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Outdoor Fall Adventures in Southern Finland

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I believe many of us are finding a new found appreciation for the outdoors, considering we’ve been in and out of quarantine and social distancing since March. Nature is beautiful and day hikes can be a great way to explore the outdoors while burning off those quarantine calories. But I can see how after a while you’d be like ‘it’s a tree, it’s just another tree, they all look the same, who cares!” For this reason it’s good to shake things up, try new paths, explore new areas.

This past September I managed to get over to Finland to visit family for a month. Now, that’s a place that’ll make you go: “yeah, it’s just another tree”. 75% of Finlands total land area is covered by forest and an additional 10% make up for the lakes. Makes you think, where are all the people? Great question. Turns out, there’s not a lot of people, so great for coronavirus circumstances.

I had the pleasure of exploring some great trails and national forests. Here’s a few recommendations for when you get the opportunity. I would also like to recommend an app I’ve found works in New York, and apparently, Finland too! It’s called AllTrails. It allows you to find various trails in your area, record your walks and share information/comments with the community. This sounds like an ad. I wish it was. It is not. But check it out!

Hiking Trails

Laipanmaa Hiking Area

Laipanmaa Hiking Area has several different trails to can choose from. I was able to explore two of the trails, the first being Verkkojärvi lake (trail marked in light blue below) and the 2nd being a bit longer trail, 3.2KM = 2 Miles (marked in green below). The Verkkojärvi trail was technically not a loop trail so we exited on the gravel path for cars and walked back along that road. There were no cars so it’s safe, just not as scenic since you’re not enveloped in the forest. Each offered some really beautiful views and scenery. You can also find outhouses and grilling areas to stop for rests if needed.

Difficulty: Suitable for all levels. The terrain was mostly flat with narrow paths. Definitely recommend hiking boots, depending on the weather the ground can be slippery when muddy.

Tips: All of Laipanmaa’s trails are marked with blue-headed marker posts. This can be confusing if you’ve chosen a specific trail to follow. If you’re not careful you can easily end up on a different trail. I recommend downloading or taking a photo of the trail map for reference along your journey. I also recommend bringing a snack, might even be worth bringing some sausages to grill! And paper towel/tissue. It’s not guaranteed that the outhouses will have toilet paper so keep this in mind when packing your bags.


Sappee Nature Trail

During the winter Sappee is an award winning ski resort. However, during the warmer months of the year it becomes hiking trails and bike parks. Compared to the scenery of the other trails listed here, this one probably ranked last on the list. It doesn’t quite envelope you like the forest trails do. Although, these trails did provide some scenic outlooks because they are high slopes in the winter months.

Difficulty: Beginner. The trail had wide dirt/gravel roads with easy to navigate signage and markers. We decided on the purple trail loop 4,5 KM = 2.8 miles.

Tips: Sappee does have ski lodges and cafes open year round so if you want to start or end your walk with a treat, there’s options available.


Sipoonkorpi National Park Trails

Well, what more can I say about this trail than it was the best one because… cows! The specific trail we did was called Byabäken. It was about 2.1KM total. You start off from the parking lot going straight into the forest, then about a KM in it opens up to a pasture filled with cows!

Difficulty: Beginners. This trail had easy terrain, some incline but nothing too steep.  The paths did get narrow at times inside the forest area, but as soon as you get to the pastures there’s a gravel road with lots of room to spread out.

Tips: About 1/3 into the trail, it weens off into a smaller trail where you can find outhouses and picnic areas if needed.

Siponkorpi national park has tons of small trail options to check out if 2.1KM is too short for you. Initially I had planned to do this one and then drive to another parking lot for a 2nd loop but got too lazy…. whoops.


Nuuksio National park

Since this is a National park, this trail did provide for more path options and ‘amenities’. By amenities, I mean grilling areas, lots of parking, toilets and cafes. They also had kayaks and sup boards for rent. However, this also came with more people. Probably the busiest of the trails but only by Finnish standards. Meaning there were only a few times we had to pick up the pace to pass others. The trail we did was the Korpinkierros trail, a 7KM =4.3 mile loop trail.

Difficulty: Based on the length (7KM) and terrain I would say this is for intermediate hikers. The path can be uneven and steep at times. The terrain changed often from dirt roads, to giant rocks, to gravel, etc. So be prepared with good footwear.

Tips: Depending on how much time you plan on spending, bring enough food and water. There are plenty of picnic areas to stop and rest. Nuuksio’s trail marking system was one of the more comprehensible. Each trail was marked with it’s own color so you know you’re on the right path at all times.

Stand up Paddling

With an abundance of lakes, stand up paddling is a great option for people who want to get on the water regardless of temperature. We rented our boards from a private individual we found online. This was an easier option based on where we were staying. You can do that or there are plenty of companies that will rent out boards for 24hrs at a time.

Twenty Knots: They allow for 24hr board rentals for 60euro/day + 35euro for every additional 24hrs. Taking a board away allows you to have a lot more flexibility in your plans. If you plan to rent a summer house for a weekend by a lake, it’s great option to have, or just the flexibility of choosing which lake you choose to enjoy.

There are plenty of other SUP board rentals in and around Helsinki but not all allow you to rent the boards for takeaway. Most of these options are seasonal so if you do come in the fall you can expect these to be closed.

This is just a tiny taste of all Finland has to offer in terms of outdoor exploration. Finland’s varying weather conditions allow for a variety in seasonal outdoor activities.

Helpful links

Here is Finland’s official travel guide site

Helsinki’s official guide MyHelsinki offer’s useful information on everything in and around Helsinki, including outdoor exploration.

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