In the summer of 2021, my family went to Finnish Lapland, where we hiked Saana Fell and, on our way to Levi, a short trail at Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. (To read about Saana, read my post here.)
Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park
This is Finland’s third largest and most visited national park. The first marked hiking trail in Finland is also located in this park: the Hetta-Pallas Trail, about 50 km long, which was marked in 1934.
Hiking the Pyhäjoki Nature Trail
There are many trails at Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, but we chose 3.5-km (2.2-mile) Pyhäjoki Nature Trail. We had our 13-year-old miniature dachshund with us, and she wasn’t up for a hike longer than that (neither were we, after hiking Saana the day before). Luckily, dogs are allowed so long as they’re on a leash.
Laki, said miniature dachshund, was clearly upset that she’d been left in the cabin the day before while we hiked up Saana, because she hiked this trail at an alarming pace, as if to show us that she, too, can hike! I struggled to take pictures because she kept pulling me forward.
The trail was pretty flat and made an easy loop through forests, stopping at a small pond, then climbing a little to a rocky open area. It was challenging only in the sense that we had to keep our eyes on the trail, which had a lot of rocks and roots.
Then, after some more forest, where we saw a couple of reindeer roaming freely, we reached a mire that we had to cross on wooden boards. Finally, we passed through a meadow beside some old hay barns and returned to the woods and back to our starting point.
Other Hikes at Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park
Taivaskeron kierros Trail – This 8.2-km (5.1-mile) trail is more challenging and not recommended for beginning hikers. The path climbs up to the highest point in the park and back down in a loop.
Kesänkijärven kierros – This 5.6-km (3.5-mile) loop circles a lake (Kesänkijärvi). It’s an easy trail, with the first section being classified as accessible.
