Winter hiking in Oulu region – Tips for day trips to national parks and other nature destinations

In Metsähallitus’ nature destinations around the Oulu region, maintained winter walking routes – meaning ploughed paths – vary by location. Some sites have such routes, while others do not. However, some trails are so popular that hikers create a walkable path even without maintenance. Weather conditions must be taken into account: after heavy snowfall, the route may be hard to follow, and in certain conditions the path can be extremely slippery.

Ploughed and maintained trails in winter:

• Rokua National Park, multi-use trail Rokuan monikäyttöura (maintained by the municipality)
• Oulujärvi Hiking Area, Teeriniemi ski track (maintained by an entrepreneur). Along the same trail, which is about 12 kilometers long in total, you can also ski or cycle. The route continues all the way to Makkaranniemi.

The routes you’re most likely to be able to walk all winter long:

• Sanginjoki, Loppulankierros Trail
• Sanginjoki, Korpilammenkierros Trail
• Rokuan kansallispuisto, Harjunpolku Trail (out-and-back to Lianjärvi day-use hut)

• Maintained ski trails in Rokua National Park and its surroundings. Starting points include the Rokua Ski Stadium and parking area Rokua Matkaparkki.
• Oulujärvi Hiking Area, Teeriniemi ski track (maintained by an entrepreneur). Along the same trail, which is about 12 kilometers long in total, you can also ski or cycle. The route continues all the way to Makkaranniemi.

Cities and municipalities maintain ski track networks in their own nature areas.

Up-to-date ski trail information can be found comprehensively on the ladulle.fi website (in Finnish).

If the parking area is maintained during winter and there is a campfire site nearby, the trail from the parking area to the campfire site is usually packed down by visitors. Information about winter maintenance of parking areas can be found by clicking the parking icon on the map or by checking the ‘Directions’ page for the destination.

The following campfire sites are easy to reach during winter:

• At Sanginjoki, the Sadinkoski cooking shelter is located 800 meters from the Loppula parking area and 300 meters from the Sadinkoski parking area along the service road, and about 700 meters via the accessible Loppula experience trail.
• At Sanginjoki, the Isonkankaanjärvi cooking shelter is located about 150 meters from the Isokangas parking area.
• In Rokua National Park, the Lianjärvi day-use hut is located about 1,2 kilometers from the Rokua Matkaparkki parking area.
• In the Oulujärvi Hiking Area, the Särkinen campfire shelter is located about 600 meters from the Manamansalo parking area.
• In the Oulujärvi Hiking Area, the Painanne campfire site is located about one kilometer from the Manamansalo camping area.

There are no marked snowshoeing trails in the nature destinations around Oulu. You can snowshoe anywhere, as long as you respect restricted areas. The easiest option is to follow summer hiking trails, where you can use the trail markers and be sure you’re in safe terrain. Please note that snowshoeing in deep snow can be strenuous, so beginners should choose shorter routes.

When planning a snowshoeing trip, it’s a good idea to start by checking the winter maintenance status of parking areas. You can do this by clicking the parking icon on the map or by viewing the information on the destination’s ‘Directions’ page.

• A good destination for a short snowshoeing trip is Pookivaara in Rokua National Park, where you’ll find the rental hut Pookin Pirtti, the open wilderness hut Palovartijan tupa, and the day-use hut Pookin paussi. From the Pookivaara parking area, it’s about one kilometer along the service road to reach Pookivaara.

• Walking or snowshoeing on ski tracks is prohibited.
• Beware of weak ice!