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Kalmosärkkä Trail

—•Hiking Trails

2.5 km

Route

P 1

Description

Visit Suomussalmi – Kalmosärkkä+

Description

Kalmosärkkä Trail is about 2.5 km of walking on a marked path in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, leading onto a long sand ridge between wetlands and lake shores north of Hossa. For parking, route structure, fireplaces, toilets, seasonal access, and driving directions, the Visit Suomussalmi Kalmosärkkä page is the best place to start. Via Karelia notes that the ridge is a nationally significant archaeological site looked after by Metsähallitus, and describes the path from the parking area as marked with red paint. Eräkaksikko’s write-up highlights the clear signing to the car park, the duckboards across Kokkosuo before the ridge, and interpretation boards that explain the ridge’s long human story. Retkipaikka adds detail on the shoreline setting between cold lakes and bogs and on conservation work along the banks. From Kalmosärkkä pysäköintialue the trail runs through forest to Kokkosuo, then continues on duckboards before climbing onto the narrow ridge. About 1.5 km from the start you reach Kalmonsärkkä eteläinen tulentekopaikka and Kalmonsärkkä eteläinen kuivakäymälä together in the southern cluster. Further along the ridge, Kalmonsärkkä pohjoinen tulentekopaikka and Kalmonsärkkä pohjoinen kuivakäymälä sit toward the north end of the sand strip. Dry toilets are available at both clusters for a comfortable half-day visit without naming facilities as separate sightseeing stops. The northern end of the ridge lies in the same shoreline area as the start of the Hossa - Juntusranta vesiretkeilyreitti paddling route; day hikers here and canoeists on the water network often plan complementary trips in the Juntusranta area. Suomussalmi sijaitsee Kainuussa. The trail is a day hike with gentle gradients on forest soil and duckboards, then sand and pine on the ridge crest.

Length & route

The trail is about 2.5 km in total. The Visit Suomussalmi page describes roughly 1.3 km from the parking area through forest and across Kokkosuo to the ridge, plus about 1.2 km along the ridge itself. Allow about one hour on foot at an easy pace with stops at the fireplaces and interpretation boards.

Getting there

The parking is at Nuolentie 46, 89800 Suomussalmi. From Suomussalmi centre, drive north on Road 5 (E63) for about 46 km, turn right onto Hallasenahontie and follow it about 20 km, then turn right onto Nuolentie and drive about 5 km. The parking area with signage is on the left side of the road. Via Karelia describes an alternative approach from Juntusranta village: about 2 km north on route 843, then west onto Nuolentie for about 5 km to the same signed parking on the left.

Good to know

There is no winter maintenance on the trail; snow and ice can make duckboards and the ridge treacherous. The ridge is protected archaeology; stay on marked paths and follow any signs. Campfires are only at the provided fireplaces. Retkipaikka notes past erosion control with stone reinforcement along parts of the shore.

History

Kalmosärkkä is a long, narrow sand ridge that has been studied as a prehistoric settlement since the 1950s together with nearby Nuolisärkkä, Mikonsärkkä, and Kellolaisten Tulien sites. People lived here from about 6000 BCE onward in the early Stone Age; later the ridge served as a temporary burial place before bodies were taken to parish graveyards, which gave the place its name (“kalmo” refers to the dead). Finds include stone axes, arrowheads, and hunting pits. In the Winter War the ridge was a battle line: Finnish positions held the south end while forces faced each other across the ice and shores toward Juntusranta, and trench lines and gun positions are still partly visible in the terrain.

Managed by

Suomussalmi

Official Maintenance

Trail info

Walk out to the ridge and return the same way, or follow the marked line along the ridge and back as you prefer.

Route direction

red

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

2.5 km

Distance

about 1 hour

Est. Time

Forest path and duckboards over Kokkosuo; sand and pine forest on the ridge crest.

Surface

Single Track

Route Type

Partial Shade

Shade

Light Traffic

Traffic

Location

65.21288°N, 29.42117°E

Parking coordinates

FinlandCountry

KainuuRegion

SuomussalmiCity

JuntusrantaVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

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Answers to your questions

CC BY-NDOutdoors Kainuu

Our data was researched from Suomussalmi, 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 Suomussalmi Hiking TrailsKalmosärkkä Trail