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UKK Trail – Puolanka centre link (Honkavaara)

—•Hiking Trails

8.5 km

Route

Description

City of Puolanka – Outdoor activities in nature+

Description

The trail is in Puolanka, Kainuu, and links the Honkavaara sports area toward the village-side UKK corridor. It is about 8.5 km as one point-to-point section. For up-to-date lists of laavu and kota sites, nearby day routes, and fireplace maps across the municipality, begin with the outdoor section on the City of Puolanka website. Those pages describe dozens of active shelters around Puolanka, highlight loops such as Pyssykuljun reitti on the same ridge system, and link to printable hearth maps when you plan meal stops or join routes together. From the trailhead cluster you pass Honkavaaran ampumahiihtoalue, Puolanka Frisbeegolfrata, and Honka Areena almost immediately, so parking, winter sports, and summer ball sports sit beside the path. Honka Areena laavu is only a short walk along the route—read more on our page for Honka Areena laavu. About halfway, Kapustajoen laavu offers a longer forest break above the Kapustajoki valley; the stream’s spring areas are protected Natura habitat upstream. Near the eastern end the line meets Honkavaaran kuntorata, Honkavaaran ladut, and Yhdyslatu Honkavaara-Puolankajärvi-Urheilukenttä where runners and skiers already use shared paths, and it touches Pyssylammen ympyrälenkki where Pyssylammen puolikota and Pyssykuljun parkkipaikka appear on the longer ski network. From the same junction zone you can continue on Pyssykuljun lenkki or step onto UKK-reitti Puolanka for multi-day hiking deeper toward Hepoköngäs, Siikavaara, and the national UKK chain. On long-distance UKK legs through Kainuu, walkers have reported clear blue paint blazes where maintenance keeps up, but also moments where the tread fades and boardwalks need care; Retkellä metsässä describes similar ups and downs along the Kuhmo–Puolanka corridor from a bike survey, and Jalkaisin notes the same paint marks moving toward Puolanka on foot. Kaleva covered wider UKK renovation rounds where municipalities rebuilt bridges and refreshed blazes once budgets allowed. Trekkari’s long-form history explains how the UKK brand grew from 1980s regional planning and Urho Kekkonen’s demonstration ski links, which helps interpret the many local spurs you see near sports centres like Honkavaara.

Length & route

The trail is about 8.5 km point-to-point. It stitches the Honkavaara service cluster to the village-side UKK spine where Pyssykuljun lenkki and UKK-reitti Puolanka converge—useful as a half-day link or as the first kilometres of a longer UKK tour. Terrain is mostly forest paths with modest climbs toward Kapustajoki and the Pyssy ridge approaches. Expect the blue UKK blazes typical of maintained Kainuu legs, but carry a map because Retkellä metsässä and Jalkaisin describe faded tread and ageing duckboards on nearby UKK connectors.

Getting there

Most day hikers drive to Honkavaara: follow signs for Honkavaaran ampumahiihtoalue and Honka Areena at Honkavaarantie 3, 89200 Puolanka—car parks sit beside the biathlon stadium, disc-golf course, and ice hall. If you aim to finish near Pyssykulju, City of Puolanka lists Pyssykuljun reitti access from Hyrynsalmentie 26 with a lakeside laavu; that trailhead pairs logically with the Pyssykuljun lenkki and UKK-reitti Puolanka junction. Winter skiers sometimes approach from adjacent Honkavaaran ladut or Yhdyslatu Honkavaara-Puolankajärvi-Urheilukenttä trailheads; check current grooming on municipal notices before you rely on snow.

Good to know

Pack water in warm weather: Jalkaisin’s traverse notes heavy climbs toward Pyssykulju after the Hepoköngäs area on hot days, a useful mindset even on this shorter Honkavaara leg. Expect shared-use edges with ski and running trails—step aside for faster winter traffic.

History

Newspaper archives and Trekkari’s research trace the UKK-reitti name to President Urho Kekkonen and to 1970s–1980s regional trail planning that connected existing paths under one brand. Kekkonen’s high-profile Vuokatti–Koli ski tour in 1957 is often cited as the symbolic seed for naming, even though the mapped long trail came later.

Managed by

Puolanka

Official Maintenance

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Recreation Area

River

blue

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

8.5 km

Distance

About 2–4 hours of walking for most hikers on the 8.5 km line, longer if you linger at Honka Areena laavu or Kapustajoen laavu.

Est. Time

Dirt / Gravel

Surface

Point-to-Point, Single Track

Route Type

Partial Shade

Shade

Light Traffic

Traffic

Location

64.87324°N, 27.67149°E

Approximate location

FinlandCountry

KainuuRegion

PuolankaCity

PuolankaVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Puolanka, 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 Puolanka Hiking TrailsUKK Trail – Puolanka centre link (Honkavaara)