Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station
- Juupajoki
- 2023
Karhunkierros – meaning the bear’s trail or tour – is Finland’s most popular hiking trail. It takes the visitor through the Oulanka National Park’s lush forests along the roaring waters. Part of the trail is also suitable for canoeing, and parts are made accessible for people using wheelchairs and other aids to enjoy the famous rapids along the route.
All in all, the trail is 82 km long with several different tour possibilities. Along the trail there are many built structures such as bridges, wilderness huts and viewing platforms. The different trails are marked with metal-cut signs, a solution which prevents the information to wear out. Along the trail in Kiutaköngäs there is a nature centre and accessible routes and facilities such as toilets and shelters. In 2013, a memorial art piece was installed on a rock next to the Kiutaköngäs rapids for writer Reino Rinne, who was a strong activist for pushing forward a conservation law of the rivers and rapids. The park is situated on the limit of the regions of Northern Ostrobothnia and Lapland, and is bordered in the east by Russia.