The Goblin’s Gorge Gravel Loop is a spectacular 349km and 5-to-7-day route on gravel roads in the heart of Central Finland. It combines the population centers of Jyväskylä, Joutsa, Lievestuore, Suolahti, and Uurainen as well as the services and natural sites mainly along the trafficless gravel back roads. The Leivonmäki National Park is one of the highlights on the way. Thanks to the work of the ice mass, the area is not surprisingly also full of lakes, providing more than 20 beaches along the route for a skinny-dipping or evening dust wash-off by the camp. The route starts and ends in the City of Jyväskylä, so getting on the route could not be easier by public transportation from different parts of Finland.
The Old Church Gravel Loop is an epic 442km and 5-8-day rollercoaster-like route on some forgotten backroads of the western Jyväskylä region. It connects the rural villages and towns of the area as well as a number of splendid natural sites to some great services mainly on rarely-used logging routes and old connecting routes. Like the Goblin’s Grave Gravel Loop, it features nicely rolling and flowy gravel roads deep in the Central Finland’s taiga, a loads of little sand beaches for swimming as well as several unique lodging options. Naturally, loads of great quality camping on the way too. The route also passes by the old log church of Petäjävesi. Built in 1763–1765, it is one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage sites in Finland and ranks among the most valuable remaining tours de force of log construction.
The typical steeply rising hills by northern Lake Päijänne are particularly impressive in Vaarunvuoret in Korpilahti. Vaarunvuoret are famous for the dramatic drop into Korospohjanlahti bay, and the southern and Arctic flora thriving on its slopes. On the hill you can admire the shimmering Lake Päijänne more than hundred metres below.
The Oravivuori trail leads to the top of Oravivuori hill in Korpilahti’s Puolakka, where one of the survey points of the famous Struve Geodetic Arc, part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, is located.
The Green Gold Gravel Loop is a 333km and 4-to-6-day loop trail on gravel roads in the northern part of Central Finland. It combines the villages, services, nature sites, and beaches of the northwest Lakelandvia old and new forest roads as it passes by the historic salmon rapids of Huopana, the national park of Salamajärvi, and the protected areas of old forest around Lake Kuivajärvi as a contrast to the forest industry otherwise present along the way.
Rising to a height of almost 200 meters, the steep-walled bare rock Kanavuori is an impressive sight. From the top of the hill there are magnificent views over Lake Päijänne and Lake Leppävesi, as well as over the culturally and historically valuable Naissaari area.
Nyrölä Hiking Trail runs through a varied forest landscape and on the marshy shores of Lake Iso-Musta. The trail also runs past the artificial pond of Saparo. The hiking trail is 3.6 km long, and its high point is an island with a lean-to shelter, which can be reached by crossing the dark waters of Iso-Musta via a cable ferry.
Iso Haapasaari is an island over a kilometer long and at most only 200 meters wide, located next to Haapaniemi in Vaajakoski. The highest point of the island is just over 25 meters above the surface of Lake Päijänne. The starting point of the nature trail, with its information board, is in the southern part of the island. Parking spaces are located along Haapasaarentie, immediately after the junction that turns towards the nature trail’s information board.
