Services in Urho Kekkonen National Park

Customer Service and Guidance

Urho Kekkonen National Park Customer Service 

Service hours in 2024

• We serve by e-mail and telephone on weekdays Mon-Fri 10 am-1 pm. 
• Customer service is closed on public holidays.
• We reserve the right to change opening hours.

Contact Information  

• Telephone: +358 206 39 7200. The price of the call is EUR 0.00/min + mobile phone charge specified in your mobile phone subscription or local network charge when using a landline phone.
• E-mail: ukpuisto@metsa.fi

Location

• Urho Kekkonen National Park, Sodankylä, Savukoski, Inari, Notrhern Lapland. 

Services  

• Hiking and route information, reservations and keys to huts in Urho Kekkonen National Park and the Hammastunturi Wilderness Area and fishing, hunting and snowmobile track permits. 
• Information on Urho Kekkonen National Park, hiking, wilderness huts, river crossings, and assistance in planning a hiking route.
• Information on hiking possibilities in surrounding areas.
• Reservations for rental huts in Hammastunturi Wilderness Area.
• Reservations for wilderness huts in Urho Kekkonen National Park.
• Information on Metsähallitus products and services.

Services Offered by Enterprises and Other Organisations in the National Park

• Following enterprises and other organisations offer services in the Urho Kekkonen National Park.
  • They have a cooperation agreement with Metsähallitus and they follow the principles of sustainable nature tourism when operating in the national park.

Meals, Where to Buy and Prepare

Shops

• Hikers can buy food supplies in shops, petrol stations and tourist centres in Saariselkä (inarisaariselka.fi), Savukoski (korvatunturi.fi), Vuotso (visitsompio.fi) and Sodankylä (visitsodankyla.fi).

Campfire Sites, Lean-to Shelters, Wilderness Huts, Cooking Shelters and Campfire Huts

In the recreational and nature turism zone lighting fires is only permitted at specially designated campfire sites. In the remote zone (except Paratiisikuru, Lumikuru and Raja-Jooseppi homestead and in the skolt fields) you are free to light fires using fallen twigs and branches found on the ground. The lean-to shelters and Campfire huts have a saw and an axe in their woodsheds.

• The national park area contains
  • 6 Day-use huts
  • 17 Open wilderness huts
  • 13 Open and reservable wilderness huts
  • 4 rental turf huts
  • 3 rental huts
  • 27 Lean-to shelters
  • 74 campfire sites
• The locations of the structures are marked on the outdoor maps. The structures can also be found on the excursionmap.fi web-page.
• Please note that lighting campfires is also forbidden at campfire sites if the wildfire warning is in effect. Check the current warnings (ilmatieteenlaitos.fi).
  • This prohibition does not apply to cooking shelters or other fireplaces with a flue.

Bridges

Does the River Suomujoki flood, and how can the river be crossed?

Usually the River Suomujoki experiences spring flooding up till June, and autumn floods can begin as early as in August. There are three bridges across the river at Porttikoski, Kotaköngäs and close to the mouth of the River Aitaoja.

Approximately 300 metres from Lake Aittajärvi, downstream of the River Suomujoki, there is a wading spot. When water at the wading spot is at normal height, it is up to one's knee and the current moderately swift. There are also a few wading spots down stream from Aittajärvi. For example, at Snellmaninmaja cabin there is a spot where, during normal water, one can get across.

The Kolsankoski bridge by the River Nuorttijoki, has collapsed due the heavy snow burden. During year 2020 the bridge is meaning rebuild.

Drinking Water

• The water in the area's ponds, streams and rivers should usually be safe to drink, but the water systems have not been tested. It is therefore advisable to boil water before drinking it.
• Visitors may take water from Visitor Centres and Customer Service Points with them on their hike.

Waste Management

• The Saariselkä - Kiilopää area is a Hiking without Littering -zone. Waste-bins have been removed from the Saariselkä day trip trails. Measures should be taken in advance to avoid taking unnecessary waste into the area. Biodegradable waste should be placed in a toilet or composter, and small amounts of clean paper and cardboard can be used as kindling in a campfire.

• Daytrip hiking areas' huts toilets at Rumakuru, old Rumakuru, Luulampi and Rautulampi is only for "poop and pee". Do not put any biowaste to these toilets.

• Take all other waste out of the area. There are recycling points at the beginning and end of each hiking trail.

• Metsähallitus rangers manage and maintain the National Park's wilderness huts. The basic clean-up and waste management at each wilderness hut is the responsibility of hikers. Compost waste must be put into the huts own composter and burnable waste can be burnt in the hut's iron stove. Hikers must take their all other waste out the park area.

• More information on waste management can be found at Urho Kekkonen National Park Customer Service  and on our Hiking without littering page.

Toilets

• All wilderness huts and lean-to shelters have dry toilets. Toilets at Rumakuru, old Rumakuru, Luulampi and Rautulampi, has a toilets which empties with suction to tanks, so do not put any biowaste to these toilets.

Overnight Stays

Camping

• In the recreational and nature turism zone camping is permitted only at the campfire sites and on the designated tent areas near the huts.
• In the remote zone you can freely choose a camping location - except for the areas of Paratiisikuru, Lumikuru and the surroundings of ancient structures, where camping is forbidden. There are designated campsites near the lean-tos and on the shore of Lake Luirojärvi. 
• Local inhabitants have certain special privileges in the national park.

Lean-to Shelters and Campfire Shelters

Most of the national park's lean-to shelters and Campfire Shelters are located along the Suomujoki, Luttojoki and Nuorttijoki rivers and are suitable for overnight stays mainly in the summer and autumn. All of the lean-to shelters and Campfire Shelters have woodsheds and dry toilets.

• In the recreational and nature tourism zone there are 27 lean-to huts and log tepees.
• The locations of the structures are marked on outdoor maps. The structures can also be found on the excursionmap.fi service.

Open and Reservable Wilderness Huts and Open and Reservable Turf Huts

Hikers in Urho Kekkonen National Park can choose from a total of 37 overnight huts and turf huts. The oldest huts are from the 1930s but you can still find marks from the turn of the 19th century on the logs of Vanha Rumakuru Day-use Hut. Over the years the huts have been renovated but they still give you a sense of the park's old hiking history.

You can rest, spend the night, cook food and dry your gear in the huts and turf huts. Open wilderness huts can be used freely, but reservable huts and turf huts need to be reserved in advance. Each hut's facilities are described separately.

• Pets are permitted in the day-use hut and in the open wilderness hut, but only in case that other visitors agree with it.
• Pets are not permitted in the reservable wilderness hut and in the rental hut.
• You can stay a maximum of two consecutive nights in the open wilderness huts, in the open turf huts, in the reservable huts and in the reservable turf huts.
• You can stay a maximum of seven consecutive nights in the reservable huts and in the reservable turf huts during 1.10.-28.2. and in May.

Rental Huts

• There are two rental huts in the national park.
  • Tikkasen Vieriharju, Kuusela and Suomun Ville rental huts.
• You can stay a maximum of seven consecutive nights in the reservable huts and in the reservable turf huts during 1.10.-28.2. and in May.
• Reservations for the huts can be made in Eräluvat webshop (eraluvat.fi)

Saunas

• There are open saunas in the national park which are with a small payment for all to use. Please take concern the other users of saunas.
  • ​Payment for sauna per person is 10 euros and for children 5 euros (under 7 years) or a member of a min. 10 persons group. Payment in Eräluvat webstore (eraluvat.fi). Prices include 25,5 % vat.
    • There are saunas at Luirojärvi, Anterinmukka, Tahvontupa and Karhuoja.
    • There are saunas at Tikkasen Vieriharju Rental Hut and Suomun Ville rental hut which are meant only for the occupants of the huts.
    • Free saunas without any payment are: Vieriharju and Härkävaara 

Lodging, Equipment Rental and Other Services in the Surrounding Area

More information on websites

• Saariselkä (inarisaariselka.fi).
• Savukoski (savukoski.fi, in Finnish).
• Sodankylä (visitsodankyla.fi).
• Inari (inari.fi).
• Find out more about visiting Lapland (lapland.fi).