The southern wilderness of the Wild Forest Reindeer invites visitors to hike, fish for trout, observe mire wildlife and enjoy the range of services on offer at the Koirasalmi Nature Hut.
Please remember that, in the restricted area of Heikinjärvenneva, movement is only allowed on marked trails during the birds' nesting season of 1 March – 15 July. In the Salamanperä Strict Nature Reserve, next to the park, you may only move on the marked trails.
Hiking
Explore nature during a trek in the wilderness! The national park features some 60 km of marked trails (1.5–58 km), connected to the extensive Peura Trail network (115 km). You can choose a trail that suits your purposes – a day-trip or a trek lasting several days. On the way, you can stay overnight in a tent, a lean-to shelter, a wilderness hut or a rental hut. Easily accessible starting points include the Koirasalmi Nature Hut, National Park parking areas or the Salamanperä Strict Nature Reserve parking area.
Fishing
- The beautiful lakes of the recreational Fishing area of lakes Iso Koirajärvi and Pieni Koirajärvi (zone Koirajärvet 6566 (eraluvat.fi)) with their rocky shores and islands attract fishermen to try their luck and relax. Brown trout, whitefish and grayling are planted in lake Iso Koirajärvi. A specific permit for this destination is required to fish in Iso Koirajärvi Lake.
- The Koirasalmi Nature Information Hut (koirasalmi.com) sells fishing permits and rents boats.
- For lure fishing, in addition to a destination-specific licence, anglers aged 18-69 must pay the fisheries management fee (eraluvat.fi).
- Hook and line fishing and ice fishing are allowed on other water areas in the national park under everyman's rights. Please remember to respect the movement restrictions.
- Fishers need to check the restrictions on fishing sites at kalastusrajoitus.fi (kalastusrajoitus.fi, in Finnish).
Nature Information Hut
The Koirasalmi Nature Information Hut (koirasalmi.com), which includes the logging supervisors' cabin, offers unforgettable experiences in the wilderness for the whole family. The diverse services on offer include hiking guidance, guided tours, equipment rental, accommodation services, a rental sauna, a rental Maahinen lean-to shelter, catering services, a cafe, caravan site and camp school services.
Other activities
- Skiing: Make your own skiing trail on open mires with sparse tree cover and snow-covered heaths. The Peura Trail is ideal for wilderness excursions on skis, lasting several days. You can stay overnight in a tent, a lean-to shelter, a wilderness hut or a rental hut. You can rent skis from Koirasalmi Nature Information Hut (koirasalmi.com)
- Birdwatching: Observe birdlife from the nature tower by the Heikinjärvenneva mire. You could spot waders, cranes, whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) and bean geese (Anser fabalis).
- Snowshoeing: Snowshoes allow you to move on snow in the open mires and heaths. You can rent snow shoes from Koirasalmi Nature Information Hut (koirasalmi.com).
- Nature trails: On the Kids' Nature Trail (1.5 km) in Sysilampi you can learn about the park's mires and forests, the places where fairies and gnomes live, and the insects of the forest lakes. The Pakosuo Mire Loop Trail (4.5 km) has information on the plants and animals you may encounter along the path, and on the forests and mires of Salamajärvi.
- Pick berries and mushrooms: Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus) and cranberries (Vaccinium oxycoccos) grow in the open mires and bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) and lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) in the forests.
- Sights and scenery: The depressions left by ancient tar pits are relics of tar burning 200–400 years ago. The Kaulus meadow sauna used to provide modest shelter for the workers who mowed hay in the mire. The Heikinjärvenneva mire and Salamanperä Strict Nature Reserve are also worth exploring.
- Cycling: Mountain biking is allowed throughout the park under everyman's rights, with the exception of the restricted areas. Please stay on clearly visible trails and respect others who are using the trails.
- Guided group tours: Contact the national park's partner entrepreneurs for information on guided tours.
- Swimming: There is a sandy shoreline by the campfire shelter of Koirasalmi. The cabins at lakes Koiralampi and Sysilampi have swimming jetties, but there is no official beach in the park.