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Kiirunapolku

—•Hiking Trails

5.5 km

Route

P 1

Description

Luontoon.fi – Urho Kekkonen National Park, Getting there+

Description

Kiirunapolku is about 5.5 km as a loop on the map around Kiilopää fell in Urho Kekkonen National Park, starting from the Kiilopää gate next to Inari’s Saariselkä–Kiilopää outdoor hub. For national park access, gate opening hours, and the latest official guidance at this trailhead, use the Urho Kekkonen National Park arrival pages on Luontoon.fi. Suomen Latu Kiilopää operates the Kiilopää centre, café, and rental desk at the same address — a practical place to check meals, sauna and dipping spot hours, snowshoe rental, and other services before or after your walk. Taipaleita’s day-hike notes from Kiilopään tunturikeskus spell out how the loop is marked and how it meets other Kiilopää trails, with a useful on-the-ground feel. Matkalla Missä Milloinkin adds winter perspective: snow depth on the loop versus the packed direct line toward the summit, and how busy the shared parking can get. The trail sits in Inari municipality in Lapland. From the Kiilopää gate area you already pass Suomen Latu Kiilopää - Kahvila & Ravintola, Kiilopää pysäköintialue, Kiilopään frisbeegolfrata, Kiilopään uimapaikka, Kiilopään Kuurakaltio sauna and winter-swimming spot, and Kiilo-oja tulipaikka for a campfire pause — worth weaving into the day whether you walk the full ring or only part of it. Counter-clockwise, accounts describe an easy warm-up on Kiilopää’s lower slopes, then a steeper pull through the treeline where steps help (often under snow in winter). Kiilopää tops out at about 546 m above sea level with roughly 210 m of cumulative climb on the loop; clear days open views toward other Urho Kekkonen fells, Nattastunturit to the south, and landmarks such as Kaunispää in the distance. The ring shares segments with Poropolku and Vasapolku on the descent and crosses the Luulampi route twice near the top according to on-trail signage descriptions. A shorter roughly two-kilometre direct approach to the summit remains an option if you want the view with less distance. Hikers looking for a longer fell day can continue onto Ahopää, which shares the same Kiilopää trailhead cluster on our map. Saariselän maastopyöräilyreitit passes the same services area for summer bike touring across the wider Saariselkä network. Tiinan patikointi captures how informative boards along the route explain Kiilopää birch and other upland plants, and how rewarding the open summit bench can feel after the climb. Kansallispuistot.fi lists Kiirunapolku among the approachable day loops from Kiilopää for visitors building a first UKK itinerary.

Length & route

The trail is about 5.5 km as one loop on the map. Sources aimed at visitors often round to about six kilometres or cite two to three hours on foot. The climb to Kiilopää adds roughly 210 m of vertical with a summit near 546 m. A shorter roughly 2 km spur to the fell top is often described as the packed winter line when you do not want snowshoes on the full ring.

Getting there

The Kiilopää national park gate and trailhead are at Kiilopääntie 620 in Saariselkä; Luontoon.fi groups Kiilopää among the park’s main access points with arrival guidance. Use Kiilopää pysäköintialue beside the gate — on busy days you may need to walk from an overflow space along the access road. Suomen Latu Kiilopää lists the same address for its accommodation and services.

Good to know

Taipaleita reports new wooden stairs on the Kiilopää climb taken into use in September 2020. Dedicated site:youtube.com searches did not surface a clip that clearly showcases only this loop at the trail-overview bar; leave youtube_url empty unless you later add a verified overview. Follow national park campfire and leash rules posted at the gate.

Managed by

Inari

Official Maintenance

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Walk either direction; Taipaleita chose counter-clockwise from the first junction but notes both ways work.

Route direction

National Park

Area

Marked with dark posts carrying the Kiirunapolku symbol; newer or rerouted sections also used red ribbon on branches for visibility in summer 2021.

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Taipaleita – Kiirunapolku at Kiilopää

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Public Transport

Activity

Terrain & conditions

5.5 km

Distance

About 2–3 hours for the full loop at a normal hiking pace.

Est. Time

Fell path with wooden stair sections on the steeper climb, rocky and gravelly benches near the top, and forest-floor trails lower down.

Surface

Loop, Single Track

Route Type

Moderate Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

2020

Renovation years

Taipaleita – Kiirunapolku at Kiilopää+

Location

68.34594°N, 27.46099°E

Parking coordinates

FinlandCountry

LaplandRegion

InariCity

SaariselkäVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

Explore nearby

Kiilopään Kuurakaltio

180 m

Kiilopään uimapaikka

174 m

Free

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Inari, 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 Lapland Inari Hiking TrailsKiirunapolku