Tervasreitti (cycling) is a long point-to-point ride in Central Finland: about 92.7 km as one continuous route, starting from the Tammijärvi recreation area in Luhanka and finishing in Joutsa’s sports and school campus. The name reflects the region’s tar (terva) heritage along historic transport corridors; Joutsa’s loc...
Luontoon.fi – Tervasreitti+
Description
Tervasreitti (cycling) is a long point-to-point ride in Central Finland: about 92.7 km as one continuous route, starting from the Tammijärvi recreation area in Luhanka and finishing in Joutsa’s sports and school campus. The name reflects the region’s tar (terva) heritage along historic transport corridors; Joutsa’s local heritage site documents how tar was produced and moved by horse-drawn barrels in the Joutsa area. For the trail itself, the Tervasreitti page on Luontoon.fi is the best place to confirm details, and Visit Jyväskylä Region publishes the same route in its outdoor listings with a central Joutsa service address for orientation.
The ride crosses lake-and-forest countryside between Hartola, Luhanka, Joutsa, Pertunmaa, and Hirvensalmi rather than staying inside one town. Near the start, the corridor meets Tammijärvi’s lit fitness track and ski trails and the longer winter ski connection toward Erä-Iitti, where lean-tos such as Karhukorven laavu and Erä-Iitin kota sit on the linked ski route. Around 24 km from the start, the line reaches Joutsenlammen tenniskenttäalue and ties into Joutsenlammen kuntorata and the shorter lit loop there—useful if you want a running-side detour without leaving the same shore area.
Joutsa’s town services cluster near 34 km: Joutsan keskuspuisto, outdoor gym gear, the swimming beach context along the same shore band, and the long Puttolanselkä–Suontee kayaking route where it shares the waterfront. About 40 km in, Viherinkoski ja museosilta Kalastuspaikka marks a popular fishing and culture stop on Pertunmaantie. Farther along, the western Tervasreitti branch toward Leivonmäki National Park (Tervasreitti (läntinen osa)) peels toward Harjujärvi shelters and camping pockets if you plan a multi-day tour with extra days in the park. Past roughly 75 km near Mieskonmäen koulun lähiliikuntapaikka, the ride swings back toward Joutsa; near the finish, Valklammen uimapaikka and the short Valklampi boardwalk trails sit beside the last kilometres before Joutsan urheilukenttä, liikuntahalli, and the pump track area.
Visit Jyväskylä Region promotes Central Finland’s wider Lakeland by Cycle gravel network—over a thousand kilometres of mapped gravel links through national parks such as Leivonmäki—and City of Joutsa notes how the Hitonhaudan sorakierros variant runs through Joutsa’s gravel roads and village scenery. That marketing is aimed at bikepackers, but the same quiet roads and services context applies if you stitch Tervasreitti with those longer loops for a multi-day tour.
Length & route
The cycling route is about 92.7 km end to end as one mapped ride. Visit Jyväskylä Region’s Lipas-derived listing quotes a shorter segment length near 28 km for the Joutsa-focused portion, while Luontoon.fi splits the wider network into the main Tervasreitti and Tervasreitti (läntinen osa) pages for planning. Treat our GPX length as the full ride; shorter figures describe partial segments or database tiles, not a different trail.
Getting there
Visit Jyväskylä Region lists Länsitie 5 in Joutsa as a practical service anchor when you approach from the town centre. By car, aim for Tammijärventie at the Tammijärvi sports cluster for the northern start near Tammijärven urheilukenttä, or stage a finish around Tapiontie and Jousitie where Joutsan urheilukenttä and liikuntahalli sit. Check Luontoon.fi before travelling for any seasonal closures or reroutes on forest links.
Good to know
City of Joutsa’s Lakeland by Cycle article highlights quiet gravel roads through Rutalahti, Leivonmäki National Park, and Joutsa village scenery on the wider Hitonhaudan sorakierros variant—worth reading if you combine this ride with that network. Visit Jyväskylä Region notes Hitonhauta itself is temporarily out of official use for safety; plan alternative viewpoints if you extend west. Pack food and water for long rural gaps between shops.
History
Tar burning became a livelihood in Finland from the 1600s onward as shipping grew; tar was used to preserve ship planking and rigging. Production spread inland as coastal pines were exhausted. In the Joutsa area, small tar pits served household needs, and Joutsa’s heritage pages document full tar-kiln firing on local festival days into the 1990s. The cycling route’s name recalls that transport history rather than a single tar pit site.
Itinerary
0–5 km: Tammijärvi sports and school cluster (Tammijärven urheilukenttä, lit fitness track and ski trail junctions). ~24 km: Joutsenlampi shore band (tennis area; links to Joutsenlammen kuntorata). ~34 km: Joutsa town centre band (Joutsan keskuspuisto, outdoor gyms, waterfront services; connection to Puttolanselkä–Suontee kayaking route). ~40 km: Viherinkoski fishing and museum bridge stop. ~75 km: Mieskonmäki school sports pocket. ~90–92 km: Valklampi swim beach and short boardwalk trails; finish at Joutsan urheilukenttä / liikuntahalli / pumptrack zone.
Where to rent bikes
City of Hartola rents two Nishiki fatbikes from the municipal office at Kuninkaantie 16 with advance payment and ID copy; typical hire runs 15 € for 1–3 hours, 25 € per day, or 40 € for a weekend block—useful if you want wide tyres for gravel links near the Hartola end of the tour.
Ride as a point-to-point tour from the Tammijärvi end toward Joutsa’s sports campus; Visit Jyväskylä Region gives a Joutsa-side service address if you need to reverse the direction or stage transport.
Route direction
Recreation Area
Recreation Area
Lake
Lake
Marked regional cycling route; confirm marker colours on the Luontoon.fi trail page before you go.
Route Signs
Open / Good Condition
Open / Good Condition
Luontoon.fi – Tervasreitti+
Activities allowed
Bike
Activity
Terrain & conditions
92.7 km
Distance
Most riders allow roughly 5–9 hours of riding for the full 93 km on mixed surfaces, excluding long meal stops; loaded touring or gravel bikes with luggage often need the upper end or an overnight split.
Est. Time
Mixed asphalt highways, quieter paved local roads, and gravel forest and field roads typical of Central Finland lake country; carry tyres suited to loose gravel after rain.
Be the first to write a review for "Tervasreitti (cycling)"
Share a photo from a recent trip
Answers to your questions
Our data was researched from Joutsa, and other trusted sources, in March 2026. Our route / place GPX data comes from Metsähallitus / Lipas, last updated March 2026. Always check their official website for safety-critical updates.
Tervasreitti (cycling) is a long point-to-point ride in Central Finland: about 92.7 km as one continuous route, starting from the Tammijärvi recreation area in Luhanka and finishing in Joutsa’s sports and school campus. The name reflects the region’s tar (terva) heritage along historic transport corridors; Joutsa’s loc...
Luontoon.fi – Tervasreitti+
Description
Tervasreitti (cycling) is a long point-to-point ride in Central Finland: about 92.7 km as one continuous route, starting from the Tammijärvi recreation area in Luhanka and finishing in Joutsa’s sports and school campus. The name reflects the region’s tar (terva) heritage along historic transport corridors; Joutsa’s local heritage site documents how tar was produced and moved by horse-drawn barrels in the Joutsa area. For the trail itself, the Tervasreitti page on Luontoon.fi is the best place to confirm details, and Visit Jyväskylä Region publishes the same route in its outdoor listings with a central Joutsa service address for orientation.
The ride crosses lake-and-forest countryside between Hartola, Luhanka, Joutsa, Pertunmaa, and Hirvensalmi rather than staying inside one town. Near the start, the corridor meets Tammijärvi’s lit fitness track and ski trails and the longer winter ski connection toward Erä-Iitti, where lean-tos such as Karhukorven laavu and Erä-Iitin kota sit on the linked ski route. Around 24 km from the start, the line reaches Joutsenlammen tenniskenttäalue and ties into Joutsenlammen kuntorata and the shorter lit loop there—useful if you want a running-side detour without leaving the same shore area.
Joutsa’s town services cluster near 34 km: Joutsan keskuspuisto, outdoor gym gear, the swimming beach context along the same shore band, and the long Puttolanselkä–Suontee kayaking route where it shares the waterfront. About 40 km in, Viherinkoski ja museosilta Kalastuspaikka marks a popular fishing and culture stop on Pertunmaantie. Farther along, the western Tervasreitti branch toward Leivonmäki National Park (Tervasreitti (läntinen osa)) peels toward Harjujärvi shelters and camping pockets if you plan a multi-day tour with extra days in the park. Past roughly 75 km near Mieskonmäen koulun lähiliikuntapaikka, the ride swings back toward Joutsa; near the finish, Valklammen uimapaikka and the short Valklampi boardwalk trails sit beside the last kilometres before Joutsan urheilukenttä, liikuntahalli, and the pump track area.
Visit Jyväskylä Region promotes Central Finland’s wider Lakeland by Cycle gravel network—over a thousand kilometres of mapped gravel links through national parks such as Leivonmäki—and City of Joutsa notes how the Hitonhaudan sorakierros variant runs through Joutsa’s gravel roads and village scenery. That marketing is aimed at bikepackers, but the same quiet roads and services context applies if you stitch Tervasreitti with those longer loops for a multi-day tour.
Length & route
The cycling route is about 92.7 km end to end as one mapped ride. Visit Jyväskylä Region’s Lipas-derived listing quotes a shorter segment length near 28 km for the Joutsa-focused portion, while Luontoon.fi splits the wider network into the main Tervasreitti and Tervasreitti (läntinen osa) pages for planning. Treat our GPX length as the full ride; shorter figures describe partial segments or database tiles, not a different trail.
Getting there
Visit Jyväskylä Region lists Länsitie 5 in Joutsa as a practical service anchor when you approach from the town centre. By car, aim for Tammijärventie at the Tammijärvi sports cluster for the northern start near Tammijärven urheilukenttä, or stage a finish around Tapiontie and Jousitie where Joutsan urheilukenttä and liikuntahalli sit. Check Luontoon.fi before travelling for any seasonal closures or reroutes on forest links.
Good to know
City of Joutsa’s Lakeland by Cycle article highlights quiet gravel roads through Rutalahti, Leivonmäki National Park, and Joutsa village scenery on the wider Hitonhaudan sorakierros variant—worth reading if you combine this ride with that network. Visit Jyväskylä Region notes Hitonhauta itself is temporarily out of official use for safety; plan alternative viewpoints if you extend west. Pack food and water for long rural gaps between shops.
History
Tar burning became a livelihood in Finland from the 1600s onward as shipping grew; tar was used to preserve ship planking and rigging. Production spread inland as coastal pines were exhausted. In the Joutsa area, small tar pits served household needs, and Joutsa’s heritage pages document full tar-kiln firing on local festival days into the 1990s. The cycling route’s name recalls that transport history rather than a single tar pit site.
Itinerary
0–5 km: Tammijärvi sports and school cluster (Tammijärven urheilukenttä, lit fitness track and ski trail junctions). ~24 km: Joutsenlampi shore band (tennis area; links to Joutsenlammen kuntorata). ~34 km: Joutsa town centre band (Joutsan keskuspuisto, outdoor gyms, waterfront services; connection to Puttolanselkä–Suontee kayaking route). ~40 km: Viherinkoski fishing and museum bridge stop. ~75 km: Mieskonmäki school sports pocket. ~90–92 km: Valklampi swim beach and short boardwalk trails; finish at Joutsan urheilukenttä / liikuntahalli / pumptrack zone.
Where to rent bikes
City of Hartola rents two Nishiki fatbikes from the municipal office at Kuninkaantie 16 with advance payment and ID copy; typical hire runs 15 € for 1–3 hours, 25 € per day, or 40 € for a weekend block—useful if you want wide tyres for gravel links near the Hartola end of the tour.
Ride as a point-to-point tour from the Tammijärvi end toward Joutsa’s sports campus; Visit Jyväskylä Region gives a Joutsa-side service address if you need to reverse the direction or stage transport.
Route direction
Recreation Area
Recreation Area
Lake
Lake
Marked regional cycling route; confirm marker colours on the Luontoon.fi trail page before you go.
Most riders allow roughly 5–9 hours of riding for the full 93 km on mixed surfaces, excluding long meal stops; loaded touring or gravel bikes with luggage often need the upper end or an overnight split.
Est. Time
Mixed asphalt highways, quieter paved local roads, and gravel forest and field roads typical of Central Finland lake country; carry tyres suited to loose gravel after rain.
Be the first to write a review for "Tervasreitti (cycling)"
Share a photo from a recent trip
Answers to your questions
Our data was researched from Joutsa, and other trusted sources, in March 2026. Our route / place GPX data comes from Metsähallitus / Lipas, last updated March 2026. Always check their official website for safety-critical updates.