PaddlingLength74,9 km
Degree of difficultyHard
The River Ivalojoki is considered one of the most impressive canoeing routes in Finland. From a paddler's perspective, the river is suitably challenging with its many rapids. The landscapes surrounding the Ivalo River are rugged and wilderness-like. The River Ivalojoki is an interesting area because of its gold history. Attractions along the route include the Crown Station of Kultala on the Ivalo River, the Kultala at Ritakoski, Lilljeqvist’s dredger, the Lihr memorial, and Heikki Kivekäs’s steam boiler near Ritakoski. Although the River Ivalojoki is rocky and shallow in the summer, canoeing this route is possible all year round. On all the rapids until Toloskoski, canoeists need to be prepared to steer clear of underwater rocks. Some small rapids are not included in the description, because for canoeing it is not necessary. Before shooting the rapids of Saarniköngäs and Toloskoski, it is recommended to investigate the route beforehand. Classification of the rapids varies between I - III. When following the route description, please bear in mind that when the water level is low, or when there is a flood, the rapids and also some of the quiet waters take a completely different shape. The average gradient of the route is 1:848 m. The heights and lengths of the rapids, as well as some of the names, are based on the longitudinal profile of the Ivalojoki River by the Hydrological Office of the Finnish Water Board. The navigation instructions are primarily based on studies conducted in June–July 1984, when the water level was close to the mean water level. The leveling was carried out in July–August 1957. Additions / corrections to the description as of 1 July 2025: During low water, Anelinkorvat consists of several rapids—check your location on the map. (This note is important because paddlers may confuse the final part of the multi-section rapid with Appisköngäs.) Kultalankoski is followed by Kolmosenkoski after 0.5 km.
Length
74.7 km
Degree of difficulty
Hard
Duration
-
Trail type
-
Contact information
Starting pointKuttura boat launch site: 68° 24.328', 26° 28.185', null null
The starting point is reached via Kuttura road no. 9694, which is 40 km from Laanila along the Rovaniemi road (4, E75). There is no bus connection to Kuttura. The parking area is located next to the Kuttura bridge.
Kuttura
There is a canoe launching place on the riverbank near the bridge. On Pirttiniva rapids at Kuttura the stream is quite slow, and the river is shallow which is typical for the River Ivalojoki. After Pirttiniva, there is a 2-km-long quiet section where you can get a feel of what the River Ivalojoki is like to canoe.
Porttiniva, 350 / 1,4 m, 1:250, 3 km
Paddle in the middle of the river.
Porttikoski, 1400 / 5,3 m, 1:264, 4 km
Start from the right side of the rapids, and continue to the first curve in mid-stream. When the river turns right, let the canoe drift from the mid-stream to the end of the curve near the right bank. From the right edge of the end of the curve, paddle up to the mid-stream before the next curve which turns right. On the lower part of the rapids, paddle in the mid-stream, slightly left from the centre line. The next rapids are Juusolanniva, above which there are the remains of an old gold digger´s cabin and a gold panning site on the left hand side.
Timanttiköngäs, 900 / 2,4 m, 1:375, 5,5 km
The information under the heading includes Juusolanniva, Timanttiköngäs, and Åströminniva, jwhich are all shallow and rocky rapids. Paddle on the outer bend in the curves, and in the middle on the straight stretches.
Väänäsenniva, 700 / 1,6 m, 1:437, 7 km
Start from the centre line, paddle on the outer bend in the curves. Pass by the island from the left side in the end of the rapids. After the rapids, there is a popular place for taking pictures on the rock on the left bank.
Möllärinkoski, 550 / 1,4 m, 1:393, 8 km
Start from the right side, paddle near the rocks on the right side. Pass by the island from the left side in the end of the rapids. The water in the end of the rapids is shallow and its flow is strong.
Saarnaköngäs, 700 / 3,5 m, 1:200, 9 km
It is advisable to inspect the channel on Saarnaköngäs rapids from the right riverbank before paddling. A clear channel can be seen from the bank. There is a hole on top of the rapids, where you can see a couple of long stones under the water, on the foot of the opposite rock. The channel is about 1 m to the right from these stones. Looking from the upstream you can see a large slate boulder, the channel is on the right hand side of this boulder. The hole mentioned above cannot be seen from the upstream, so you need to estimate its location, and the location of the stones. The estimate is correct if you pass by the stones closely from the right hand side. From here, the flow will help the canoe into the channel. It is essential to keep the canoe directly forward to the direction of the descent. The shallowest place of the rapids is on the top, and after the underwater rocks the water is deep, with a strong cross-swell.
Surmaköngäs, 50 / 2,0 m, 1:250, 10 km
The top of the rapids can be clearly seen from a canoe. On the right hand side, there is a heap of stones on the riverbank, extending to the water. Start from the left side, near the bank, and paddle on the left for about 100 m, after which cross to the right side and paddle until the end of the rapids at about 5 m distance from the right bank. At the end of the rapids, there are a cross-swell and a surge. After Surmaköngäs, there are calm waters at Ruikansuvanto and a place called Ruikanmutka, where on the left bank there is an old cabin of a hermit, Unto Koivunen.
Penttilänkoski, 900 / 3,7 m, 1:243, 12 km
Penttilänkoski includes the upper Penttilänkoski rapids (450 / 1,8 m, 1:250) and almost immediately afterwards Saarikorva rapids (200 / 1,4 m, 1:187). Penttilänkoski rapids begin immediately after the cabin of Unto Koivunen. Start from the right side, near the bank. Paddle on the right for about 100 m, after which the main stream and the channel cross to the left side. The lower part of Penttilänkoski rapids is shallow and rocky. Saarikorva rapids are shallow and rocky. Pass by the island from the left side. Anelinkorva (150 / 0,8 m, 1:187) is a short and steep rapid. Paddle on the right, near the bank. During low water levels, Anelinkorvat consists of several rapids — check your location on the map.
Appisköngäs, 250 / 0,7m, 1:357, 13,5 km
Start and continue in the middle. Rocks. The mouth of the River Appisjoki.
Korhosenkoski, 1250 / 8,4 m, 1:148, 15 km
Start from the right side, paddle for about 500 m until the place where there is an island. After the island, the river gets wider and shallower, while the main channel is on the left side. The river is shallow and rocky here. You need to steer clear of the rocks, but mostly stay on the left side of the river until the end of the rapids.
Saunakoski, 150 / 0,8, 1:187, 17 km
On the top of Saunakoski rapids, the suspension bridge of Kultala Village can be seen. Start paddling near the right bank, and under the suspension bridge start crossing to the left side, until you reach the bank at Kultala. There is a pebbly shore, good for landing. There are an open wilderness hut and a rental hut in Kultala as well as a shared rental hut.
Kultalankoski, 350 / 2,5m, 1:140, 18 km
In Kultalankoski rapids, there is plenty of water, a couple of rocks, and surges. Start and continue on the right side. 500 m after Kultalankoski rapids, there are Kolmosenkoski rapids (350 / 1,3 m, 1:269).
Rovaniemenkoski, 200 / 0,8 m, 1:250, 20 km
In the beginning of Rovaniemenkoski, there is a cape marked in the map, but in fact it is an island. Start from the left bank, on the right side of the rock, from where paddle down directly.
Björklundinkoski, 500 / 2,0 m, 1:250, 21 km
Start on the right bank. Pass by the first island from the left hand side, then immediately cross to the right side of the river, near the bank. Pass by the stone pile island from the right hand side. From the right, move to the mid-stream and continue down.
Grönholmankoski, 800 / 3,8 m, 1:210, 22 km
Start slightly right from the centre line, then move to the centre line. Pass by the island from the left hand side, near the shore. After the island, move close to the right bank of the river.
Merimiestenkoski, 200 / 1,0 m, 1:200, 23 km
There is a clear channel in the middle of the river. In the beginning and the middle part, paddle in the mid-stream, and in the last part near the right bank. After Merimiestenkoski rapids, the River Sotajoki joins the River Ivalojoki from the right. At the confluence, there is a good flat place for camping, and going up the River Sotajoki for about 400 m, there is Liljeqvist old wilderness hut and museumized sauna.
Sotajoenkoski 700 / 2,4 m, 1:292, 24 km
Start and continue nearby the left bank (at about 10 m distance from the shore).
Sotajoenniva 500 / 0,5 m, 1:1000, 26 km
Start in the middle. Pass by the island from the right side, and by the rock from the left side, paddling in the mid-stream.
Ritakoski 1400 / 6,5 m, 1:215, 27,5 km
* ylä 600 / 3,2 m, 1:187 * ala 350 / 2,4 m, 1:145 Start from the mid-stream. In the curve, paddle in the right side of the rapids. From there, return to the mid-stream. On the top of the rapids, on the southern bank, there is a dredger as a memorial from the gold digging era. Kultala of Ritakoski Rapids is located on the northern shore, after the rapids. Beware of the rocks when landing. There are an open wilderness hut and a rental hut in Ritakoski. The river becomes shallower after Ritakoski Rapids.
Kuivaniva 600 / 2,4 m, 1:250, 31,5 km
Stay in the middle.
Pelsinniva 150 / 0,8 m, 1:187 33,5 km
Start from the left side of the island, nearby the left bank, after which a clear channel can be seen in the middle of the river. After the rapids, on the right, there is Nulkkamukka. At the rocks on the riverbank, where gold was found for the first time in Ivalo, a monument has been built at the place.
Hammasniva 350 / 0,9 m, 1:389, 34,5 km
Paddle nearby the right bank. There is a campfire site at the mouth of the River Louhioja, and Louhioja open wilderness hut on the western bank of the River Louhioja, about 400 m upwards from the River Ivalojoki.
Härkäniva 750 / 1,9 m, 1:395, 38 km
The channel is near the right bank.
Hetanniva 600 / 1,4 m, 1:428, 39 km
Paddle in the mid-stream in the beginning of the rapids, and move to the right side at the place where the house of Tomperi is.
Toloskoski 850 / 4,6 m, 1:185, 43,5 km
* upper 200 / 1,2 m, 1:167 It is advisable to inspect Toloskoski rapids from the right riverbank before paddling. In the upper part, start from the left side of the centre line, from where paddle directly towards the centre of the curve. Rocks. In the curve, the current will take the canoe close to the right bank. From there, paddle to the mid-stream. Follow the mid-stream until you see the quiet waters below the rapids, and the steeply descending lower part of the rapids. *lower 250 / 3,1 m, 1:81 Start at about 5m distance from the right bank. Note that you cannot get close to the right bank until you arrive in the lower part of the rapids, but it is essential that you move near the right bank, as there are big rocks in the middle of the lower part of the rapids. It is also possible to paddle near the left side, but there you cannot avoid your canoe touching the bottom of the river many times, and you still need to mind the big rocks in the middle of the rapids, which are almost invisible looking from the upstream.
Lappispola, 200 / 0,4 m, 1:500, 49 km
Straight forward. A landing place is on the right bank.
Pajakoski, 650 / 2,0 m, 1:325, 51 km
Straight forward.
Alaniva, 700 / 2,2 m, 1:312, 53 km
Straight forward.
Ivalo, approximately 70 km
A landing place immediately after the bridge, on the right bank. A sandy beach.
Entire route: Kuttura – Ivalo, 74,700 / 82.5 m, 1:848, approx. 70–74.7 km.