Koli National Park Trails

Hiking Trails

Starting Points for Trails

The starting point for most trails is at Ukko-Koli Hill. The starting point for Kasken kierros Trail is at the Koli harbour.

Nature Trails

• Kasken Kierros Nature Trail, 2,5 km. The nature trail features the slash-and-burn landscape of the hills. The versatility of hill nature and nature research are also featured. The trail is a circle trail and has its starting/end point at the Koli harbour. There are 12 displays marked with black-topped poles. The displays are all accompanied by text in Finnish, English and Russian.
  • Map: Kasken kierros trail map (www.vaellus.info, in Finnish).

Other Trails

Trails Designed by a Camp School Project
There are several theme trails planned and designed by a Camp School Project. They are set up with information boards in Koli National Park. There are teaching packages in Finnish on most of the trails. Packages have information for both teachers and students. Reservations for guided tours can be made at Visitor Centre Ukko. The visitor centre also offers information on walking the trails without a guide.
Paimenen polku Trail, 2,6 km (“Shepard´s Trail”)
The trail starting and end point is at Paimenenvaara parking area on Kotaniementie road. The trail features herb-rich slope forests and their vegetation. Information boards along the trail are in Finnish, English and German. The trail leads across rugged cliffs and is more demanding than other trails. A guided tour of the trail takes about 3 hours. Visitors are welcome to walk the trail without a guide.
• Services: a campfire site and a well.
• Map: Paimenen polku map (www.vaellus.info, in Finnish).
Perinnerakentajien polku Trail (Lakkala), 3 km (“Heritage Builders´ Trail”)
The trail is located on the shore of Lake Herajärvi, 20 km from Koli. The theme of the trail is traditional building methods and materials. A guided tour of the trail takes about 4 hours. Visitors are welcome to walk the trail without a guide.
• Services: A campfire site on the grounds of Lakkala Heritage Farm.
• Sights: beaver dams.
Taiteilijoiden Koli, 3,6 km (”Koli as Seen by Artists”)
The starting and end point of this trail is at Visitor Centre Ukko. The trail features the Koli national landscape through the eyes of Finnish artists. A guided tour of the trail takes about 3 hours. The route is not marked in the terrain.
Erätaidot kunniaan - Wilderness survival skills excursion, 4 - 6 km
This excursion is suited for any trail in the area. The purpose of the excursion is to get you intersected in outdoor recreation and teach you wilderness survival skills. The distance and time for this excursion depends on the size of your group and what you want included. This guided tour takes about 6 hours. The route is not marked in the terrain.
Kulttuuri- ja historiapolku Trail, 4 km (“Culture and History Trail”)
The starting point for this trail is at Visitor Centre Ukko and its end point is in the centre of Koli Village. The trail winds across hill tops and up and down slopes to the Ollila Heritage Farm. From there it continues to a sports field, where visitors can learn about a traditional Karelian game called ‘kyykkä’ (skittles game). The trail ends at Koli Museum, where there are traditional artefacts on display. The trail features the history and present of the Koli area and the National Park. A guided tour of the trail takes about 4 hours. The route is not marked in the terrain, but it is possible to follow the trail without a guide if you have a map.
• Services: 2 campfire sites.
Geologinen aikamatka Kolin kansallismaisemaan, Kolinuuron kierros (Geological Time Travel in the National Landscape), 3,5 km
The starting and end point for this trail is Visitor Centre Ukko. The trail features how the Koli national landscape has been formed by geological phenomena. The areas different rock and mineral types are also identified. The trail follows the Koli geological route, and there are information boards along it. A guided tour of the trail takes about 3 hours. Visitors are welcome to walk the trail without a guide. A map and a guide booklet are on sale at Visitor Centre Ukko. You can also make a geological time travel (www.metla.fi pdf-dokument 474 kb, in Finnish) on the web site of Metla.
• Kolin Luontokisa - Koli Nature Race Trail, 4,5 km
  The starting and end point for this trail is at Visitor Centre Ukko. Participants form small teams and compete in knowledge of culture, history, wilderness survival skills and geological themes. A guided race with waiting times takes about 6 hours. The route is not marked in the terrain.
Herajärven kierros Trail, 40 km
Herajärven kierros Trail (www.vaellus.info, in Finnish) is both popular and offers a challenge as it demanding. The trail is completely in the National Park.
• Services: There are numerous rest spots along the trail: Ryläys (a Lapp pole tent and a campfire site), Kiviniemi (accommodation, restaurant, transportation and program services), Lakkala (a heritage farm, campfire and camping sites).
• Map: Herajärven kierros Trail map (www.vaellus.info, in Finnish).
• Karelian Circuit Trail Network
  European long-distance hiking trail E10 leads through Koli National Park. The trail heading north from Ukko-Koli Hill is called the UKK Hiking Trail, which runs from Koli to Vuokatti. All the main trails in the park are part of the Karelian Circuit trail network (www.vaellus.info, in Finnish).

Cross-country Skiing Trails

• The hilly
skiing trails of the Koli National Park (3 and 7 km) have their starting point at Ukko-Koli at the number 2 parking area. The 3 km trail is unlit. It is not demanding and suited mainly for classical cross-country skiing. The 7 km trail is also unlit. It is demanding and suited mainly for classical cross-country skiing. The ski trails are maintained by Hannu Mustonen, tel. int. +358 400 204 373. These hilly skiing trails are circle trails.
• Sights: These trails lead across beautiful hill landscape and pass the scenic Ukko-Koli and Mäkrävaara Hills.
• Connecting trails to Koli Village, to Loma-Koli holiday resort and to the lit skiing trail to Kopravaara.
The Loma-Koli - Kopravaara Ski Trail (22 km). Starting points for this trail are located at Kopravaara and inside the National Park at Loma-Koli. An alternative is to get onto the trail at Koli Village. The trail has demanding and semi demanding parts. It is lit and suited for both classical and free-style cross-country skiing. The trail can be skied in both directions.
• There are plenty of lodging and dining possibilities along Koli’s skiing trails as they lead across the lands of most rental cottages, Kolikeskus and near Hotel Koli and by Koli Village.
• The area’s skiing trails follow the area’s hiking trails when possible.

Boating and Canoeing Routes

There are also challenges in Koli National Park for those who wish to canoe or rowboat.

• Lake Pielinen is vast and demanding, while Lake Herajärvi is narrow and long.
• Services: There are private tourist services in the area, which rent out canoes and row boats. There are campfire sites on the Lake Pielinen islands. On the east shore of Lake Herajärvi there is a landing place with a campfire site and a dry toilet.
• The boating route on the line Ahmolampi-Savijärvi-Ylemmäinen is over 10 km long and passes just outside the National Park’s boundaries.
  • Services: Camping is allowed along the boating route.

Biking Trails

Finnish National Biking Route 6 is unpaved and passes the National Park near Koli Village. You can get onto it from main road 6, which runs between Joensuu and Kajaani. From main road 6 turn onto road 515 in the direction of Ahveninen and then turn left onto the biking route.

• Services: Many of Koli tourist services are along the biking route (lodging, shop, café).
• Sights: The scenery is versatile and typical of North Karelia - hills, fields and vast bodies of water.
• Map: Koli Biking Trails (www.vaellus.info, in Finnish).

Riding Trails

Farmhouse Paimentupa (www.paimentupa.fi) arranges cross-country riding excursions along small roads in Koli National Park.

Snowmobile Routes

The snowmobile route is outside of the National Park’s land areas on the ice of Lake Pielinen, but connects to the park at the Koli harbour. Parking areas for snowmobiles are located on the boundaries of Koli National Park on the ice of Lake Pielinen. Riding snowmobiles inside the National Park’s boundaries is forbidden.

Other Hiking Tips

• Destinations accessible with baby pram and/or wheelchair.
  • All parts of Visitor Centre Ukko are accessible by wheelchair and with baby pram. There are wheelchair ramps to the exhibition area, elevators to the second floor, where the audiovisual equipment and conference facilities are located, and toilets for the disabled.
  • By Ukko-Koli lookout point there is a separate lookout point for the disabled, which is at the end of a wide path.
  • The railcar from the parking area to Ukko-Koli Hill can take wheelchairs and baby prams.
  • Some of the National Park’s campfire sites are accessible by wheelchair and with baby pram: Likolahti, Vaarala and the so-called prime minister’s campfire site near Visitor Centre Ukko.
  • The only special toilet for the disabled in the National Park is at the visitor centre.