Original post (in Spanish): blog.packrafting.cat/packraft-en-oulanka-national-park-finlandia
Imagine that you are in a remote area of boreal forests during some surprisingly warm August days when, despite being very close to the Arctic Circle, you can tan your skin under the sun lying on a paradisiacal beach of beige sand.
The insignificant swell barely reaches to lick the sand of the shore. No sound is heard.
The waters of the lake around you are so calm that they reflect in the distance the wooden suspension bridge over which you staggered a few moments ago, watching the spectacle of roaring waterfalls beneath your feet.
No noise is heard.
You are lying on the sand, with your eyes closed as you rest on the ground warmed by the effect of the sun, recovering after several days of packrafting through rivers that are sometimes surrounded by deep canyons with challenging rapids, and sometimes by quiet backwaters that allow you to observe the wonderful natural environment that flows around you.
Nothing disturbs the peaceful atmosphere.
And to top it all off, you know that when it starts to cool off in the evening, a comforting natural sauna heated by a wood fire awaits you, accessed by footbridges through the forest behind the beach just before an exhilarating dinner at the base camp where you will spend the next night.
If I had to define peace and happiness for me, I would say it is what I felt during the days I spent in the Oulanka National Park in Finland. A real discovery!
"However ingenious, original or beneficial they may be, discoveries cannot be patentable".
For discoveries are really more than:
"Glimpses of something that already existed, even if it was not known".
Without further ado, I'll get to the point. I need to share with you my discovery of the Oulanka National Park in Finland because you know what they say: "what is shared is worth two" but above all because:
"Discoveries if they are not shared are not discoveries".
Oulanka National Park (Finnish: Oulangan kansallispuisto) is located in the Northern Ostrobothnia and Lapland regions of Finland, covering 270 km². The park was established in 1956 and expanded in 1982 and 1989. It borders Paanajärvi National Park in Russia.
History
The first inhabitants of the area were the Sami of Lapland who lived here until the end of the 17th century, when they had to give way to Finnish settlers.
Oulanka Packraft Tour July 2025.
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Since 2002, Oulanka was the first of two Finnish national parks to become part of the World Wildlife Fund, the other being the Marine Archipelago National Park.
Features
Oulanka National Park is a unique and versatile combination of northern, southern and eastern nature.
Although hunting, fishing and later farming was the main occupation of the people who lived there, today the most prominent activity in Oulanka is tourism. Since the 1930s, the Finnish Tourism Association maintained boats on the river and renovated the wooden cabins found throughout the park for accommodation purposes. These cabins can be used free of charge by any hiker in the area, provided that basic guidelines and rules are followed regarding the condition of the cabins, the supply of wood and the protection of the surrounding nature.
The landscape consists of pine forests, river valleys with sandbanks and rapids, and, in the north, there are vast peatlands and bogs. It has a unique river ecosystem and is an example of an intact, unlogged boreal forest near the Arctic Circle, which is protected by the World Wildlife Fund from intensive reindeer grazing. The area is rich in animal and plant species, including endangered ones. Near the visitor center is the Oulanka Research Center, which is part of the Thule Institute and was established in 1966 to facilitate research in biological and geological sciences. The research center also offers its facilities for visits by tourists or hikers during off-peak seasons.
Along with the rugged geography and varied microclimates, the park's location is also one of the main reasons for the great variety of plants and trees, with more than 500 species of vascular plants in the area. There is an overlap between northern and southern species in terms of distribution, and numerous species from eastern Finland have their westernmost outposts here. Oulanka has nutrient-rich soil, making it ideal for the rare and demanding flora found here. The Oulanka River valley was a very important dispersal route for several species from eastern Finland after the last ice age. In late summer, the park is full of blueberries, mushrooms, and orchids such as Calypso bulbosa, one of the most popular flowers in the area.
The riverbeds and alluvial meadows are home to rare species of butterflies, and over a hundred different species of birds make their home in the park. The meadows are traditionally managed, and reindeer herding continues to thrive within the park, although it is restricted to local inhabitants. The park is also home to rare birds such as Siberian jays and grouse, which are fond of the park's grass-rich forests. Endangered species such as bear, lynx and wolverine also find their home in Oulanka, along with moose and other animals.
Hiking
Oulanka is one of the most popular national parks in Finland. The well-known Finnish hiking route, Karhunkierros (80 km), is located in the national park and is accessible all year round.
Packraft at Oulanka National Park.
PDF with all the Packraft routes in Oulanka National Park.
Other trails include Little Bear Trail (12 km), Keroharju Hiking Trail (17 km) and smaller nature trails such as Rytisuo Nature Trail (5 km), Hiidenlampi Nature Trail (5 km) and Kiutaköngäs Day-trip Trail (8 km). There are several camping areas, designated fireplaces, log cabins and boats that are available to the public. There are also some winter trails, including the Rytisuo Snowshoeing Trail (7.5 km) or the Oulanka Wilderness Trail from Juuma to Kiutaköngäs (26 km) that can also be explored on skis, snowshoes or even snowmobiles. Other activities include canoeing or cycling along some routes. Visitors are allowed to pick berries and mushrooms, but are not allowed to hunt or fish without a license.
In Finland, touching the Russian border at the Arctic Circle, the nearest town is Kuusamo, in the north of the province of Osthrobothnia. Rovaniemi is a three-hour drive away.
Each season (Autumn must be very special) has its own charm.
But keep in mind that in the winter months you will only be able to enjoy 3-4 hours of "sunshine", although the chances of seeing northern lights will increase.
On the other hand, in summer you can have more than 22 hours of sunshine, with some hours of midnight sun.
The main trails are maintained all year round and it is possible to hike them even in winter surrounded by snow. One of the best known photos of the park is the mill house at the Millokoski rapids all snowed in.
If you look at the climograph, the warmest months are also the rainiest.
In winter, the conditions for packrafting can be extreme and not very advisable, with very few sunny hours for sailing.
In summer, you can have marathon days thanks to the more pleasant temperatures, but remember that you are in the polar circle and expect very cold conditions at night.
Oulanka National Park is one of the best places I have ever been packrafting. The park contains the second largest river canyon in Finland, dozens of kilometers of whitewater of varying levels, and numerous wilderness huts and other facilities to use.
I will explain in detail the following routes:
If I had to choose only one I would recommend the T5 combined with the Pieni Karhunkierros Trail of 12 km.
For the record, Finland's largest river canyon is located in the Kevo Strict Nature Reserve area, but as a nature reserve it is not freely accessible. It is only allowed to move on a specific hiking route and the use of any kind of boat is strictly forbidden.
It is worth visiting https://excursionmap.fi/ and search for Oulanka, you will have access to a lot of information and trails about the Oulanka National Park.
It should be noted that there are only supermarkets at the ABC gas stations/supermarkets in Käylä (ABC Sale) and Ruokamo (Finland's most famous ski slopes). They are not big supermarkets and you are not going to find everything and at the best prices. If you have to buy something a bit out of the ordinary or you want to buy food in a larger supermarket, take the opportunity to shop in Rovaniemi where for example there is a Lidl.
On the route, near the Karhunkierros trail you will find the following small stores, kiosks or restaurants:
Oulanka is also home to Finland's most popular hiking trail, the Bear Trail (Karkunhierros Trail). This trail attracts many tourists every year and during the high season the huts can be crowded, so make sure you have a tent as well.
All along the route you will find areas prepared with all the utensils to cook using the cut firewood that you will find in the shelters, picnics and camping areas.
I took advantage of a trip back from the north cape to visit Oulanka National Park. But the nearest airport is Kuusamo although it only has domestic flights (quite expensive by the way) so from Spain you will have to make a stopover.
Possibly the best option is to fly to Rovaniemi where it is possible to travel with direct flights from Spain, car rental is available and in about 3 hours driving you can be in the national park.
I didn't take any cab but I did take note of the information signs that could be found in the parking lots in the area. It probably does not pay to take a cab if you can share the car rental in Rovaniemi as the rental prices are very affordable.
https://www.otaxi.fi/
I found this sign in the area. I have no further information.
I have been in the facilities of Oulanka basecamp, they are impressive with a private beach and sauna. Besides its privileged location, near the Piene Karkunhierros trail and main attractions such as the Millikoski rapids make it a highly recommended site.
The price of the rooms is around 100€ for a double room including breakfast. It is possible to have dinner (3 courses) for 35€.
They also offer the possibility to rent a packraft and even hire a packraft guide as well as other activities such as rafting, skiing, fishing, etc.
According to the blog of Caj Kosninen, reputed Nordic Packrafter the best river guide in Oulanka is Martti from Basecamp Oulanka.
Another option at Basecamp Oulanka is to at least hire the Sauna service to have a place to clean up and relax after an expedition and then they let you use their parking lot as a place to leave your car.
Blog de Caj Kosninen:
Other resources:
Beyond the karhunkierro trail, the national park has many interesting short hikes. Below are all the PDFs that the national park provides. Trail Brochures
If you could only do one excursion, this would be the recommended route:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/little-bear-trail-oulanka-np-finland--2?u=m
Rovaniemi is probably the city of departure if you come by plane, as here is the airport of Finnish Lapland with better international and domestic connections.
Next to the airport is the Santa Klaus Village, in high season in winter it must be crazy but I visited it in summer at sunset and it was a desert. By the way the area has a very good Wifi.
Beyond the touristy "Santa Claus' house", the truth is that Rovaniemi surprised me the area of the Marina Ounaspaviljonki with an area of beaches, water activities, Volleyball beaches that are at least shocking in these latitudes!
The river also looks very good for some paddling in absolute tranquility at sunset.
See you at the river 🛶 🛶 🛶 🛶 🛶 🛶.
But first a song... because the Oulanka National Park "It Put A Spell on Me".
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