The UKK-reitti is Finland’s national long-distance hiking route named after President Urho Kaleva Kekkonen; the full network runs hundreds of kilometres across eastern and northern Finland. Trekkari describes how regional planners linked Vuokatti and Koli in the 1980s and how marking and maintenance vary along differen...
Municipality of Hyrynsalmi – Sights+
Description
The UKK-reitti is Finland’s national long-distance hiking route named after President Urho Kaleva Kekkonen; the full network runs hundreds of kilometres across eastern and northern Finland. Trekkari describes how regional planners linked Vuokatti and Koli in the 1980s and how marking and maintenance vary along different legs. This page covers the Hyrynsalmi municipality section in Kainuu: about 40.5 km as one through hike, not a loop, between the Syväjärvi–Ypykkälampi end near Ukkohalla and the Seitenoikea–Hyrynsalmi UKK-reitti Parkkipaikka at the southern trailhead—so you can chain north toward Ukkohalla or south toward Ristijärvi and Paltamo on the same blue-marked line. Hyrynsalmi sits in lake-and-hill country typical of eastern Kainuu. For Vorlokin rotkolaakso and how it sits on the UKK between Hyrynsalmi and Komulanköngäs, the Municipality of Hyrynsalmi’s sights page is the clearest local authority summary. For the twin-channel Komulanköngäs waterfall on Syväjoki, firewood shelters, and how the falls sit on the UKK walking route, the Ukkohalla tourism pages give practical visitor framing a few kilometres from the resort centre.
The trail is about 40.5 km end to end in this mapping. Early on you pass Ypykkälampi with Ypykänlammen laavu and dry-toilet stops, then Iso-Ypykän parkkipaikka for car access. Around 8 km from the northern end, Komulanköngäs drops the Syväjoki in two branches past a historic mill channel; Komulankönkään pysäköintipaikka, laavu, nuotiopaikka, and the Komulanköngäs waterfall viewpoint cluster here. From roughly 13–16 km, Vorlokin vuokratupa, Vorlokki tulentekopaikka, Vorlokin nuotiopaikka, and Vorlokin rotkolaakso form a deep forest-and-ravine area that the municipality highlights on the UKK corridor. Paskokoski laavu, Paskokoski tulentekopaikka, and Paskokosken taukopaikka follow on Lietejoki-related streams. Pitkäkoski laavu and Pitkäkoski dry toilet sit near the Lietejoki crossing zone; Louhenkosken laavu Hyrynsalmi and Louhenkoski dry toilet frame another river rest pair. Multiharjun ampumarata lies slightly aside the line—give the range a wide berth. Multitörmän parkkipaikka offers mid-route car access; Oravijoen laavu gives a late break before Seitenoikea-Hyrynsalmi UKK-reitti Parkkipaikka at the southern end. Where the UKK shares geometry with Vaarojen Kainuu pyöräillen and winter snowmobile corridors near Komulanköngäs, expect shared junctions and seasonal traffic.
Rinkka ja Pulkka’s long UKK through-hike write-up notes uneven maintenance and vegetation on some national segments; treat Hyrynsalmi as a generally clearer Kainuu link but still carry map and expect forest roads and wet ground after rain. A short clip from Outdoors Kainuu showcases Komulanköngäs beside the Ukkohalla area for a visual of the waterfall setting.
Length & route
The trail is about 40.5 km as one continuous UKK segment through Hyrynsalmi. It is a point-to-point section of the national route, not a closed loop. Shorter published stages (for example Ukkohalla–Hyrynsalmi centre) describe part of the same corridor with different start and end points; here the mapped line follows the full municipality link to Seitenoikea parking. Terrain mixes forest path, gravel tracks, riverbanks, and short road stretches typical of UKK in Kainuu; Komulanköngäs has duckboards and stairs around the falls.
Getting there
You can walk the line in either direction. For the northern end, use Iso-Ypykän parkkipaikka or Komulankönkään pysäköintipaikka near Hallanmaantie access to Komulanköngäs; Suomen vesiputoukset lists driving coordinates to the waterfall car park. Multitörmän parkkipaikka supports mid-route access; the southern end uses Seitenoikea-Hyrynsalmi UKK-reitti Parkkipaikka at the Hyrynsalmi–Ristijärvi border as the main link toward UKK-reitti Ristijärvi. Check the Municipality of Hyrynsalmi pages for current local notices.
Good to know
Respect private land and shooting-range safety buffers near Multiharjun ampumarata. For winter shared use with snowmobile routes and ski tracks near Komulanköngäs, check resort and municipal notices. Dogs: follow Everyman’s Right and any local leash rules at junctions. Conditions after rain can be boggy despite duckboards; carry insect protection in summer.
History
The UKK-reitti took its name in the early 1980s when Kainuu and North Savo regional planners proposed a marked hiking link between Vuokatti and Koli, invoking President Kekkonen’s 1957 ski journey between those places as inspiration. Clearing, surfacing, and marking work followed regional plans; the Vuokatti–Koli core opened in stages around 1984. The route later became part of the wider national UKK network. Komulanköngäs was historically known as Lauttaköngäs after Lauttajärvi; the current name ties to Komula farm in local history.
Itinerary
Most fit hikers treat the 40.5 km as two days: day one from Iso-Ypykän parkkipaikka or Komulanköngäs to Vorlokki–Pitkäkoski laavu country, day two along Lietejoki and Oravijoen laavu to Seitenoikea-Hyrynsalmi UKK-reitti Parkkipaikka. Strong day hikers can push one long summer day with headlamps and early starts; adjust for daylight and water carries.
Walked both ways on the national line; many day visitors describe the Ukkohalla–Hyrynsalmi centre direction as gentler downhill overall, while the full 40 km through-hike is often planned north-to-south or south-to-north to match transport.
Route direction
Blue paint on tree trunks along the UKK line in this region; local listings describe blue markings for adjoining Kainuu sections.
Route Signs
Open / Good Condition
Open / Good Condition
Ukkohalla – Komulanköngäs+
Activities allowed
Hike / Walk
Activity
Terrain & conditions
40.5 km
Distance
About 10–14 hours as one long day for fit hikers; or two comfortable days with breaks at laavut and fire sites.
Est. Time
Forest paths and gravel tracks with riverbank sections, duckboards and stairs at Komulanköngäs, roots and rocky stretches in Vorlokki ravine terrain; occasional short road links.
Our data was researched from Hyrynsalmi, 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.
Short aerial-style view of Komulanköngäs waterfall beside Ukkohalla (Outdoors Kainuu).
Description
The UKK-reitti is Finland’s national long-distance hiking route named after President Urho Kaleva Kekkonen; the full network runs hundreds of kilometres across eastern and northern Finland. Trekkari describes how regional planners linked Vuokatti and Koli in the 1980s and how marking and maintenance vary along differen...
Municipality of Hyrynsalmi – Sights+
Description
The UKK-reitti is Finland’s national long-distance hiking route named after President Urho Kaleva Kekkonen; the full network runs hundreds of kilometres across eastern and northern Finland. Trekkari describes how regional planners linked Vuokatti and Koli in the 1980s and how marking and maintenance vary along different legs. This page covers the Hyrynsalmi municipality section in Kainuu: about 40.5 km as one through hike, not a loop, between the Syväjärvi–Ypykkälampi end near Ukkohalla and the Seitenoikea–Hyrynsalmi UKK-reitti Parkkipaikka at the southern trailhead—so you can chain north toward Ukkohalla or south toward Ristijärvi and Paltamo on the same blue-marked line. Hyrynsalmi sits in lake-and-hill country typical of eastern Kainuu. For Vorlokin rotkolaakso and how it sits on the UKK between Hyrynsalmi and Komulanköngäs, the Municipality of Hyrynsalmi’s sights page is the clearest local authority summary. For the twin-channel Komulanköngäs waterfall on Syväjoki, firewood shelters, and how the falls sit on the UKK walking route, the Ukkohalla tourism pages give practical visitor framing a few kilometres from the resort centre.
The trail is about 40.5 km end to end in this mapping. Early on you pass Ypykkälampi with Ypykänlammen laavu and dry-toilet stops, then Iso-Ypykän parkkipaikka for car access. Around 8 km from the northern end, Komulanköngäs drops the Syväjoki in two branches past a historic mill channel; Komulankönkään pysäköintipaikka, laavu, nuotiopaikka, and the Komulanköngäs waterfall viewpoint cluster here. From roughly 13–16 km, Vorlokin vuokratupa, Vorlokki tulentekopaikka, Vorlokin nuotiopaikka, and Vorlokin rotkolaakso form a deep forest-and-ravine area that the municipality highlights on the UKK corridor. Paskokoski laavu, Paskokoski tulentekopaikka, and Paskokosken taukopaikka follow on Lietejoki-related streams. Pitkäkoski laavu and Pitkäkoski dry toilet sit near the Lietejoki crossing zone; Louhenkosken laavu Hyrynsalmi and Louhenkoski dry toilet frame another river rest pair. Multiharjun ampumarata lies slightly aside the line—give the range a wide berth. Multitörmän parkkipaikka offers mid-route car access; Oravijoen laavu gives a late break before Seitenoikea-Hyrynsalmi UKK-reitti Parkkipaikka at the southern end. Where the UKK shares geometry with Vaarojen Kainuu pyöräillen and winter snowmobile corridors near Komulanköngäs, expect shared junctions and seasonal traffic.
Rinkka ja Pulkka’s long UKK through-hike write-up notes uneven maintenance and vegetation on some national segments; treat Hyrynsalmi as a generally clearer Kainuu link but still carry map and expect forest roads and wet ground after rain. A short clip from Outdoors Kainuu showcases Komulanköngäs beside the Ukkohalla area for a visual of the waterfall setting.
Length & route
The trail is about 40.5 km as one continuous UKK segment through Hyrynsalmi. It is a point-to-point section of the national route, not a closed loop. Shorter published stages (for example Ukkohalla–Hyrynsalmi centre) describe part of the same corridor with different start and end points; here the mapped line follows the full municipality link to Seitenoikea parking. Terrain mixes forest path, gravel tracks, riverbanks, and short road stretches typical of UKK in Kainuu; Komulanköngäs has duckboards and stairs around the falls.
Getting there
You can walk the line in either direction. For the northern end, use Iso-Ypykän parkkipaikka or Komulankönkään pysäköintipaikka near Hallanmaantie access to Komulanköngäs; Suomen vesiputoukset lists driving coordinates to the waterfall car park. Multitörmän parkkipaikka supports mid-route access; the southern end uses Seitenoikea-Hyrynsalmi UKK-reitti Parkkipaikka at the Hyrynsalmi–Ristijärvi border as the main link toward UKK-reitti Ristijärvi. Check the Municipality of Hyrynsalmi pages for current local notices.
Good to know
Respect private land and shooting-range safety buffers near Multiharjun ampumarata. For winter shared use with snowmobile routes and ski tracks near Komulanköngäs, check resort and municipal notices. Dogs: follow Everyman’s Right and any local leash rules at junctions. Conditions after rain can be boggy despite duckboards; carry insect protection in summer.
History
The UKK-reitti took its name in the early 1980s when Kainuu and North Savo regional planners proposed a marked hiking link between Vuokatti and Koli, invoking President Kekkonen’s 1957 ski journey between those places as inspiration. Clearing, surfacing, and marking work followed regional plans; the Vuokatti–Koli core opened in stages around 1984. The route later became part of the wider national UKK network. Komulanköngäs was historically known as Lauttaköngäs after Lauttajärvi; the current name ties to Komula farm in local history.
Itinerary
Most fit hikers treat the 40.5 km as two days: day one from Iso-Ypykän parkkipaikka or Komulanköngäs to Vorlokki–Pitkäkoski laavu country, day two along Lietejoki and Oravijoen laavu to Seitenoikea-Hyrynsalmi UKK-reitti Parkkipaikka. Strong day hikers can push one long summer day with headlamps and early starts; adjust for daylight and water carries.
Walked both ways on the national line; many day visitors describe the Ukkohalla–Hyrynsalmi centre direction as gentler downhill overall, while the full 40 km through-hike is often planned north-to-south or south-to-north to match transport.
Route direction
Blue paint on tree trunks along the UKK line in this region; local listings describe blue markings for adjoining Kainuu sections.
About 10–14 hours as one long day for fit hikers; or two comfortable days with breaks at laavut and fire sites.
Est. Time
Forest paths and gravel tracks with riverbank sections, duckboards and stairs at Komulanköngäs, roots and rocky stretches in Vorlokki ravine terrain; occasional short road links.
Our data was researched from Hyrynsalmi, 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.