Hiking & outdoor recreationLength1.6 km
Duration(1 h)
Degree of difficultyEasy
On the Könkäänsaari Accessible Nature Trail, you have a chance to admire the Vaattunkiköngäs Rapids and listen to the roar of its gushing waters. The information boards along the nature trail tell stories about the annual cycle of river nature. You learn how to identify the most common bird species and familiarise with the bugs inhabiting the decaying wood fallen alongside the duckboards. The trail is easy and runs on a wide path, featuring level sections surfaced with stone ash and wooden footbridges. In spring and early summer, the trail may be temporarily inaccessible due to flooding.
Circle trail
Campfire site
Camping permitted
Dry toilet
Remember to bring a trash bag
No water point
No winter maintenanceThe trail is suitable for snowshoeing in winter but there is no separate winter maintenance.
Contact information
Starting pointVaattunkikönkään pysäköintialue, Vaattunkikönkääntie 219, 96900 Vikajärvi
The Könkäänsaari Accessible Nature Trail starts at the Vaattunkiköngäs parking area and it is particularly well-suited for families. Remember that in spring and early summer, the trail may be temporarily inaccessible due to flooding.
From the starting point at the parking area, the first 250 metres of the trail run on a path surfaced with hard stone ash. The path is lined with wooden kerbs (height 13 cm).
There are slight elevation differences on this section, and the longitudinal slope is mostly less than 6% and the lateral slope less than 4%. On a short trail section, lateral slope is 8% at one side, which may cause difficulties for persons with wheeled assistive devices.
After 250 metres, you arrive at the hanging bridge across the Vaattunkiköngäs Rapids. Before the bridge, the trail has a longitudinal slope of 4.5% over a distance of 9 metres. The final metre before the bridge has a climb of about 13%, with a lateral slope of less than 4%.
The climb to the middle of the hanging bridge is 6% and the maximum downward slope to the start of the circular trail is 13%.
After the hanging bridge, the trail continues to the left through a lush shoreline forest and after 400 metres, you arrive at a bridge and a junction. At the junction, the trail continues to the right, away from the bridge.
After the hanging bridge, the circular trail continues on a cross-planked path with minimum width of 1.2 metres and a kerb of 7 cm. Every 15-40 metres on the circular trail, there are rest stops and places where hikers from opposite directions can pass each other. Cross-planking is mostly even but the steepest longitudinal slopes over short distances occur on the bridge (13%) and before the junction on the path towards Kielosaari (15%).
When you arrive at the Könkäänsaari campsite, the path to the scenic pier 40 metres away is on your left side. Maximum longitudinal slope on the path to the shore is 7.5% and the downward slope is mostly between two and six per cent. The scenic pier has railings at the height of 55 cm and 95 cm as well as kerbs.
The campsite has two campfire sites with lean-to shelters and a firewood storage shed. The area around the lean-to shelters and the nearby scenic pier are accessible. The lean-to shelters are at the same level as the path.
The firewood storage shed is located about 10 metres from both campfire sites. There is a one-meter long ramp with 9% longitudinal slope in front of the storage shed door.
An accessible toilet is located 50 metres from the campsite. The ramp in front of the toilet has a maximum longitudinal slope of 5.5%.
From the campsite, the trail continues clockwise on a similar cross-planked path as the initial section. The distance from the campsite back to the hanging bridge is about 500 metres. The trail runs mostly in flat terrain and the lateral slope towards the end of the trail is less than 4% over short distances. Maximum longitudinal slope is less than 5% over short distances but maximum downward slope is 10% after you have hiked about one kilometre.
After crossing the hanging bridge, you return to the starting point on the same stone ash path as at the start of the trail.
End pointVaattunkikönkään pysäköintialue, Vaattunkikönkääntie 219, 96900 Vikajärvi