Salamajärvi National Park

Salamajärvi National Park

The Salamajärvi National Park in Kivijärvi is a hiker’s dreamscape of varied routes and scenery. Its circular trails are comprehensively waymarked, with about 70 kilometres of hiking altogether. The common starting point for the trails is the Koiransalmi Nature Information Hut, which also provides tourists with activities, accommodations and meals. The trails in the park make up a significant portion of the 115-kilometre Peura Trail hiking route network that spans Northern Ostrobothnia and the Jyväskylä Region.

“Peura” is Finnish for “deer”, and the trail is, indeed, one of Finland’s best places to encounter the wild forest reindeer. Don’t be surprised if you find this beautiful but rare beast roaming Salamajärvi’s nature trails as well. In this kingdom of the great Arctic deer, you’ll find a circular trail to suit every taste – from the 1.5-kilometre Kids’ Nature Trail all the way to the 58-kilometre Hirvaan kierros (“the Stag’s Loop”) trail. The Salamajärvi routes can be rocky and difficult to traverse in places, so ensure you have enough time for your hike.

Salamajärvi’s natural landscape is defined by extensive mire meadows, atmospheric primeval forests and rugged felsenmeer rock. The Heikinjärvenneva fen is the most significant of the park’s numerous mires. From the observation tower at its edge, you can catch a glimpse of the fen’s winged denizens, such as the lapwing, the snipe, and the whimbrel. From July onwards, the mires offer the berry picker a delicious treasure trove of cranberry and cloudberry.

The Pahapuro trail is seven kilometres in length. It takes you across a selection of artefacts from Finnish cultural history, including a stone stove and tar pit at the former cabin at Joutsenlamminkangas. Tar was an important export for Finland in the 19th century, and the tar pits at the park are relics of that time.

The Salamajärvi National Park is an attractive destination not only for the hiker but for the fisher as well. The scenic Iso-Koirajärvi lake is stocked with a population of lake trout and whitefish. A skilled angler may also catch a sizeable perch or pike. Fishing in Iso-Koirajärvi requires a local permit for the Koirajärvi fishing zone.

The Salamajärvi National Park offers you a breath-taking wilderness experience of rugged natural beauty. In the summer, you can hike, watch birds and fish; in the winter, mount snowshowes and skis!

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