Mr NordicIn addition to spotting bears in Finland, you can also visit other nature reserves in Finland. Finland has many beautiful lakes with wooded areas. Finland also has some beautiful national parks that are certainly worth a visit. The forests of Finland are full of birds and various kinds of wildlife. The Finnish lakes, unspoiled nature, unprecedented silence and above all tranquility ensure that you can unwind to normal life. Finland has around 35 national parks with a total area of more than 8,000 km2 of nature reserve. These national parks are a good place to embrace the Finnish wilderness and enjoy the flora and fauna. Most parks are easily accessible, offer beautiful landscapes and all have well-maintained and marked trails.
Archipelago National Park
The Archipelago National Park is a Finnish national park located on the territory of the municipalities of Dragsfjärd, Nagu, Korpo and Houtskär in the province of Western Finland. It originated in 1983 and has an area of 500 km². Since 1994 it has been the core of the UNESCO-protected Archipelago Sea Biosphere Reserve. The archipelago is only accessible by boat. The Blåmusslan visitor center in Kasnäs in the south of Dragsfjärd can be reached via national highway 52 that connects Tammissaari with Salo. This is followed by the 1830 road that you follow in the direction of Kemiö.
The Finnish national parks consist of many hills and primeval forest, interspersed with lakes and are therefore perfect for a beautiful walk.
Lemmenjoki National Park
The Lemmenjoki National Park is located in northern Finland in the province of Lapland. The park was founded in 1956 and has been expanded twice since, the current surface area is 2850 km², making the Lemmenjoki National Park the largest national park in Finland and one of the largest in Europe. The park has got its name from the 80 kilometer long river Lemmenjoki that flows through the park. The Finnish name is derived from the Sami name Lemmee. The park borders the Øvre Anárjohka national park in Norway. There are approximately 60 kilometers of trails in the national park with even some bridges and boats. There are more than ten free cabins in the park and three cabins that can be rented.
Finland has 37 National Parks with a total area of 9,789 square kilometers.
Oulanka National Park
Oulanka NP is a Finnish national park and is located partly in the province of Oulu and partly in Finnish Lapland. The park was founded in 1956 and it covers the plateau between Kuusamo and Salla (area of 270 km). To the east, it borders the Paanjärvi Russian National Park, founded in 1992. In the national park you can enjoy nature, canoeing, camping and certainly make long walks. In addition to the Oulanka Canyon (a canyon with steep walls), there is also a viewing point called Ristikallio (so-called rock), so named because of its typical shape. Well-known rapids in the Oulankajoki River are the Taivalköngäs, over which a suspension bridge passes, and the Kiutaköngäs, which foams through a gorge of reddish-brown rock. One of the best known walks is the so-called Bear Route (Karhunkierros), which has a length of 80 km. The route is equipped with free huts, shelters and campfires. The route is done on 5 or 6 days. In addition to the Bear route, there is also the Ristikallio route of 30 km, the small Bear route (pieni Karhunkierros) of 9 km and the Keroharju route of 14 km.
Last Updated on May 20, 2019
