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Pielpajärvi wilderness church trail: Inari to Lake Pielpajärvi

—•Hiking Trails

4.4 km

Route

Pielpajärvi tulisijakehikko

Wilderness HutsThere is a open day hut on the shore of lake Pielpajärvi, and on its' yard is a picnic shelter and a campfire site.

Pielpajärvi käymälä

0.0 km|Free

Outdoor Toilets

Description

Luontoon.fi – Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church Trail+

Description

For route planning and conditions in the Inari Hiking Area, Metsähallitus publishes the Pielpajärvi church trail material on Luontoon.fi. Visit Finland also summarises access and visiting for international travellers. This leg is about 4.4 km one way on a marked path toward the Pielpajärvi wilderness church shore in Inari, Lapland. The walk lies in Inari municipality and forms part of the same church destination corridor as the longer Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church Trail on our map. Right at the northern end you pass Pielpajärvi tulisijakehikko and Pielpajärvi käymälä—handy for a stop before or after the forest and lake sections. The path continues through spruce forest (including the Rautiovaara old-growth stretch described by walkers), past Puntsijärvi, and along the isthmus between Iso and Pikku Pielpajärvi toward the church meadow and the 1760 timber church. Independent trip write-ups emphasise orange paint marks, some red wooden stakes, roots and stone underfoot, and short bridges or duckboards over wet ground; sturdy footwear pays off after rain. Etiquette at the church itself—doors and shutters, churchyard paths only, and treating the building as a protected monument—is covered in the visitor guidelines. The same article explains why the site mattered as the old winter-village centre and how services and weddings still occasionally use the church. If you are combining days out, Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church Trail loops a wider circuit on our map, Pielpajärvi erämaakirkko polku Pielpavuono - Pielpajärvi covers the shorter approach from Pielpavuono bay, and Latu Inari–Pielpajärvi follows the maintained ski line that crosses part of the same landscape in winter.

Length & route

About 4.4 km one way as a single marked hiking leg from the Inari-side access toward the wilderness church shore. The terrain mixes spruce forest (including the Rautiovaara section), lakeside views at Puntsijärvi and along the Pielpajärvi isthmus, and the open church meadow. On our map you can continue into the about 8.8 km Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church Trail loop, join the about 2.6 km approach from Pielpavuono, or link to the Inari–Pielpajärvi ski track in winter.

Getting there

Most summer hikers drive to the Sarviniementie parking north of Inari village (often quoted as Sarviniementie 249, 99870 Inari) and follow the signed gate onto the marked path. Visit Finland lists the same address for contact and mapping. In summer some visitors also approach from Pielpavuono on Lake Inarijärvi by boat and walk the shorter Pielpavuono connection described on Luontoon.fi. Winter access can include skiing or snowmobile use where local rules allow.

Good to know

Close the church door and interior shutters after your visit or ask another visitor to help, stay on churchyard paths, and treat the meadow and timber church as a legally protected site. The church is normally open for visits without an admission fee under public arrangements described on Luontoon.fi and Visit Finland. Busy summer days can fill the Sarviniemi parking—Retkipaikka’s Luontopolkumies notes cars lining the road when the lot is full.

History

Pielpajärvi was the Inari winter-village centre from the early 1600s. A small first church from the 1640s proved inadequate; the present equal-arm cross church was built in stages from 1752 and completed in 1760 with a bell-tower porch, serving the parish until a new church was finished at the mouth of River Juutuanjoki in 1888. After the church in Inari village was destroyed in the Winter War, the wilderness church was reopened in 1940 and Midsummer services there became a lasting tradition, now joined by Easter services. The church and its surroundings are nationally significant cultural heritage.

Managed by

Inari

Official Maintenance

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Recreation Area

Lake

orange and red wooden stakes

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

4.4 km

Distance

Roughly 1–2 hours one way for the 4.4 km leg at a relaxed pace with photo stops; allow extra time inside the church and for snack breaks. A same-day return over the same line is about 8–9 km on foot in total unless you combine other connecting trails.

Est. Time

Duckboards / Dirt

Surface

Point-to-Point, Single Track

Route Type

Moderate Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

Retkipaikka – Luontopolkumies, Pielpajärven erämaakirkon polku

Location

68.95008°N, 27.11411°E

Approximate location

FinlandCountry

LaplandRegion

InariCity

InariVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

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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 TrailsPielpajärvi wilderness church trail: Inari to Lake Pielpajärvi

Pielpajärvi wilderness church trail: Inari to Lake Pielpajärvi4.4 km

Route

Pielpajärvi tulisijakehikko

0.0 km|Free

Wilderness HutsThere is a open day hut on the shore of lake Pielpajärvi, and on its' yard is a picnic shelter and a campfire site.

Pielpajärvi käymälä

0.0 km|Free

Outdoor Toilets

Description

Luontoon.fi – Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church Trail+

Description

Length & route

Getting there

Good to know

History

Managed by

Inari

Official Maintenance

Trail info

Location

Recreation Area

Lake

orange and red wooden stakes

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Location

68.95008°N, 27.11411°E

Approximate location

FinlandCountry

LaplandRegion

InariCity

InariVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

4.4 km

Distance

Est. Time

Duckboards / Dirt

Surface

Point-to-Point, Single Track

Route Type

Moderate Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

Retkipaikka – Luontopolkumies, Pielpajärven erämaakirkon polku

Rate & Review

Be the first to write a review for "Pielpajärvi wilderness church trail: Inari to Lake Pielpajärvi"

Share a photo from a recent trip

Answers to your questions

Finland Lapland Inari Hiking TrailsPielpajärvi wilderness church trail: Inari to Lake Pielpajärvi