Services in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park

Customer Service and Guidance

Kellokas Visitor Centre
Provides information on northern natural features, the Ylläs-Aakenus fell area and the diverse hiking opportunities there.
A nature exhibition, a logging museum, AV presentations, organised events, tours of the visitor centre and of Varkaankuru Ravine for a fee.
• Information on hiking, souvenirs, permits and a restaurant Kellokas.
Pallastunturi Visitor Centre
An exhibition on the area, AV presentations, changing exhibitions and events.
Reservations for reservable wilderness huts on the Hetta - Pallas Trail and for the rental cabin at Lake Keimiöjärvi.
Fishing permits for Lake Pallasjärvi.
• Local products, books and maps.
• Skierri, Fell Lapland Nature Centre
  An exhibition on the area, AV presentations, changing exhibitions and events.
  Information on services in Käsivarsi Wilderness Area. Permits and reservations for wilderness huts.
  Maps, books local souvenirs and a cafe.
  • Tours of the nature centre’s exhibition for a fee.

Services offered by enterprises and other organisations in National Park

• Services offered by enterprises and other organisations in the Pallas-Yllästunturi national park.
  • They have a cooperation agreement with Metsähallitus and they follow the principles of sustainable nature tourism when operating in the national park.

Meals, Where to Buy and Prepare

Cafés and Restaurants

Cafes, restaurants and shops can be found in the villages and holiday resorts surrounding the National Park. Kellokas Visitor Centre has a restaurant and Fell Lapland Nature Centre has a café. The nature centre’s café is open during peak tourist seasons. The Pallas Hotel is located next to Pallastunturi Visitor Centre.
• There are also services along the trails in the National Park.
  On Pyhäkero in the Ounastunturi Fells there is an open wilderness hut and a service hut, which houses a privately run café in early spring. Outside of the peak seasons the service hut is rented to other private tourist enterprises. Reservations can be made at Fell Lapland Nature Centre.
  In Nammalakuru in the Pallastunturi Fells there is a Lapp pole tent, which houses a privately run café during peak seasons.
  • There are ski-cafés in the Ylläs-Aakenus area, which are open during peak seasons. Information on opening hours is available at Kellokas Visitor Centre.
    Kesänginkeidas Café is at the east-end of Lake Kesänkijärvi 5 km east of the village of Äkäslompolo.
    Latvamaja Café is 2 km east of Kesänginkeidas Café.
    Kotamaja ski café is open during the spring skiing season in the ravine between the Kukastunturi, Lainiotunturi and Pyhätunturi Fells.
    There are also cafés outside the boundaries of the National Park. At Aurinkotupa south of and at Tunturijärvi kiosk west of Yllästunturi Fell, as well as, at Velho Lapp pole tent by the River Äkäsjoki.
    • On the north-side of Kukastunturi Fell the Peurakaltio Café is open during the spring peak season. On the south-side of Lake Äkäsjärvi is the Äkäsmylly mill café.

Campfire Sites, Huts and Campfire Shelters

Within the National Park and just outside of its boundaries, there are campfire sites, lean-to shelters and Lapp pole tents, which can be used to shelter from bad weather. In the recreation zone of the National Park campfires are only permitted at sites designated for this purpose. In the wilderness zones of the National Park, campfires are permitted on lake or river shores. Twigs and dead branches can be used as firewood. Lighting campfires is forbidden everywhere, even in spots designated for them, if the forest fire warning is in effect. During extremely dry weather visitors are advised not to light fires in the fireplaces of Lapp pole tents or herders’ cabins.
Campfire sites are located:
At the foot of Pahtavaara Hill.
On the shore of Lake Rautujärvi, outside the National Park on the northwest side of the Ounastunturi Fells.
At the point where the Rivers Onnasjoki and Ounasjoki meet, on the northeast side of the National Park on the canoe route.
• On the bank of the River Ounasjoki, about 1 km south of Ketomella by road.
Campfire shelters are located:
On the bank of the River Ounasjoki, on the north-side of the National Park.
At Lake Savilampi.
In Hannukuru Ravine.
At Lake Varkaanjärvi.
In Suaskuru Ravine.
In Rihmakuru Ravine.
At the foot of Pallaskero Fell.
At Hirvaslahdessa Bay on the shore of Lake Pallasjärvi.
At Pallaslompolo on the shore of Lake Pallasjärvi.
On the western shore of Lake Vuontisjärvi right by the snow mobile track.
Near Linkukero Fell; Linkukota Campfire shelter and Linkusilmä Campfire shelter
In the area surrounding Lake Pyhäjärvi, where there are 3 campfire shelters.
At Lake Aakenusjärvi.
At Lainiotunturi Fell; Karhukota Campfire shelters
• At Kotamaja.
Lean-to shelters, which can be used as day trip shelters are located:
At Pippovuoma.
At Lake Sarvijärvi.
In Hangaskuru Ravine.
In Tahkokuru Ravine.
At Kahvikeidas.
• In Varkaankuru Ravine.
• Day trip huts are intended for brief stops, for lighting campfires and enoying packed lunches. They are:
  Sioskoski
  Keimiöjärvi
  Porokämppä
  Pyhäjärvi
  Tammikämppä
  Tammitupa
  Villenkämppä
  • Muusantupa

Drinking Water

• When in the vicinity of wilderness huts and cabins it is best to get drinking water from a well or other marked water spot or at a considerable distance from the building. During warm weather, water is best to boil before drinking.

Waste Management

• Most wilderness huts and cabins have waste bins. Lean-to shelters and wilderness huts in the Ylläs-Aakenus area do not have waste disposal bins and in the future Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park will be a Hiking without Littering -area. Measures should be taken in advance to avoid taking unnecessary waste into the area. Take all waste out of the area. Recycling points can be found at the Nammalakuru, Hannukuru and Pyhäkero wilderness huts, as well as, at Kellokas Visitor Centre, Pallastunturi Visitor Centre and Fell Lapland Nature Centre.

Toilets

• Dry toilets can be found at open and reservable wilderness huts, day trip huts, lean-to shelters and at most campfire sites.

Overnight Stays

Camping

• In the recreation zone of the National Park camping is permitted in the vicinity of wilderness huts and campfire sites. In the wilderness zones camping is permitted everywhere, but campfires can only be built near bodies of water.

Open Wilderness Huts

• There are 18 open wilderness huts in the National Park and nearby. They are intended for one to two night stays. There is no charge for using them.
• Open wilderness huts are:
  Pyhäkero
  Sioskuru
  Tappuri
  Pahakuru
  Hannukuru
  Rautuoja
  Puolitaival
  Montell’s cabin
  Nammalakuru
  Mäntyrova
  • Vuontisjärvi, in Muonio
  Mustavaara
  Mustakero
  • Juuvanrova
  • Kuusikonmaa
  Pahtavaara
  Pahtavuoma
  • Pahtavuoma II

Reservable Wilderness Huts

• There are three reservable wilderness huts in the Pallas area. Beds must be reserved in advance. The three huts in Pallas all have 8 beds. Reservations for the Pallas huts can be made at Pallastunturi Visitor Centre. Keys can be picked up from Pallastunturi Visitor Centre, Kellokas Visitor Centre or Fell Lapland Nature Centre. Bed places cost 9 euros a person/night:
  Sioskuru
  Hannukuru
  • Nammalakuru

Rental Huts and Cabins

• There is two rental huts, which are rented to one group at a time. Reservations for the Keimiöjärvi rental hut can be made at Pallastunturi Visitor Centre and for Ojanlatva rental hut at Kellokas Visitor Centre. Price is 35 euros / hut / night.
Keimiöjärvi
• Ojanlatva
• Right outside of the National Park’s boundaries there are 5 rental cabins:
  • Kiekerö
  Jerisranta (www.villipohjola.fi)
  Aakenuspirtti (www.villipohjola.fi)
  Totovaara Hill (www.villipohjola.fi)
  • Kesänkijärvi (www.villipohjola.fi)

Caravans

• There is no actual camping ground with services in the National Park. There is a parking area for caravans 500 metres south from Pallastunturi Visitor Centre. There are, however, no services for caravan tourists there. Hotels Pallas, Vuontispirtti, Jeris, Hetta, Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi all have services for caravan tourists.

Lodging in the Surrounding Area

• All of the areas villages have rental cabins, camping grounds, hotels, B&B services, restaurants, cafés, shops, speciality shops and other services. Contact information for these services can be found on the Ylläs (www.yllas.fi) resort area and municipalities of Enontekiö (www.enontekio.fi), Kittilä (www.kittila.fi), Kolari (www.kolari.fi) and Muonio (www.muonio.fi) websites and on the Lapland tourism website (www.laplandfinland.com).

Sauna

• There is an open sauna in Hannukuru Ravine. Sauna is free of charge for residents of the reservable huts of Hanna and Hannu.
• For others the sauna fee is 7 e / adult, 4 e / child (under 7 years) or for a member of a group (a group is > 10 persons). Payment in advance in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Parks visitor centres or by mobile phone. Call tel. 06008-20335 (7 e payment) tai 06008-20336 (4 e payment). One call for one payment.
• We suggest the following arrangement; women use the sauna during even-numbered hours and men during odd-numbered hours. This way everyone will get a chance to go.

Equipment Rental

• Local enterprises rent out boats, canoes, cross-country and slalom skis, hiking boots and mountain bikes.

Services for the Disabled

• The exhibition areas in Kellokas Visitor Centre, Pallastunturi Visitor Centre and Fell Lapland Nature Centre are accessible by wheelchair.
• Pallastunturi Visitor Centre, Kellokas Visitor Centre and Fell Lapland Nature Centre have toilets for the disabled.
• From Pallastunturi Visitor Centre there is a 1 km trail to the ruins of an old hotel and Pallaskero Lapp pole tent. The trail is wheelchair accessible if assisted.
• The beginning of
Pyhäjoki Nature Trail is accessible by wheelchair.
• There is a short wheelchair trail from Kellokas Visitor Centre to a nearby mire. There are boards along the trail, with information on local natural features. There is a wheelchair ramp to the Lapp pole tent, but to move around on the visitor centres grounds an assistant is needed. The logging museum by Kellokas Visitor Centre is wheelchair accessible if assisted. Other easily accessible locations are
Pakasaivo, Äkäsmylly Mill and the Ylläsjärvi bird watching tower.
• The boat stage at Hannukaisenlampi Pond, outside of the National Park is an excellent place for angling trout and rainbow trout. There is a campfire site with a dry toilet for the disabled by the pond.

Services for Boaters

• There are two harbours in Lake Pallasjärvi, with concrete boat launch ramps. Both harbours have a Lapp pole tent for eating picnics and lighting campfires.

Other Services in the Surrounding Area

• There are shops in the villages of Äkäslompolo, Ylläsjärvi, Kittilä, Kolari, Muonio, Palojoensuu, Hetta, Vuontisjärvi, Peltovuoma and Raattama.
• Cafés and restaurants can be found in the villages and tourist resorts of Äkäslompolo, Ylläsjärvi, Pallas, Raattama, Vuontispirtti, Kutuniva, Jeris, Olos, Muonio and Hetta.
• The closest banks and ATMs are in Äkäslompolo, Kittilä, Kolari, Muonio and Hetta. Credit cards are accepted in most places.
• Kittilä, Kolari, Muonio and Hetta also each have a post office, pharmacy, medical centre, and other services common to municipality centres.
• Almost every village has a taxi service.
• Services for lodging, crossing the Lake Ounasjärvi and transport of Your car in the Pallas-Ounastunturi area.
• There are galleries, museums and other tourist sights in many of the area’s villages.
• Hikers can shower and use the sauna for a fee at many tourist lodges in the Hetta area and in the Pallas area, for example, at Hotel Jeris and at a new spa resort. There are several resorts offering lodging and bathing possibilities in the villages of Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi.
• More information on services can be found on the
Ylläs (www.yllas.fi) resort area and on the following municipality websites: Enontekiö (www.enontekio.fi), Kittilä (www.kittila.fi), Kolari (www.kolari.fi ) and Muonio (www.muonio.fi).
• Versatile information on Lapland and tourist services in the area can be found on the Lapland tourism website (www.laplandfinland.com).