Services in Oulanka National Park

Customer Service and Guidance

Services Offered by Enterprises and Other Organisations in Oulanka National Park

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

Meals, Where to Buy and Prepare

Stores, Kiosks and Restaurants

• In Hautajärvi village Napapiiri Café (napapiiricafe.fi)
• In Oulanka Camping (in Finnish, Oulankacamping.fi) there is a kiosk
• At the visitor centre, Restaurant Ravintola Talonpöytä (talonpoyta.fi), provides its services in the summer season. The selection of the restaurant includes lunch, café products and snacks.
• In Juuma at Basecamp Oulanka (basecampoulanka.fi) there is a kiosk, a restaurant and a café
• In Käylä village there is a grocery store (s-kaupat.fi, in Finnish)
• In Ruka holiday centre there are several restaurants (ruka.fi), a grocery store and shops

Campfire Sites and Cooking Places

Oulanka National Park has:

• 50 campfire sites, which are mainly located along the Karhunkierros Hiking Trail. Firewood, axe and saw are provided on site.
• 6 open wilderness huts with cooking spots and gas cookers. Wilderness huts are called as Savilampi, Taivalköngäs (no gas cooker), Ristikallio (no gas cooker), Ansakämppä, Jussinkämppä, and Kerojärvi.

Any kind of fire is strictly forbidden outdoors during wildfire warning, even at designated campfire sites. However the use of camp stoves (f.e. Trangia) are allowed during wildfire warnings. 

• This prohibition does not apply to cooking shelters or other fireplaces with a flue.

Drinking Water

• Waters in lakes, rivers and brooks should be boiled before it is drunk, as the quality of water differs from one area to another.
• Drinking water from the parks water-system is at each person's own risk.
• There is a water tap at the Oulanka Visitor Centre outside of the wall.

Waste Management

• The National Park and Karhunkierros Hiking Trail have three recycling points. Visitors can recycle for example glass and metal at these points as well as hazardous waste such as batteries.
• 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.
• More information on Hiking without Littering.

Dry toilets

• Dry toilets are provided at all campfire sites and huts. 

Overnight Stays

Camping in Tents and Lean-to Shelters

There are several lean-to shelters and tens of camping sites around the River Kitkajoki. Pitching of tents is also permitted in the vicinity of wilderness huts.

Open Wilderness Huts

There are 7 open wilderness huts and 1 day-use hut in Oulanka National Park. Please, read the rules using the huts. Along the Karhunkierros trail:

• Savilampi Wilderness Hut  by the River Oulankajoki
• Taivalköngäs Wilderness Hut is by the River Oulankajoki
• Puikkokämppä Day-use Hut and Ristikallio Wilderness Hut by the River Aventojoki.
• Ansakämppä Wilderness Hut near the River Oulankajoki
• Jussinkämppä Wilderness Hut is on the shore of Lake Kulmakkojärvi 
• Siilastupa Wilderness Hut is near the River Kitkajoki at Jyrävä 

Kerojärvi Wilderness Hut is on the Keroharju Trail on the shore of Lake Kerojärvi.

Camping Grounds

• Oulanka Camping Ground is located on the Karhunkierros Hiking Trail in the centre of Oulanka National Park.
• There are several camping grounds in Juuma Village. 

Lodging in the Surrounding Area

• In the villages of Hautajärvi, Juuma and Käylä (about 13 km from the National Park) there are rental cottages some of which are in year-round use.
• Altogether, in Kuusamo there are almost 40 000 beds for guests, of which the majority are at the Ruka Ski Resort. The ski resort is 22 km from Oulanka. There are also several hotels in the Ruka area. 

Equipment Rental

• Oulanka National Park's partners have hiking gears for rent.
• There are lots of programme service enterprices in Kuusamo area, which rent out eg. hiking equipment. More information can be found on the Town of Kuusamo (kuusamo.fi) and Ruka (ruka.fi) websites.

Accessible Services

• Oulanka Visitor Centre, exhibition and café are accessible by wheelchair and baby pram. There is an accessible toilet at the visitor centre. 
• Könkään kuohu Accessible Trail, 100 m
• Napapiirin nopia Accessible Trail, 500 m

Other Services in the Surrounding Area

• Ruka.fi and Visitsalla.fi.
• There is a post office and a store, which also sells fuel, in Käylä Village. There are some rental cabins in the area, of which some are in year-round use.
• There are many programme service enterprises in Juuma, which arrange hiking trips in Oulanka National Park rent hiking equipment.
• There are some rental cabins in the vicinity of Hautajärvi village. 
• There are several programme service enterprises in Ruka, which arrange white water rafting and canoeing excursions and hiking trips in Oulanka National Park. The companies also rent hiking equipment. Ruka also has stores and the ATM closest to the park.
• Kuusamo has a variety of services. In the centre of town there is a medical centre and two pharmacies, a hiking gear store and several other speciality shops.
• Some tourist sights in the area are Ruka Fell, Valtavaara Hill, the River Kuusinkijoki and the Giant's Kettles at Aholavaara in the southern part of the Municipality of Salla. (Giant´s kettles were formed during the Ice Age by water making stones whirl around, which grounded a deep hole in the rock).