What can one do in the Hetta Area?
Walk on Marked Trails
There are marked trails from the Hetta Area to Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park and to the north to the village of Näkkälä. Additionally there are a couple of shorter nature trails in the area.
Go Wilderness Trekking
The popular 55-km-long Hetta-Pallas trail has one of its starting points at Hetta. From Pallastunturi you can continue your hike to Olos, to Ylläs or all the way to Levi. It is also possible to hike north from Hetta along the trail that leads to the village of Näkkälä. From Näkkälä you can continue your hike along public trails all the way to Pöyrisjärvi. Experienced hikers can trek along a very demanding trail from Pöyrisjärvi via Kalkujärvi to Kalmakaltio. This portion of the trail is not marked.
Go Canoeing and Rowing
Hetta Village, which is located on the shore of Lake Ounasjärvi, is an ideal place to set off on a canoe or boat trip. The open waters of the lake offer a very pleasant place to row during sunny summer days. From the lake canoeists can get straight to the River Ounasjoki, which is one the most popular canoe routes in Lapland. Private tourist services in the Hetta Area rent out canoes and rowboats.
Go Bird Watching
There are two bird watching towers near the village of Hetta. Yrjö Kokko bird watching tower (enontekiolapland.com) is situated 10 km east of the village. There visitors can also learn more about the birdlife in Joentekiäinen, the quiet pool in the River Ounasjoki and about Finnish writer and scientist Yrjö Kokko by reading the information boards. Sotkajärvi bird watching tower (enontekiolapland.com) is situated in Sotkavuoma, about 18 km from Hetta. This is an excellent bird watching spot during both migration and nesting seasons.
See the Sights and Scenery
Visitors can climb to the top of Jyppyrävaara Hill on the edge of the village and admire the fell landscape from there. There is a clear view of the peaks of the Pallas-Ounastunturi Fells from the look-out campfire shelter. The northernmost peak of the Pallas-Ounastunturi Fells, Pyhäkero can be reached by following the hiking trail on the south side of Lake Ounasjärvi.
See the Visitor Centre
Fell Lapland Visitor Centre is located in Hetta and is open year-round. The visitor centre hosts exhibitions on the area's nature and hiking possibilities as well as has fishing, hunting and snowmobile permits and maps available for purchase.
Walk on the Nature Trail
A nature trail with information on the area's history has its starting point at the Fell Lapland Visitor Centre and leads to the top of Jyppyrävaara Hill. On the lower slope of the hill there is a trail called Peurapolku Nature Trail which features information on Wild Reindeer hunting in the area.
Ski Cross-country on Maintained Trails
There are many maintained skiing trails in the Hetta Area. There is a set of trails in the Jyppyrä area as well as there are several long distance trails from the village of Hetta to Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. Most of these trails are suited for classical and freestyle cross-country skiing. The ski trail network is maintained by the municipality of Enontekiö and by Ounaksen Tunturiladut Oy.
Go Fishing
Hook- and line fishing and ice fishing are permitted under Everyman's Rights (ymparisto.fi) in the Hetta Area, which means that no permits are needed for these. Ice fishing and angling using worms as bait are forbidden completely in flowing water. If you have purchased the Fisheries management fee (eraluvat.fi) you have the right to fish in all of the lakes in the area. To fish in other bodies of water in Hetta's surrounding area you must have paid the national fisheries management fee and have a Hetta shareholder association permit, which you can purchase from local companies.
The River Ounasjoki is suited for fly and lure fishing. To fish in the River Ounasjoki you must have paid the Fisheries management fee (eraluvat.fi) as well have permission from the owner of the water area. As different parts of the river are owned by different shareholder associations, it is divided into several permit areas. The beginning of the river and all other bodies of water in the Hetta Area are owned by the Hetta shareholder association. The Vuontisjärvi shareholder association's permit area begins at Haarakoski, where the River Käkkälöjoki flows into the River Ounasjoki. Within the municipality of Enontekiö some parts of the river are owned by the state. To fish in these state owned waters you must have paid the Ounasjoki-Käkkälöjoki-Pöyrisjoki permit (eraluvat.fi). Some parts of the river are owned by the Peltovuoma shareholder association. The portion of the river which is covered by a single permit starts only after Lake Ounasjärvi once the river crosses into the municipality of Kittilä. For more information on fishing at the River Ounasjoki or in the Hetta Area contact Fell Lapland Visitor Centre.
Go Cycling
National biking trail 21 runs through the village of Hetta. The biking trail is marked with brown and white bicycle signs. It is also possible to mountain bike (enontekiolapland.com) in the area around the village. The difficulty of the trails varies from easy to extremely demanding.
Go Orienteering
The terrain in the Hetta Area is ideal for orienteering. The area around Jyppyrä is the best place for beginners while the Ounastunturi area is challenging even for experienced orienteers that are in the best shape. There is a fixed orienteering course at Jyppyrä and evening races are organised there occasionally. Maps made for orienteering are sold at Fell Lapland Visitor Centre.
Go Snowshoe Walking
Along with skiing snowshoe walking is a good way to cross the area's terrain during winter. Marked snowshoe walking trails have even been set up in the Jyppyrä area for quite a few years. The snowshoe walking possibilities in the area will improve in the future, as the ski resort at Jyppyrä is being developed.
Go Berry and Mushroom Picking
The Hetta Area is a wonderful destination for those who enjoy picking berries and mushrooms. There is an abundance of bilberries, lingonberries and cloudberries. When looking for mushrooms, you will unlikely have an empty basket for long either as the picking opportunities are plentiful right near the village.
Ride a Snowmobile
Several snowmobile tracks leading to different parts of the municipality of Enontekiö, to Muonio and to Kittilä run through the Hetta Area. No permits are needed for riding these tracks. The Hetta Area snowmobile tracks are maintained by the municipality of Enontekiö (enontekiolapland.com). If you are snowmobiling from Hetta to Kilpisjärvi via Palojärvi you must purchase a Metsähallitus snowmobile permit (eraluvat.fi). Permits are sold online (verkkokauppa.eraluvat.fi) and at Fell Lapland Visitor Centre. Read more about the instructions and rules.
Go Geocaching
In the Hetta area, you can go geocaching. Looking for geocaches in locations close to the village of Hetta, i.e. Jyppyrä Hill, the Yrjö Kokko Bird Watching Tower, and the peninsula of Lake Muotkajärvi (geocache.fi, in Finnish), could be the start of a fascinating pastime for the whole family.
