About park (english)
Pyhä-Luosto National Park
Summary: The fells of Pyhä-Luosto National Park are so old that time has worn the once kilometres-high mountains down to their hard quartzite core. To walk on fells that have seen two billion years of earth's history causes reflection. Add to that the nightless night of midsummer when constant sunlight makes the hour hand meaningless or in winter when the life-changing Northern Lights dance and play across the snow-covered felltops and you have a truly magical place that will make a lasting impression on all who visit here. Whether you're mad about trekking, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, or just love the great outdoors, Pyhä-Luosto offers a pristine nature wonderland to pursue your passions to the full anytime of the year.
Nature: The official greeter of the far north, the colourful Siberian jay, is the mascot of Pyhä-Luosto National Park. The clever little members of the crow family check out all who visit their territory. They're year-round residents who in summer and autumn store food in tree bark caches for use during the long winter. They will brighten up your day by visiting the campsite during morning coffee or by following you along the trail through the old-growth forests they call home. Reindeer roam the forests and treeless felltops in summer and autumn while bear and elk wander through the forests and aapa mires that lie in between. Besides the ancient rounded fells, there are also narrow and steep gorges in the park formed by the retreating glaciers of the Ice Age.
Activities: Pyhä-Luosto National Park changes completely depending on the season and the popularity of outdoor activities reflects that. In winter cross-country ski on groomed tracks, snowshoe through a forest of rime ice covered spruce trees that look like giant candles, or fatbike on specially marked trails. For the more adventurous try off-piste or wilderness skiing. In summer go on day hikes or hike in further for an overnight campout. Try exploring about 100 kilometres of prime mountain biking trails in the area suitable for riders of all levels. For a really unique experience try finding your own gemstone at the Amethyst Mine in Lampivaara. It's the only gemstone mine in the world that allows visitors to search for amethysts they can take home. Your first stop any time of year should be at the Pyhä-Luosto Visitor Centre Naava where you can learn more about the geology, flora and fauna, and history of the region.
Trails: The seven-kilometre-long Tunturiaapa Nature Trail is an easy hike along a gravel path with duckboards through the mires and heath forests to the birdwatching tower where there are spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding fells. In winter a variation of the same trail serves as a snowshoeing route and fatbiking is possible too. In Luosto try the 17-kilometre-long Luosto Nature Hiking Trail. It's an intermediate level trail that goes through old-growth forests and aapa mires to the treeless top of Ukko-Luosto Fell. The Pyhä-Luosto Trail is a 30-kilometre-long hike and is ideal for beginner backpackers since there are many rest stops along the well-marked route between the two resort areas. In winter a part of it becomes a groomed cross-country ski route. The 18-kilometre-long Around Ukko-Luosto is great for mountain biking in the summer and becomes a ski track in winter. It leads to the Lampivaara Amethyst Mine. To see some of the most famous sights of the national park—the Pyhänkasteenputous Waterfall, Isokuru Gorge, and Uhriharju Ridge—try the 10-kilometre-long Karhunjuomalampi Trail which is a fairly easy trail with stairs on the steepest parts. The 12-14-kilometre-long Rykimäkero Trail is a skiing route in winter and a mountain biking/hiking route in summer. Along the trail you will see the remarkable Rykimäkuru Gorge which is a tear in the bedrock and not an ancient Ice Age riverbed like the other gorges in the area.
Culture: This two-billion-year fell chain was at one time the shoreline of an ancient sea and it possible to see ripples in the rocks made by waves when they were still sandy beaches. According to the indigenous Forest Sámi who used to call the area their home, the fells were a place to make sacrifices to the gods. Pyhätunturi means Holy Fell, and many other place names reflect the religious and spiritual importance of this southern fell chain. For a short period in the early 20th century some logging was carried out in the vicinity, but soon after many recognized the value of this pristine natural area and in 1938 the first national park in Finland, Pyhätunturi National Park, was created. It was expanded in 2005 to create the Pyhä-Luosto National Park.