Karhunkierros
82 km
Welcome to Karhunkierros, Finland’s most popular hiking trail. The Karhunkierros Trail runs from Hautajärvi in Salla, through Oulanka National Park, and continues all the way to Ruka in Kuusamo. On this page we present the route of the Karhunkierros Trail in the Oulanka National Park area from Hautajärvi to Myllykoski, in a north-south direction. You may naturally also hike the route in the other direction.
Scroll down to explore the four sections of the Karhunkierros Trail, from the Arctic Circle to Basecamp.
© Kerttu Määttä / kertuntaidepuoti.fi
Section 1: Arctic Circle
Hautajärvi, Arctic Circle
The official starting or ending point of the Karhunkierros Trail in Salla. The Karhunkierros Visitor Centre and the Arctic Circle Café are open daily from 9am to 5pm. Guests arriving in the evening are offered a late check-in, the possibility of having dinner and breakfast between 8am – 9am (€10/person) if booked in advance.
Address: Hautajärventie 414, 98995 Hautajärvi
Location on map
Phone: +358 400 196 741
https://www.napapiiricafe.fi/en
Arrival
By car: We are located along road 950, approximately 40 km (25 miles) from Salla, 50 km (31 miles) from Ruka and 70 km (43 miles) from Kuusamo Airport.
* You can park your car for the duration of the hike and return to pick it up after the hike (paid parking €10/day).
* You can also purchase a car transfer service, in which case your car will be driven from the Arctic Circle to the end point of your hike (usually to Ruka). The car transfer service can be booked via Oulangan Taika.
By bus from Kuusamo Airport and Ruka: Karhunkierros Express operates the route Airport-Ruka-Käylä-Hautajärvi-Sallatunturi after each scheduled Finnair flight arriving in Kuusamo, from 24 May to 30 September. The schedule varies from day to day depending on the flight schedules.
Tickets must be booked no later than one day in advance from the Matkahuolto website or app. Please note! Departures are only guaranteed with advance reservations.
Our stop in the Matkahuolto webshop: Arctic Circle Hautajärvi.
By taxi from Ruka and Kuusamo: Group and private taxis are offered by Ruka Taxi and Otaxi.
Services
- Wilderness cabin and hut accommodation before and after the hike
- Dinner and breakfast (must be booked in advance)
- Sauna hut
- Café with daily soup lunch, summer terrace, hiking gear store, food kiosk
- Nature exhibit
Section 2: Hautajärvi
Hautajärvi – Oulanka Visitor Centre 28 km (17 miles)
The trail terrain runs mainly through dry coniferous forest, but you will also encounter rocks, gorges and groves. The section is easy to navigate. Natural features of interest along this route include Rupakivi, a high sculptured stone in the middle of the Savinajoki river, a steep-faced gorge in the Oulanka canyon, and Taivalköngäs, a rocky set of rapids in the Oulankajoki river, with suspension bridges.
Wilderness cabins
Savilampi (15 km / 9 miles)
Taivalköngäs (19 km / 12 miles)
Camping ground
Oulanka Camping (26 km)
www.oulankacamping.fi
Visitor Centre
Oulanka Visitor Centre (28 km / 17 miles)
Hiking information, café-restaurant, shop, fishing permits, changing exhibitions.
www.nationalparks.fi/oulankavisitorcentre
Canoeing in Oulankajoki River
Oulanka offers excellent paddling possibilities. More information about the canoeing routes on the River Oulankajoki, which flows through the national park, is available via this link. The route which stretches from the visitor centre to Jäkälämutka by the eastern border has been called the most enchanting canoeing route in all of Europe. You can also paddle a shorter distance from Kiutaköngäs to Nurmisaarenniemi and continue along the Karhunkierros Trail on foot.
Canoe, kayak and sup board rentals, as well as guided canoeing trips, are organized by Oulangan Taika.
Section 3: Oulanka Visitor Centre
Oulanka Visitor Centre – Basecamp Oulanka
31 km (19 miles)
The route runs from the visitor centre to the Kiutaköngäs rapids, from where we continue down to a grove stream and further along the shores of the Oulanka River. The route continues as an easy forest section towards the Kitkanniemi area, followed by a demanding descent from Pähkänäkallio, down a steep slope. Here the route connects to the Little Karhunkierros Trail. The remaining part of the route, back to Basecamp, can either be travelled on the Little Karhunkierros Trail via the Kallioportti vantage point or via the Siilastupa and Jyrävä rapids to Myllykoski and from there to Basecamp Oulanka.
Wilderness cabins
Ansakämppä (8 km / 5 miles)
Jussinkämppä (15 km / 9 miles)
Siilastupa (27 km / 17 miles)
Basecamp
Basecamp Oulanka (31 km / 19 miles)
Oulanka National Park ends here. You can end your hike at Basecamp or start it here towards the Arctic Circle. You can also choose to continue on the Karhunkierros Trail to Ruka, which is 23 kilometers (14 miles) away.
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Section 4: Basecamp
Basecamp Oulanka
Wilderness hotel and visitor centre on the shore of Lake Ala-Juumajärvi, near Myllykoski in Kuusamo. Open daily from 8am to 10pm.
Address: Myllykoskentie 30, 93900 Kuusamo.
Location on map
Phone + 358 400 509 741
https://www.basecampoulanka.fi/en
Arrival
By car: We are located in Myllykoski, approximately 20 km (12 miles) from Ruka and 50 km (31 miles) from Kuusamo Airport. There is plenty of parking space in our yard. If you start your hike at Basecamp, you can park your car in the parking lot for the duration of the hike and return to pick it up after the hike. Parking is free for day visitors and hotel guests, others pay €10/day.
By shuttle from Ruka or Oulanka Visitor Centre: Karhunkierros Express operates Monday to Saturday, multiple times a day, via the route Ruka-Basecamp Oulanka-Oulanka Visitor Centre from 24 May to 30 September. Tickets must be booked no later than one day in advance from the Matkahuolto website or app. Please note! Departures are only guaranteed with advance reservations.
Our stop in the Matkahuolto webshop: Pieni karhunkierros
Services
- Hotel accommodation before, after or during a hike
- Restaurant, Cafe, Bar, Summer Terrace
- House sauna, beach sauna, sandy beach, beach campfire
- Equipment rental: canoes, kayaks, packrafts, sup boards, fatbikes
- Activities: rafting, kayaking, hiking, fishing
Rafting on Kitkajoki river
A rafting trip to the rushing rapids of the Kitkajoki river is an almost mandatory summer activity for all visitors to Kuusamo! Basecamp Oulanka is located right next to the wildest part of the Kitkajoki river and offers rafting departures on weekdays Mon-Sat, throughout the summer. Group and private departures are also possible.
The upper parts of the Kitkajoki river from Käylä to Basecamp: The route of the seven rapids, also known as the “family route”, is suitable for all ages and levels. The trip which lasts approximately three hours includes transport to Käylä, from where we start paddling along the Kitkajoki river towards Juuma, ending at the Basecamp beach.
The wild rapids from Basecamp to Jyrävä: Our most popular route starts from Basecamp, from where we head to Myllykoski and Aallokkokoski – the largest safely navigable rapids in Kitkajoki, via Niskakoski and Jyrävä lake. This two-hour excursion will guarantee adrenaline rushes and requires teamwork! The tour ends at the edge of the Jyrävä waterfall, from where we return to Basecamp by foot, along the Little Karhunkierros Trail. Minimum age limit: 18 years.
The most beautiful landscapes of the National Park from Jyrävä to the eastern border: During our five-hour scenic route, we navigate the lower parts of the Kitkajoki river, starting from Jyrävä, continuing through the Kitka canyon and advancing towards the eastern border, enjoying stunning scenery and a packed snack. Return transport from the border back to Basecamp takes place by car.
