Puolanka Biking Trails

The Latvavaara mountain biking trail offers a scenic cycling experience, tracing the rugged landscapes of Paljakka from the top of Teeriharju on the Vaara ridge. The trail begins in Lohisuo, then continues through the village of Latva, Vaara ridge conservation area, and Louhenjoki bridge.

The Kielokoda route, a mountain biking trail following the Latjoki River, offers a scenic journey through pine forests and a picturesque Pokromi pond. The trail is suitable for beginner mountain bikers and offers easy terrain and scenic views.

The Metlanmetsä mountain biking trail runs on illuminated trails. It is easy to navigate and is also suitable for beginners and families with children.

The Hepovaara route offers easy mountain biking trails in Paljakka, allowing visitors to explore the beautiful Hepovaara forests and the banks of the Lehtojoki River. The route can be cycled in three lengths 6 km, 9 km or 14 km), with resting places like Rakennusjärvi kota and Mörkösuvanno laavu

Ilveskodan maastopyöräilyreitti is a mountain biking trail connecting Paljakka Tourist Centre to Paljakka Nature Park, offering easy, scenic rides through Latvavaara's old-growth forests & bogs. The trail is suitable for beginners and experienced bikers, with good fishing spots & huts to stop at

Cycle from Paljakka to see the canyon(Pirunkirkko) and Louhenjoki River, then picnic at the nearby hut (Pirunkirkko päivätupa). A trail starts at Pirunkirkko parking and leads to Paljakka Nature Park. The route begins on a paved road, then shifts to gravel, with flat terrain.

For maps, GPX downloads, difficulty colours, and seasonal route-condition notes on the Paljakka MTB network, start from the Paljakka travel area’s Fatbike & MTB page(1). The broader announcement for the 2023–2024 route build-out describes network-wide marking with coloured signs and paint on trail types ranging from easy to demanding, and points riders to the digital route guide for GPX and PDF maps(2). Metsähallitus publishes access and protection rules for Paljakka Strict Nature Reserve on Luontoon.fi—useful context because the Ilveskota rest hub sits at the edge of that reserve and many riders combine biking with a short visit on foot(3). You can also open our trail card on huts.fi for the same route geometry(4). On our map this feature is about 5.7 km as one line from the Ilveskota hut cluster toward the Paljakka resort centre—an open, point-to-point leg rather than the full yellow “Ilveskodan reitti” circuit that Paljakka quotes at roughly 15 km and 2–3 hours for experienced riders(1)(2). The mapped ride threads forest between Ilveskota and Löytöjärvi, then continues toward Paljakka services: you pass Rakennusjärven kota as a late stop before the ski hill, disc-golf course, Paljakkatalo, Paljakka Lake Resort sauna building, and the main resort parking hub. From Ilveskota you can step onto the signed Paljakka Nature Reserve Trail on foot for a different view of gorges and old forest, or plan a longer bike day using Ilveskodan maastopyöräilyreitti Paljakka - Puolanka, which shares many of the same rest points on a wider figure. Terrain matches Paljakka’s “moderate” yellow-route pitch: forest riding with height change typical of Kainuu hill country rather than a paved rail trail. The area markets summer 2024 routes as multi-use—cycling and walking on the same marked corridors—so expect to share space with hikers on busy days(1)(2).