Salamajärvi National Park Trails

Hiking Trails

There are about 60 km of trails in Salamajärvi National Park. The trails form an essential part of Peuran Polku Hiking Trail (in Finnish) network.

Starting Points for Trails

It is easiest to start at Koirasalmi Nature Information Hut . Other starting points are the parking areas of the National Park and the parking area of Salamanperä Strict Nature Reserve.

Starting points for Peuran Polku Hiking Trail (in Finnish) outside the National Park are Joutenhovi Perhon Luontomatkailukeskus (Joutenhovi Nature Tourism Centre of Perho), Metsäpeuranmaanopastuskeskus (Guidance centre), Valkeisjärvi Camping Ground in Lestijärvi and Petäjämäen ulkoilukeskus (Outdoor recreation centre of Petäjämäki) in Reisjärvi.

Nature Trails

Lasten luontopolku (“Kids’ Nature Trail”) is a 1,5 km-long trail round Hepolampi Pond. On this trail you can learn about different features of the landscape; mires and forests, the places where fairies and gnomes live, and the insects of the forest lakes. The trail is marked at the forks of the paths.
• Starting point: Sysilampi Day Trip Hut
• Services: Sysilampi Day Trip Hut and Reservable Hut, reservable sauna. More information from Seitseminen Visitor Centre,
• Pakosuon kierros (“Pakosuo Mire Loop”), 4,5 km, has information boards displaying the plants and animals along the path, and the forests and mires of Salamajärvi. The trail is marked at the forks of the paths.
  • Starting point: Sysilampi Day Trip Hut
  • Services: Sysilampi Day Trip Hut and Reservable Hut, reservable sauna. More information from Seitseminen Visitor Centre .

Circle Trails

Vasan kierros Trail, 2,3 km, is marked with white paint markings, and goes round the Lake Pieni Koirajärvi.
• Services: The services of
Koirasalmi Nature Information Hut (kiosk, accommodation, sauna, shower), campfire shelter and a well at Koirasalmi, campfire places of Hiiliniemi and Pahkahongankangas.
• Sights: Remains of old tar pits on the west side of Lake Koirajärvi.
Pahapuron lenkki Trail, 5,9 km, is marked with green paint markings. This trail begins at Koirasalmi and goes south along the lakeshore of Pieni Koirajärvi, towards Salamanperä Strict Nature Reserve. The natural features of Salamanperä are a slightly different from the National Park. The extensive aapa mires are absent in the landscape, the forest are larger and more luxuriant. The handsome silver hold-over pines, which have survived many forest fires, will stick in the mind of the visitor of the Strict Nature Reserve. At Kangasjärvi a path forks from the circle trail to Risuperä (4,9 km one-way).
• Services: The services of
Koirasalmi Nature Information Hut (kiosk, accommodation, sauna, shower), campfire shelter and a well at Koirasalmi.
• Sights: A tar pit and an open stone stove of the former cabin at Joutsenlamminkangas, peatland meadow barn by Pahapuro brook and the old pine trees with fire scars on the shore of lake Kangasjärvi. Along the trail which goes to Risuperä, you find Church Stone which is a big stone by the side of the old church-going route.
• Please note, that in the Strict Nature Reserve walking and moving around is allowed only on the trails.
Metsäperäläisen taival Trail, 6,2 km is marked with green paint markings, and goes round the Lake Iso Koirajärvi. Koirakangas on the east side of the lake is very rocky soil.
• Services: The services of
Koirasalmi Nature Information Hut (kiosk, accommodation, sauna, shower), campfire shelter and a well at Koirasalmi, campfire place of Hiiliniemi and campfire shelter at Pahkahongankangas.
• Sights: Remains of old tar pits on the west side of Lake Koirajärvi.
Vaatimen kierros Trail, 18 km, is marked with red paint markings and goes via Koirasalmi - Heikinjärvi - Pyydyskoski - Ahvenlampi - Koirasalmi. This popular circle trail starts at Koirasalmi Nature Information Hut, and there are several campfire places along the trail. Before Lake Heikinjärvi there is one of the most impressive scree stone fields of the National Park. The mire sections have duckboards and on the heaths the trail is a rocky footpath.
• Services: The services of
Koirasalmi Nature Information Hut (kiosk, accommodation, sauna, shower), campfire shelter and a well at Koirasalmi, campfire place of Hiiliniemi, campfire place at Ruuhilampi, lean-to shelter at Lake Heikinjärvi, campfire shelter in Pyydyskoski, Lake Ahvenlampi rental cabin (if there are people renting the cabin, hikers should not go onto the grounds).
• Sights: The impressive scree fields along the trail, remains of old logger’s cabin at Pyydyskoski, old floating dam at Pyydyskoski.
• Hirvaan kierros Trail, 59 km, is marked with blue paint markings and goes via Koirasalmi - Sysilampi - Valvatti - Lehtosenjärvi - Nielujärvi - Pyydyskoski - Koirasalmi. About half of the trail goes outside the National Park. The trail passes commercial forests, smaller conservation areas and private land.
  • Services: The services of
  Koirasalmi Nature Information Hut (kiosk, accommodation, sauna, shower), campfire shelter and a well at Koirasalmi, campfire place of Hiiliniemi, campfire place of Ruuhilampi, campfire place of Tavilampi, the observation tower of Heikinjärvenneva, the meadow sauna and campfire place of Kaulus, at Lake Sysilampi a well, Day Trip Hut, Reservable Hut and reservable sauna, camprife place of Jyrkkäniemi, Pitkälahti Open Wildeness Hut and campfire place, lean-to shelter of Ahvenlampi, Open Wilderness Hut and well of Valvatti, observation tower and campfire place at Iso-Valvatti bird wetland, campfire place of Vähä-Valvatti, Karhunpiilo Rental Cabin, Lehtosenjärvi campfire shelter, Sääksjärvi lean-to shelter, observation tower and lean-to shelter of Nielujärvi, campfire place of Talviaho, campfire shelter of Pyydyskoski and campfire shelter of Pahkahongankangas.
  • Sights: The fauna of the impressive fen Heikinjärvenneva (binoculars or telescope needed), the meadow sauna of Kaulus, remains of an old pit cabin and tar pits at Pakokangas, the beautiful lake scenery at Jyrkkäniemi, forest ranger farm of Valvatti, the rich fauna of Iso-Valvatti bird wetland, ruins of the old dwelling place at Jääskänniemi, the beauty of lake Lehtosenjärvi, the birds of lake Nielujärvi, the old growth forests along Koirajoki river.

Other Trails

• Peuran Polku Hiking Trail (in Finnish), trunk route 80 km, is marked with orange paint markings. The trail goes via Joutenhovi Perhon Luontomatkailukeskus (Joutenhovi Nature Tourism Centre of Perho) - Salmelanharju - Sysilampi -Valvatti - Lehtosenjärvi - Valkeinen - Kuivajärvi - Petäjämäen ulkoilukeskus (Outdoor recreation centre of Petäjämäki).

• The wilderness trail Lapin Sormi used to go from Pihtipudas via Kinnula, Salamajärvi and Kivijärvi to Pylkönmäki, but nowadays the marks for this trail have almost disappeared in the forest, and the campfire places are no longer maintained. The municipality of Kinnula has done up about 10 km of Lapin Sormi Trail between the centre of Kinnula and Lake Ahvenlampi in 2003. More information from the municipality of Kinnula (www.kinnula.fi, in Finnish).