Multia Hiking Trails

For the story of the old church way and the modern restoration project, start with Visit Multia’s English trail page(1). The Municipality of Multia’s Nikara village page adds context on the village, the Kiiskilänmäki area, and how the route fits the local landscape(2). Retkipaikka published a full one-day walk write-up with terrain notes, marking types, and access tips from Nikaranperä to Multia church—worth reading if you want a ground-level sense of clearcuts, mires, and road crossings(3). Nikara Church Road is about 32.9 km as a point-to-point hike in Multia, Central Finland, from the Nikara area toward Multia church. It is not a circuit: plan transport between the ends. The trail follows a revived historic church route that people from Nikaranperä once walked to services. Settlement in the Nikara area reaches back to the 1500s, when travel relied on waterways and footpaths; before Multia had its own church in 1796, journeys to Ruovesi or Keuruu churches could exceed a hundred kilometres by road(1)(2). Today the path crosses Central Finnish forest and farmland, linking lakes, mires, and small villages named in the old itinerary such as Kangasjärvi, Pienimäki, Tiihala, and the Uitamo shoreline(1). Near the mapped start, the Siltalamminkangas outdoor cluster sits close to the trail line: Multian frisbeegolfrata and Siltalamminkankaan laavu/nuotiopaikka make a practical staging area—lean-to, campfire spot, and a disc golf course for a short warm-up or a post-hike round. The same corner connects to Siltalamminkankaan pururata/hiihtolatu and Uitamon latu, so runners and skiers use overlapping trails from the same staging area as the lean-to(3). Along the main hike, sources describe a single lean-to suited to a lunch stop, bridges and duckboards over wet ground, and a side connection toward Kiiskilänmäen näkötorni for a detour to the tower and its views(1)(3). After long forest and forest-road sections, the route reaches Multia church and the village services. Expect varied surfaces: narrow forest path, gravel roads, mires with duckboards, and occasional crossings where recent forestry can make the paint marks on retained pines especially important(3). Dry toilets are best thought of as tied to shelters and recreation nodes rather than named as separate sightseeing stops.

The Isojärvi outdoor trail is about 15.3 km on our map as a non-loop route around forest and shoreline at Lake Isojärvi in Multia, Central Finland. This is the lake Isojärvi in Multia—not Isojärvi National Park in Kuhmoinen, which is a different place entirely. Visit Multia gives the full description of the Isojärvi outdoor and riding circuit—waymarking, starting points, and trailhead services—on its nature destinations pages(1). The City of Multia sends readers to Visit Multia for trail maps and lists from its outdoor recreation index(2). Visit Multia describes the same Isojärvi outdoor and riding circuit as roughly 18 km in total, which you can walk or ride in shorter sections—for example about 7 km around the lake—so published lengths can differ from this single continuous line depending on which branch you follow(1). The trail is marked with yellow symbols that include blue arrows, and yellow paint on trees(1). Common starting points are Isojärven Nuorisoseura’s hall, where the yard has a dry toilet, a lean-to, and a horse tie-up, and Haravakallion tienhaara, marked P on maps, where there is another lean-to (the map note says the lean-to symbol was missing from the map when the page was written)(1). Riders should note that coarse gravel has been spread between Haravakallio and Raatemaja(1). Lake Isojärvi is a compact forest lake in the Jämsä route watercourse; open lake facts such as area and depth are summarised in the national lake inventory(3). The shoreline is mostly forested; expect forest paths and some gravel surfaces where maintenance has favoured equestrian use(1). For maps, brochures, and local questions, Multia’s Kunnantupa/Infopiste lists phone contact on the Visit Multia pages(1). Central Finland offers many other marked routes nearby if you want to extend a trip.

The Palsankoski–Housukoski nature trail is a short loop in Multia, Central Finland, on the Palsankoski rapids fishing area beside the Soutujoki river along highway 18. The trail is about 1.3 km. For current local information and contacts, start with Visit Multia’s Palsankoski–Housukoski nature trail page(1). The same trail is listed in the national outdoor catalogue on Luontoon.fi(2). The path circles the popular Palsankosken Koskikalastusalue, where the river runs through a sandy-ridge canyon as three successive rapids—Palsankoski, Housukoski, and Käpykoski—within old-growth forest protection(3). Despite the short distance, Visit Multia notes varied terrain and noticeable height differences while still calling the loop relatively easy walking(1). Along the route you pass five nature trail stations; the shoreline and canyon sides frame the rapids and pools, and bridges cross the channel where the trail moves from bank to bank(3). With luck you may spot a beaver or otter along the water(3). About 1.2 km into the loop you reach Palsankosken laavu, a lean-to on the fishing area with campfire opportunities nearby; the Palsankoski rapids fishing site also advertises a reservable rental cabin, campsite, smoking area, and dry toilet for visitors using the rapids(4). Multia is roughly 10–11 km from this area along road 18 toward Karstula and Väätäiskylä depending on which village you measure from(1)(3). Central Finland includes varied lake-and-forest scenery; Multia hosts this well-known rapids landscape beside highway 18(3).

Joensuonkangas Nature Trail is a short hiking path in the Joensuonkangas nature reserve beside Lake Sahrajärvi, on the Multia–Petäjävesi boundary in Central Finland. Multia lies in Central Finland. The City of Multia lists it among the municipality’s nature trails: the reserve and trail lie about 13 km from Multia centre toward Uuraiset, in easy terrain with information boards along the way(1). Visit Multia describes the Joensuonkangas protected area as old-growth forest with centuries-old pine, part of the municipality’s Natura network, and notes that open fires are not allowed in the reserve(2). The trail is about 1.9 km as mapped here—close to the roughly 2–3 km figures some brochures round to for the same walk. You start from Joensuonkangas pysäköintialue, the small parking area at the trailhead. Duckboards lead across the bog toward the dry forested ridge in the middle of the mire; along the route, signs introduce plants and wildlife(3). Paunetti’s on-the-ground walk report from a Joensuonkangas–Karhunahas club outing highlights lichens such as reindeer lichen and lungwort, twisted deadwood and snags used by woodpeckers and other cavity nesters, and distinctive old pines—including a gnarled “Tapion pöytä” spruce with a paper-thin trunk but wide-spreading branches(3). The same outing notes the spectacular Karhunahas canyon lake (rotkojärvi) along the wider walking options in the area; that destination has its own Visit Multia page and is worth combining if you have time(2)(3). The route is not a loop: you follow the marked path out into the reserve and return the same way. Our database also lists Joensuonkangas luontopolku as a separate route entry covering the same Joensuonkangas parking and path—use whichever listing fits your search. Traffic is light; expect roots, duckboards, and soft bog edge underfoot rather than wide gravel(1)(3).

For what the name refers to on the ground, start with Visit Multia’s nature destination list: Joensuonkangas is presented as a protected pocket of old-growth forest with a marked walking route and interpretive highlights along the path(1). The same municipal tourism pages package driving instructions for the nearby Karhunahas gorge and its lake in steep rock walls—a short detour—on Visit Multia’s Karhunahas listing(2). Työmies Nieminen’s PAUNETTI album from a Jokihaaran Kävelyklubi day in 2009 still reads well for what hikers notice: duckboards across mire, heavy lichen on conifers, sculptural deadwood, and a slow catalogue of moss and lichen species before the group continued by car toward Karhunahas(3). Joensuonkangas Nature Trail is about 2 km on our map as a non-loop hiking path on the Multia–Petäjävesi border in Central Finland. Multia describes the marked circuit in the reserve at roughly 3 km(1); small differences usually mean rounding or a slightly wider published circuit than the line we draw—use our figure for planning distance on the page you are reading now. The outing sits mainly on drier island-like forest (“kangas”) surrounded by mire; boardwalk sections carry you over wet ground to reach that raised ground(3). Visit Multia notes that open fires are not provided on the Joensuonkangas reserve itself(1), while the separate Karhunahas destination nearby advertises a maintained campfire and camp area above a steep-sided gorge—worth combining if you want a fire or a longer look at rock and water(2). Start from Joensuonkangas pysäköintialue, a few hundred metres along the trail from the geometry start. On our site you also have Joensuonkankaan luontopolku (Joensuonkangas Nature Trail), a very short linked segment that uses the same parking—handy if you are comparing lengths between listings. Allow about an hour for an easy pace with stops at boards and old trees. Call Visit Multia’s info line for local questions(2).

Poet's Trail is about 7 km between Multia and Vuorela in Central Finland, following the old school route of nature poet Einari Vuorela toward his birthplace and writer's home. For distances, marking, and contacts, start with Visit Multia(1). The route is part of the Keski-Suomi regional trail between Multia and Keuruu. It begins roughly one kilometre from Multia church toward Keuruu, behind Hallin bridge, and runs through Hallinmäki's old spruce forest, past Hangaslahti on Sinervä's south shore, and on toward Vuorela. Visit Multia describes varied terrain that is comfortable in dry weather in walking shoes, with blue paint marks and Runoilijan polku signs along the Hangaslahti section(1)(2). The Hallinmäki outdoor area shows an ancient shoreline high above today's sea level, a fixed orienteering course, and a marked path over the hill toward Vuorela(2). At the trail end, Vuorela is Einari Vuorela's birthplace and a cultural stop on the regional trail; Einari Vuorelan seura organizes an annual Vuorela walk along this path and other cultural events around the writer's legacy(4). Near the start, the route meets Hallinmäen kuntorata, a three-kilometre fitness loop that the municipality maintains for winter use with lighting and partly wood-chip surface(3). That makes a natural add-on if you want a shorter exercise loop before or after the longer walk. Retkipaikka describes a short signed side trip from Runoilijan polku to Kukelinkyökin luola, a small rock cave with local stories; the same write-up notes you can shorten the day by starting from the Keuruu side near Jukojärvi and Vuorela if time is tight(5). Jalkaisin walked the trail with blue blazes through mixed forest toward Vuorela and highlights poetry boards with verses along the way(6).

Driving directions and the municipal information line for the Karhunahas gorge area are compiled on Visit Multia(1). Retkipaikka’s Karhunahas article walks readers from the forest road to the cliff-top laavu, the caretaker mill folklore, and why waterproof footwear pays off when the duckboards are slick(2). Jorma Ursin’s on-the-ground account highlights the protected old-growth character, the Sahinjoki crossing plank bridge, and reminders to stay on marked paths to limit wear on fragile ground cover(3). The trail is about 0.6 km on our map as a short, non-loop hiking segment in Multia and Central Finland that begins at Karhunahtaan laavu and ties directly into Karhunlenkki Multia for a longer forest outing. Karhunahas itself is a steep-walled basin lake on the Multia–Petäjävesi boundary: from the laavu and cliff edge you look down toward the Lihajoki pool between vertical rock walls(2)(3). If you extend onto the marked Karhunpolku ring around the gorge rim, visitor write-ups usually treat that loop as roughly 700 m with red trail markings, duckboards, and short rocky tread(2)(3). The same corner stacks a timber shelter (read more on our page for Karhunahtaan laavu), a fireplace, and views suited to a compact family outing because the car park sits a few hundred metres away along the approach path(1)(2). After this segment you can continue on Karhunlenkki Multia through mixed woodland toward the longer Keuruu–Multia provincial trail context described for that route.

Karhunlenkki Multia is a roughly 2.1 km marked hiking trail in the Karhunahas area on the Multia–Petäjävesi boundary in Central Finland. For driving directions and an overview of the destination, Visit Multia’s Karhunahas page is the best starting point(1). The Municipality of Petäjävesi maintains the trails and publishes distances, access notes, and a downloadable Karhun kierros map(2). Retkipaikka’s walk-through adds on-the-ground detail on duckboards, red paint markings, and how the path threads around the ravine(3). Karhunahas is a steep-walled gorge lake: a stream has cut a basin into the bedrock, and the name recalls old bear hunts where animals were driven between the cliffs. The area is protected as a regionally valuable nature site, and visitors are asked to stay on marked routes to limit wear on the vegetation(2). Along this route, about 1.3 km from the start, you reach Karhunahtaan laavu on the higher cliff edge—a lean-to with a campfire place and views down into the pool. The same spot links to the short Karhunahdas polku (Karhunahdas Trail), which shares the lean-to and offers another marked option in the same landscape(2)(3). Duckboards and plank crossings lead through wet rocky ground; footing can be awkward when boards or stone are slippery after rain or frost(2)(3). Firewood for the lean-to can be picked up from the early part of the signed trail network rather than carried long distances(2). Official descriptions of Karhunahas often highlight a compact circuit of roughly 600–700 m around the ravine(2)(3). The mapped Karhunlenkki Multia line is about 2.1 km and follows the full marked hiking connection in this listing—including approaches and links—so allow a little more time than for the inner loop alone.