Peaceful hiking without crowds
Ylläs is an excellent destination for hiking enthusiasts and one of the special features of the area is the easily accessible hiking trails in stunning fell landscapes and in the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. There’s something uniquely magical about the atmosphere during summer nights – hike up to the top of a fell in the midnight sun and admire the round fell tops glowing in golden light.
There are suitable walking routes for everyone, from toddlers to serious athletes. In addition to wilderness cafes, the maintained huts, lean-tos, and wilderness huts managed by Parks & Wildlife Finland offer various resting spots in the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. The Ylläs region is a peaceful place where you can enjoy nature and the silence without distractions.
Pure food straight from nature
In late summer, the harvest season begins, and the forests bursting with berries drive the locals wild with their buckets. The first to ripen is Lapland’s gold, the cloudberry. Following that are the blueberries and lingonberries, and later in the autumn, the crystal-clear cranberries. In Lapland, the berries ripening under the midnight sun are full of healthy ingredients, like concentrated vitamin bombs. Mushroom picking is also a popular reason to hike in the forests during the autumn.
Guided tours
Incredible ultra runners and slow-paced hikers
Ylläs offers diverse trails for both fast-paced trail runners and leisurely hikers. The most athletic runners might even go through the entire national park from Ylläs to Hetta, while more relaxed hikers pack their backpacks and enjoy multi-day hikes, staying in tents or wilderness huts. The most popular hiking route in the area is Hetta-Pallas (approximately 50 km), which is one of Finland’s oldest hiking trails.
Ylläs has just as many day trip destinations as there are hikers, and typically, you can hike the trails in complete solitude. It’s a good idea to buy a Ylläs outdoor map for planning your own trip – at the same time, you support the maintenance of Ylläs’ outdoor trails. For a day trip, remember to pack water, snacks, and a warm jacket. Even in the summer, the weather in the fells can change rapidly.
Beautiful landscapes and sacred places of the Sámi People
In Äkäslompolo, the Pirunkurun ponnistus (8km) starting from Kesänkijärvi offers breathtaking landscapes and a heart-pounding ascent through a steep gorge.
On the Ylläsjärvi side, one versatile hiking trail is the Tuomikurun kierros (6km) starting from Ylläs Ski Resort, Ylläsjärvi. This trail takes you up to the tundra landscape at Tuomikuru lookout point, and then down through an incredibly lush deciduous forest to a wilderness cafe called Kahvikeidas, before returning to the starting point.
Located about 13kilometers north from Äkäslompolo, the Äkässaivo trail is an easy three-kilometer loop that provides information about nature and cultural history. The trail passes by a magnificent sacred Sámi seita stone and lake Äkässaivo, which were once sacred places for the Sámi people.
Easy hiking destinations
Easy-to-reach rest areas include Varkaankuru lean-to, which is just one kilometer walk from the Ihmisen Rinki parking lot, or lake Pyhäjärvi, where a majestic fell view greets you right behind the lake’s parking lot. Pyhäjärvi also has an accessible trail to the day trip hut.
You can easily admire unique landscapes already by the Äkäslompolo lake, at the Yllästunturi Visitor Centre Kellokas, or at Ylläs Ski Resort. Learn more about accessible and family-friendly hiking destinations.
Trail signs
Hiking and trekking trails are marked with brown signs with hiker symbol. Of those best trails (most are loops) are marked with green signs.
Outdoor Etiquette
Please respect the hiking etiquette provided by Parks & Wildlife FInland on your day trips and longer hikes in the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park.
- Respect nature – leave no trace in it. Keep your pets on a leash.
- Mainly use marked trails and follow the rules for different modes of travel. Check the areas and times in which access is possibly restricted at your destination.
- Camp only where it is allowed. Do not wash the dishes or yourself directly in a water body. Follow the rules of wilderness huts.
- Light your campfire only where it is allowed and use a camping stove where possible. Do not light a fire when a forest or grass fire warning is in effect.
- Do not litter. Bring the trash back to your accommodation.