Hiking & outdoor recreationLength16.3 km
Duration(6-8 hours / 1-2 days)
The Tulijärven polku Trail is a longer trail in the national park and its neighbouring commercial forests. Along the trail, you can see the most important attractions of the national park: old-growth forests, eskers and magnificent open mires. The Pyhä-Häkki rental hut is located along the trail, and the nearby fields are maintained by sheep. The trail also passes by the Tulijärvi lean-to shelter maintained by the City of Saarijärvi and by the Kotajärvi campsite on the way back. Due to its length, the trail is demanding. There are some height differences and roots on the trail. The trail is not maintained in the winter.
Circle trail
Campfire site
Camping permittedIt is recommended to camp in the immediate vicinity of marked campsites and campfire sites.
HutRental hut
Dry toilet
Remember to bring a trash bag
Water point
No winter maintenance
Contact information
Starting pointPyhä-Häkki parking area
You can find the starting point of the trail through the gate at the edge of the parking area. Then go to the information shelter. You can find nature boards, tables and benches in the shelter. There is also a dry toilet at the edge of the forest nearby. There is a pump well and a group of signs behind the shelter. The group of signs guides you onto the route.
The trail is criss-crossed by roots, and there are some height differences in places. The trail runs through the old-growth forest, which means that there are sturdy, thick-barked pines and dead standing trees along the trail.
Soon, you will arrive at a large pine, one of the oldest living pines in the park. This pine is called “Uusi iso puu” (New big tree). After 200 metres, you will arrive at “Vanha iso puu” (Old big tree). It is even bigger, but already dead.
The trail continues along the eskers in a younger pine forest, after which you will reach the magnificent open Kotaneva Mire. Pass through the mire on duckboards.
You will then arrive at the fields of the Poika-aho Crown Tenant Farm. Go over the sheep pasture fence through the stairs. In the summer, sheep maintaining the traditional rural biotope graze on the pastures. Poika-aho is a rental hut, so please leave the tenants of the hut in peace.
After Poika-aho, the trail continues outside the national park on trails and sandy roads in the commercial forest. There are different forests along the trail, and the trail follows the shores of Lake Majajärvi towards Lake Tulijärvi.
On the shore of Lake Tulijärvi, you can find a lean-to shelter and a dry toilet maintained by the municipality of Saarijärvi.
From Lake Tulijärvi, the trail continues towards the national park in varying heath forests and on easy trails. You will walk along the edge of a sandy road for a short distance.
When entering the national park, you will walk along the shores of Lake Kotajärvi and arrive at the Kotajärvi campsite. There is a pier on the shore and a spacious cooking shelter, a campfire site and a dry toilet at the campsite.
The rest of the way is easy to hike. First, follow a wide, gravelled forest path until the trail curves towards the Riihineva Mire. There are duckboards in the mire section.
After the mire, you will return to the wide gravelled trail, which will lead you back to the parking area.
End pointPyhä-Häkki parking area