Rokua National Park offers hiking enthusiasts pleasant excursions in a fascinating landscape that is famous for its geology. Nature's bounty crowns these excursions.
Trekking
Rokua National Park is rather small and can be explored on foot. The Pooki Trail (4.9 km), an excellent day-trip destination, circles the beautiful Lake Pitkäjärvi and takes you to the handsome old-growth pine forest and finally onto the summit of Pookivaara Hill. The trail links to the Rokua area's wide network of trails. The trails range from easy to challenging. The Keisarinkierros Trail - also called as the Emperor's Trail - (20 km) is suitable if your trip incorporates an overnight stay and takes you to the most prominent sights in the area, such as Pookivaara Hill and Syvyydenkaivo (meaning ‘well of the depths'), which is one of the deepest kettle-hole ponds in Finland. Its area is the largest of the kettle-hole ponds in Finland.
Mountain biking
In the Rokua area, there is over 40 kilometres of mountain bike trails marked with brown mountain bike symbols and yellow paint marks. There are fast-running grooves, but also demanding routes due to altitude differences. In the area of the national park, cycling is only allowed on marked routes.
Berry and Mushroom Picking
Although the heaths of Rokua are rugged, they offer nature's bounty. In good years, the berry and mushroom harvest is plentiful. In no time, you can pick a bucket full of lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) and within a couple of hours you can gather a basketful of ceps (Boletus edulis).
Seeing the Sights and the Views
The dunes, the kettle-hole ponds (i.e. depressions created by blocks of ice that were buried in sand when the glaciers melted) and the esker slopes are very special sights. The thick light-coloured lichen shines on the rugged, undulating heaths. When looking at the views opening out from the summit of Pookivaara Hill and from the tower of the fire guard hut also located on the hill, you can clearly see how the Ice Age shaped the terrain. In the ancient pine forest in the middle of the young forests, you can see what a forest looks like when it is able to grow untouched.
Other Activities
- Geocaching: There are geocaches (geocaching.com) in Rokua National Park. Looking for them is a fun and excellent way to explore the National Park.
- Cross-country Skiing: Ski trails available for everyone. See more info about skiing tracks.
- Snowshoeing: The undulating terrain guarantees challenges for snowshoers.
- Participating in Guided Group Tours: You can enquire about guided group tours from Rokua Geopark.
- Walking the Nature Trail: There are information boards on the area's geology, organic nature and culture along the Pooki Trail (4.9 km).
- Observing the Starry Sky: On a clear winter's night, you may see the northern lights dancing in the sky. Pookivaara Hill is an excellent place to observe the night sky.
- Swimming: Swimming is allowed in all lakes and ponds in the park. You'll swim in the lakes and ponds of the national park at your own risk.
- Hiking: By combining trails, it is possible to hike for many days in the National Park. There are several campfire sites in the national park area.
- Photographing: The unique shapes of the lichen-covered terrain and the crystal-clear waters are gorgeous subjects for photography enthusiasts.