In winter, Oulanka National Park turns into a world of snow-laden spruce, frozen canyon walls and dark green rapids that never quite stop moving. Spread across northeastern Finland on the Russian border, it is one of Finland's most famous national parks and a superb place for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Oulanka was founded in 1956 and enlarged in 1982 and 1989. It now covers about 270 square kilometres in North Ostrobothnia and Lapland, in the Kuusamo and Salla area, and received 187,400 visits in 2024. On the far side of the border it meets Russia's Paanajärvi National Park.
Rivers, rapids and canyon valleys
The park is built around rivers. The Oulankajoki runs through valleys with sandy banks, rapids and waterfalls, and its canyons are among the park's best-known landscapes. Even in deep winter the fast water stays open in places, so the photographs from Oulanka are full of green and black rapids cutting through white banks of snow.
The best-known spot is Kiutaköngäs, a powerful set of rapids that marks the end of the main winter trail and the start of a shorter day-trip loop, so it is easy to reach in every season.
Winter trails for skiing and snowshoeing
Oulanka is a wilderness park, not a downhill resort, and winter here means skis, snowshoes and long quiet trails through boreal forest. The main winter routes are:
- Oulanka Wilderness Trail (26 km): the classic winter crossing from Juuma to Kiutaköngäs, open to skiers, snowshoers and snowmobiles.
- Kiutaköngäs Day-trip Trail (8 km): a loop that starts from the Kiutaköngäs rapids.
- Rytisuo Snowshoeing Trail (7.5 km): a marked route across snowy mire and forest for snowshoers.
The rapids stay open all winter, so keep to the marked trails and viewpoints along the river: snow can bridge moving water without freezing over it. With that in mind, the riverbanks are some of the best places in the park for photography, especially at dusk when the open water reflects the last light.
The Karhunkierros, Finland's favourite trek
Oulanka's best-known route is the Karhunkierros, or Bear's Ring, Finland's most popular hiking trail. It runs for about 80 kilometres through the park and is open all year. For a shorter taste, the Pieni Karhunkierros (Little Bear's Ring) is a 12-kilometre trail that gives a taste of the river scenery in a single day. In summer the rivers are also excellent for paddling.
The summer view of the suspension bridge above shows how much the scene changes: green forest and exposed banks replace the rounded snow, while the river follows the same course.
Planning a winter visit to Oulanka
Juuma, at the start of the Oulanka Wilderness Trail, and Kiutaköngäs at its end are the natural bases for a winter trip. Near the park's visitor centre stands the Oulanka Research Station, founded in 1966 and part of the Thule Institute, which carries out biological and geological research in the park.
Days are short in midwinter and temperatures can be very low, so plan ski routes with daylight in mind and carry spare warm layers. Clear, dark nights also bring a good chance of seeing the northern lights over the forest.
For another Finnish photographer's approach to atmosphere, explore Mikko Lagerstedt’s night landscapes. For a mountain walk with very different terrain, read about Besseggen Ridge.
Related reading
- Mikko Lagerstedt’s Night II: Winter Light and Finnish Landscapes
- Sun Halos over Finland: Understanding Pauli Hänninen’s Photographs
- Lapland’s Northern Lights: Folklore, Foregrounds and Uncertain Skies
- Finnish Lapland in Winter: Forests, Light and Snow-Covered Landscapes
- Tree Roots and Paving: Photographs of Growth in Urban Spaces
- This Little Known Place Way Up North Is Perfection. And I Had No Idea It Even Existed Til Now.
- Snow Swimming in Finland: A Winter Comedy Clip
- Snowboarding and Freestyle in Finnish Lapland
- Kakslauttanen’s Glass Igloos: A Room with a Sky View
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