Hiking & outdoor recreationLength1,1 km
Degree of difficultyEasy
This short nature trail at Kivalonaapa Mire takes you to a cultural heritage site in a beautifully rugged mire landscape. Here you can familiarise yourself with the mire meadow culture of the past. Along the circular trail, there is a meadow hut, a haystack, a barn and information boards describing Kivalonaapa and the mowing of hay in the days gone by. Note that to get to this short nature trail you have to walk along the Könkäiden Polku Trail for 4,5-5 km. As the snow melts in the spring, the Raudanjoki River may flood at the Vaattunkilampi Pond so that the Könkäiden Polku Trail is flooded and you cannot use it to access the Meadow Culture Trail.
Circle trailThe trail can be hiked in both directions.
Campfire site
Camping permitted
HutThere is a day-use hut along the trail.
Dry toiletRemember to bring toilet paper.
Remember to bring a trash bag
No water point
No winter maintenanceIn winter, the Kivalonaapa area is also suited for self-guided cross-country skiing or snowshoeing (no marked winter trails).
Contact information
Starting pointVaattunkikönkään pysäköintialue, Vaattunkikönkääntie 219, 96900 Vikajärvi
Starting pointVikakönkään pysäköintialue, 96900 Vikajärvi
The Kivalonaapa Meadow Culture Trail branches from the Könkäiden polku Trail near the Vaattunkilampi Pond. When you take the Könkäiden polku Trail, the Vaattunkilampi Pond is located about 4.5 kilometres from the Vaattunkiköngäs parking area or about 5 kilometres from the Vikaköngäs parking area.
The Kivalonaapa Meadow Culture Trail is classified as an easy trail but the Könkäiden polku Trail section providing access to the trail starting point is a medium level trail.
After leaving the Vaattunkilampi lean-to shelter, you first walk on duckboards on the Könkäiden polku Trail towards Vikaköngäs.
After about 350 metres, you arrive at a junction where you turn left to the Kivalonaapa Meadow Culture Trail, which runs on duckboards all the way.
After about 100 metres, you can spot an old meadow barn on the left side of the trail and an information board about the mire mowing carried out at Kivalonaapa.
About 150 metres from the meadow barn, an old haystack stands on the left side of the trail. Haystacks were used to store the mowed and dried hay.
About 200 metres later, after passing the haystack, you arrive at the Kivalonaapa meadow hut, which stands on the edge of a forest patch. The meadow hut serves as a day-use hut for hikers. There is also a campfire site, a wood shed and a dry toilet in the yard area.
From the meadow hut, the trail branches in two directions. The path going to the right through a forest patch takes you towards the Vaattunkivaara Hill and the Vikaköngäs parking area. The Meadow Culture Trail continues to the left on a duckboard path back to the mire.
After about 300 metres, you are back at the start of the Meadow Culture Trail at a point where a duckboard trail branches to the right towards the Vaattunkilampi lean-to shelter.
End pointVaattunkikönkään pysäköintialue, Vaattunkikönkääntie 219, 96900 Vikajärvi
End pointVikakönkään pysäköintialue, 96900 Vikajärvi