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Petola accessible nature trail

—•Hiking Trails

0.9 km

Route

P 1

Description

Luontoon.fi – Kuhmo Visitor Centre Petola+

Description

The Petola accessible nature trail is a short, barrier-free footpath in Kalevankangas, Kuhmo, beside Kuhmon luontokeskus Petola. The trail is about 0.9 km. Metsähallitus markets the site as Kuhmo Visitor Centre Petola on Luontoon.fi; that service page is the right place to confirm winter and summer opening times, exhibition admission if the building is open, and any temporary closures before you travel. The trail is built as an easy, interactive introduction to Finland’s large carnivores. Official and interpretive material describes hands-on stops where you might compare a running jump with a lynx pounce, look for wolverine hiding spots, try wordless group signals like wolves, or compare strength cues with a bear — plus riddles and folk poetry about how people imagined predators. Life-size animal cut-outs and panels along the path are typical of this “action nature trail” style. Wheelchair access from the visitor centre to the outdoor trail is documented in Metsähallitus visitor-centre service descriptions, together with an accessible toilet in the building when the centre is staffed. Along the line you pass very close to Kuhmon luontokeskus Petola at Lentiirantie 342, then work through the same Kalevala sports belt as nearby routes: Kalevalan Laavu sits a little under half a kilometre from the start — a good lean-to pause if you combine walks. The Kalevala sports centre cluster (Kalevan liikuntakeskuksen kuntosali, beach volleyball, and the biathlon training area) sits beside the path, and Tönölän Frisbeegolrata is just off the line if someone in your group wants a quick disc round. Nearer the Lentua shore you reach Kalevankankaan vierasvenelaituri for visiting boats and Talvisotamuseo Kuhmo with its own parking — handy if you want museum visiting and a lakeside stroll in one outing. Kuhmo’s outdoor tourism pages note that the municipality holds more than 250 km of hiking infrastructure and highlight accessible options among those trails. If you want a longer hike on foot in the same patch, Petolan luontopolku is a separate marked hiking trail that shares stops like Kalevalan Laavu and the Petola centre; cyclists pass through on Tervantien retkipyöräily Lentiirasta Kajaaniin. Harakkasaaren SUP-lautailu-ja melontareitti 3,5 km uses the same shoreline band for paddlers. Local reporting has covered Metsähallitus plans to change how Petola’s visitor centre is run and to seek possible partner-led futures for the site, so it is worth re-checking Luontoon.fi rather than assuming historic summer-only schedules still apply.

Length & route

The trail is about 0.9 km and is not a closed loop. Allow roughly 20–40 minutes for a slow, reading-heavy visit with children or assistive devices; some tourism listings quote about half an hour for the outdoor circuit. The surface is designed as a wheelchair-capable outdoor line from the visitor centre when the site is open.

Getting there

The visitor centre address is Lentiirantie 342, 88900 Kuhmo. Many people drive to Väinämöinen parkkiapaikka or Talvisotamuseo parkkiapaikka on the Kalevala shoreline band and join the path from the parking side facing Kalevalan Laavu and the Petola buildings. Metsähallitus lists phone +358 206 39 6380 and email petola@metsa.fi for the visitor unit when you need to confirm winter access arrangements or guided services.

Good to know

Because Metsähallitus has publicly explored restructuring Petola’s visitor services, always verify the latest building hours, trail grooming, and possible partner operation on Luontoon.fi or by contacting petola@metsa.fi before a long journey. The centre also sells Metsähallitus permits and broader hiking information for Kainuu when staffed. Dry toilets sit with other lakeside facilities along nearby routes but are not singled out here.

Managed by

Kuhmo

Official Maintenance

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Stroller Friendly

Accessibility

Wheelchair Accessible

Accessibility

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

0.9 km

Distance

20–40 min

Est. Time

Wide Track

Route Type

Partial Shade

Shade

Light Traffic

Traffic

Location

64.11629°N, 29.58618°E

Parking coordinates

FinlandCountry

KainuuRegion

KuhmoCity

Hiking TrailsCategory

Explore nearby

Tönölän Frisbeegolrata

241 m

Free

Talvisotamuseo Kuhmo

187 m

Harakkasaaren lenkki

437 m

Free

Yhdysreitti Kuhmo

240 m

Free

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Kuhmo, 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.

Finland Kainuu Kuhmo Hiking TrailsPetola accessible nature trail