Pyhä-Luosto National Park

Pyhä-Luosto is the southernmost big fell area in Finland and it’s made of one of the oldest rocks in the world, having been formed 2000 million years ago. Consisting of hard quartzites, the ancient mountains of the National Park have withstood erosion and have been polished during the Ice Age to round fells.

Signs of all of the geological transformations can still to be seen along the trails. Between the peaks lie deep gorges and of which Isokuru Gorge is particularly popular as it’s the deepest gorge in Finland and has a beautiful hiking trail going through it. A good viewpoint is the challenging Noitatunturi, which is the highest peak, as well as Ukko-Luosto Fell in the Northern part of the National Park. Treeless fell tops are surrounded by ancient forests, some of them are over 400 years old. Lower down the scenery is dominated by wide Aapa mires.

The vegetation in the Pyhä-Luosto National Park is typical for Finnish Lapland and numerous animals enjoy its nature. The southernmost Fell Birches in Finland grow in Pyhä-Luosto. A frequent visitor is the friendly bird, siberian jay, which also adorns the logo of the National Park. But also otters, brown bears, moose, reindeer and numerous other bird species live in the Pyhä-Luosto National Park wilderness.

Pyhä-Luosto National Park is a great destination for active tourists. Whether on foot, skis, snowshoes or by mountain bike - there are various possibilities to explore the landscape.

Hikers of all levels as well as families with children will find beautiful, well marked trails in the National Park. Hikers can choose from easy gravel trails in the forests or wooden duckboards through Aapa mires to traditional rocky and root-filled trails up to the fell tops. The varied trails are suitable for daytrips and for multiple day hikes.

Mountain bikers have all together 170 km of trails to ride in the area, of which 40 km are specially designed and marked for mountain biking. In winter there are 150 km of well-tended cross-country ski trails in the area, prepared for both classic and skating styles. There are also over 20 km of winter walking and biking trails. For more experienced skiers Pyhä-Luosto offers excellent ski touring possibilities.

More information is available at Visitor Centre Naava which serves a year round tourist information point for the National Park and the surrounding areas. Naava also houses a fascinating free exhibition. A one of a kind destination in the National Park is the Amethyst Mine in Lampivaara, which is the only amethyst mine still in operation in Europe.