Lemmenjoki National Park (Lemmenjoen kansallispuisto)

Lemmenjoki National Park

 

Location: Lapland Map

Area: 2850 km2

Official site

 

Description of Lemmenjoki National Park

Lemmenjoki National Park is located in Lapland region of North Finland. This nature reserve get its name from a Lemmenjoki river that runs through its territory. The area of the Lemmenjoki National Park is 2850 km2. Lemmenjoki National Park is the largest park in Finland and one of the largest in Europe. Hiking trails have total length of over 60 km. Although you can rent a power boat or rent a canoe to get around on water. The conditions of this Finish park are rough. Cool temperatures and unforgiving winds sweep through the area great deal of discomfort for tourists. Some of the most visited sites in Lemmenjoki National Park are waterfall of Ravadaskongas and a reindeer farm. As you travel through the area you might stumble on few cabins that are dispersed around the park. Don't be surprised to see people living there. Gold panning in rivers is still practiced in warmer summer months of short Finish summer. Additionally Lemmenjoki National Park has two small airfields. One in Martiniiskonpalo and another in Keurulainen.

 

General

The nature of the national park includes fell glades, fell foothills, vast marshes, or jängat, and the old pine forests of Lemmenjokilaakso. In the area between Kultasatama and Jäkäläpää, you can see the history and present of gold panning and mining, as well as the effects of gold mining on nature. About a hundred people work in the area during the summer working on gold mining, with the number of occupations being slightly less than 40. The biggest hill in the National Park is Morgam-Viibus, located in the Viipustunturi area, about 600 meters high. The national park is also home to large carnivores such as bears, golden eagles, wolverines and occasionally wolves. There are 70 endangered species.

Most of the people in the park are summer hikers. Relative to its size, however, relatively few hikers visit Lemmenjoki. In 2021, 29,500 visits were made to the park. There are approximately 60 kilometers of marked routes in the national park, and some bridges and boats have been built for hikers to cross Lemmenjoki. In the summer, Lemmenjoki also has an organized motorboat service that transports hikers from Njurkulahti up the river with a steep bank to Kultasatama. The national park has more than ten deserted cabins and three paid cabins. In a vote organized by Erä newspaper, Lemmenjoki National Park was chosen as the best hiking area in Finland.

Two small airports have been built in the Lemmenjoki gold area, on the plateaus of Martiniiskonpalo (467 m) and Keurulainen (about 500 m). You can land on and take off from the fields with small propeller planes.

 

The inhabitants and nature of the park

In addition to various bird species, wolverines, wolves and bears live in the park. The park preserves ancient reindeer herding traditions: part of the park is used by the Sullivaar reindeer herding community, with a population of 7,500 deer.

 

What to do

Search for gold
As early as the mid-1940s, hundreds of the largest gold nuggets were discovered in the Lemmenjoki riverbed. Until now, amateurs and experienced gold miners can try to pan for gold here.

Rafting
Rafting on the calm waters of the river is suitable even for beginner rowers.

Fishing
Whitefish, brown trout and grayling live in the Lemmenjoki River. Fishing with a simple fishing rod or ice fishing is free in all lakes of the park. For other types of fishing, a license is required.

Picking berries and mushrooms
You can pick up various mushrooms and berries throughout the park.

Picnic
The park is equipped with special areas for picnics, campfires and cooking with firewood and dry closets.

Not far from the Lemmenjoki National Park is the Inari Nature Area[4], where various types of recreation are also possible.

Fishing
Lake Inarijarvi is the third largest lake in Finland. There are perches, pikes, trout and other types of fish. Fishing licenses are issued at the Siida Visitor Center.

Canoe
Traveling by canoe or kayak will allow you to view Lake Inarijärvi from the water with numerous ridges of islands. The roiling Jäniskoski river rapids nearby will bring a lot of vivid impressions to outdoor enthusiasts.

 

Hiking routes

Lemmenjoki National Park has about 60 km of marked hiking trails, which can be explored with a guide or on your own.

Marked trail "Juutua" (Juutua)
The trail runs from the Kultahovi Hotel in Inari along the south bank of the river to the suspension bridge over the Jäniskoski rapids. The entire route can be covered in 1.5 hours if you return back the same way. The trail offers a view of the seething rapids, here you can often see the northern lights.

Pielpajärvi trail
The length is 4.5 km. The trail leads to the Pielpajärvi forest church of the same name through a pine forest and many small lakes.

The route to the Otsamotunturi fell (Otsamotunturi)
The length is 4.5 km. From the top of the Otsamotunturi fell you have a magnificent view of Lake Inarijarvi and the hills of the national park.

Lemmenjoki Nature Trail (Lemmenjoen luontopolku)
Length - 9 km. The trail starts at the information center in the village of Njurkulahti, runs along the Lemmenjoki river and leads to the top of the Joenkielinen fell. Travelers have to go through a 3-kilometer ascent, at the end of which a delightful landscape awaits them. On the way there is a place for a halt in Muurahaislampi (Muurahaislampi).

 

Attractions

Lemmenjokilaakso - the valley of the Lemmenjoki River - stretches a 22-kilometer strip between the villages of Njurkulahti and Kultasatama. In summer, water transport runs along the banks of the river several times a day.
The reindeer farm Kaapin Jounin kenttä is located on the west bank of the Lemmenjoki River. This is one of the oldest deer farms in the county.
Waterfall Ravadasköngäs. A 15-kilometer marked trail leads to the two-level waterfall.
The gold mines are on the way of the ring trail, where you can learn about the history of gold mining. In the place of Kultasatama you can see with your own eyes the process of washing it in the river.
Ukonsaari Island is a small rocky island on Lake Inarinjärvi, 11 kilometers northeast of Inari, which looks like the backbone of a huge sea lizard from a distance. In ancient times, the Sami considered the island sacred. Many of them still come here to bow and bring gifts to the powerful god of thunder, water and wind, Ayeka.
Siida is an open-air museum of Sami culture and the visitor center of Northern Lapland, where there is an information point, a souvenir shop and nature exhibitions.

 

Accommodation places

You can relax or spend the night in Lemmenjoki Park free of charge in public huts, as well as in your own tents on specially designed recreation areas. There are equipped places for a fire where you can cook food, there are firewood and dry closets.

Forest huts are rented out. In the vicinity of the park and in Inari there are hotels and cottages for accommodation.

 

Rules for staying in the national park

Campfires
Lighting a fire in the park is allowed only in specially designated places, on recreation areas. There are braziers, firewood is prepared.

Garbage
It is not customary to leave rubbish in the park. Combustible waste can be burned in a fire, food waste can be thrown into the dry closet, other garbage can be taken to special containers located at the entrance to the park.

Animals
Pets can only be walked in the park on a leash.

Vehicles
Motorized vehicles may only be driven on specially designated roads and routes.

 

Nature

The Lemmenjoki National Park is one of the largest uninhabited and pathless wilderness areas in Europe (excluding Russia). The landscape of the national park is shaped by the Lemmenjoki river, which flows past the Maarestatunturi and Viipustunturi fells, and numerous smaller rivers. Pines grow in the Lemmenjoki river valley, elsewhere mainly birches. At higher altitudes, tundra-like vegetation prevails. The spruce reaches the northern limit of its range in the southern part of the national park. There are also extensive moor areas in Lemmenjoki National Park. Larger populations of brown bears, golden eagles and moose live in the national park, as well as a few wolves. In addition, around 7,500 semi-domesticated reindeer can be found in Lemmenjoki National Park, and herding is the traditional Sami occupation.

 

Visitor

The national park is divided into a “basic area” and a “wilderness area”. In the base area there is a 60 km long network of hiking trails with specially designated campfire sites. There are no designated hiking trails in the wilderness area. In smaller protected areas you are only allowed to move on marked paths to a limited extent. Refuges are available to visitors in the national park. In the village of Njurkalahti there is a nature center and a 4.5 km nature trail.

 

History

Until the 19th century, the Lemmenjoki valley was inhabited by forest Sami, who used pitfalls to hunt wild forest reindeer. After the forest reindeer became extinct in the 19th century, reindeer herding culture spread to the area. At the same time, sedentary settlements emerged for the first time in villages such as Njurkulahti, which today still live primarily from reindeer herding.

Gold was panned on Lemmenjoki as early as the beginning of the 19th century. After the Second World War, a veritable gold rush with over 100 claims began in the 1940s. Gold is still being panned in the national park to this day, now also using mechanical methods.