Kekkonen national park could be a good destination for you. There are many possible placed where you can leave your car on your way to the national park. Besides the center of Saariselkä, you can start your hike from Kiilopää, Tankavaara, Raja-Jooseppi, or Aittajärvi (from excursion map by name „Aittajärvi, laavu“)
In the national park there are no marked trails at all. Nevertheless, there are small paths going between the most popular huts and fireplaces some of which are even marked on the maps.
In the wilderness hikers should always have decent orientation equipment such as a map, a compass or a GPS with them.
Remember that you might not be able to use the mobile phone everywhere in the national park.
Safety above all
When you are planning your tour, always consider safety! In the wilderness you are alone with the nature. In case of emergency there might not be other hikers on the same path with you in days. Because the phone doesn´t work everywhere you need to be ready to survive on your own.
This is why you need to take with you adequate first aid equipment, spare clothes and extra food. This is how you will be able to survive extra days in the wilderness.
Tips to your tour
From outdoors.fi you will be able to find more tips to a succeeded hiking tour.
GPS-nature trail is something new in Inari. There you won´t find a traditional marked trail but there are spots that you will find with the help of you GPS. Viiden aistin luontopolku