The Small Palojärvi Trail is about 10.2 km point to point through Aakenustunturi near Kittilä, inside Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park in Lapland. The same Finnish name appears on a different trail in Viitasaari, but this line sits on the rocky Aakenus chain between the Pyhäjärvi side and Totovaara, with Aakenustupa,...
Luontoon.fi – Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park+
Description
The Small Palojärvi Trail is about 10.2 km point to point through Aakenustunturi near Kittilä, inside Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park in Lapland. The same Finnish name appears on a different trail in Viitasaari, but this line sits on the rocky Aakenus chain between the Pyhäjärvi side and Totovaara, with Aakenustupa, autiotupa roughly halfway along your hike. For park rules, wilderness hut practices, and the latest maintenance notes, start from Luontoon.fi. Taipaleita describes gravel surfacing and metal steps on the lower fell, then natural tread with roots, stones, and short rocky sections higher up, junction signs, and tall direction posts on the open fells toward Pyhäjärvi. Retkipaikka’s Aakenustunturi account from Totovaara explains how rough scree under Moloslaki and Vasalaki rewards slower pacing and careful attention to markers. Pallas-Ylläs Outdoors notes Metsähallitus realignments around Aakenus from 2019 onward, including clearer orange paint marks on newer alignments that meet the shared Totovaara approaches.
About 5.5 km into the route you reach Aakenustupa, autiotupa: a newer wilderness hut with a stove, wood storage, a campfire spot, and a dry toilet nearby—useful for a long lunch or an overnight if you follow hut etiquette. Taipaleita recorded the hut opening in summer 2021 and praises the outlook toward the surrounding fells. Totovaaran pysäköintialue sits at the far end of this segment once you drop back toward the maintained approaches; Sompion Samoilijat outline guided outings of roughly seven kilometres to Aakenustupa and about four kilometres back to that same car park.
The route meets Aakenus summer trail at the Aakenustupa junction, so you can extend east toward Pyhäjärvi esteetön kota, Pyhäjärvi autiotupa, and the wider lake-side shelters when you want a longer day. At Totovaaran pysäköintialue it joins Totovaara Fell Route, the broader Ylläs ski-track network, the Levi–Kittilä–Kittilä snowmobile line, and Levi area mountain-bike trails—useful links if you are planning winter or bike days from the same trailhead. Looking west from the crests, skyline features include Ylläs, Levi, and distant Pallas peaks on clear days.
Junkers aircraft wreckage from 1944 lies beside Moloslaki routes described by Retkipaikka; treat it as a sober historic stop, not a playground.
Kittilä is the municipality. Lapland is the wider region.
Length & route
The trail is about 10.2 km point to point. It is not a loop. Much of the crossing matches the middle leg hikers use between the Pyhäjärvi approaches and Totovaara: lower benches can be gravelled with short metal bridges, while open fell tops mix scree, embedded stone, and wet hollows after rain. Guided Aakenus day walks from Totovaaran pysäköintialue often allow roughly seven kilometres to Aakenustupa and about four kilometres back along marked nature paths, which frames how this segment sits inside longer circuits even when you shorten or lengthen at junctions. The Totovaara Fell Route between Haavepalo kota and Totovaaran pysäköintialue is listed separately on Luontoon.fi for comparison when you plan stacked hikes.
Getting there
One end of the route finishes at Totovaaran pysäköintialue near Totovaarantie 165 in Kittilä, the same large parking area Taipaleita used for Pyhäjärvi-directed signs and national park boards. The opposite end sits on the Pyhäjärvi side of the Aakenus traverse—treat all junctions with the printed Metsähallitus brochure or the national park map from Luontoon.fi, because several summer trails and bike lines share spurs here. Confirm winter access, road maintenance, and any temporary closures on Luontoon.fi before you leave.
Good to know
Weather on Aakenus can deteriorate quickly; Taipaleita turned back on another trip when cloud hid the crest markers, while clear hours opened long views toward Ylläs and Levi. Carry wind and rain layers even on short summer days. Respect wilderness hut rotation, firewood etiquette, and national park waste sorting at Totovaara.
History
Aakenustupa replaced the older Moloslehto reindeer herder shelter for overnight hikers; Taipaleita records that the new wilderness hut was ready in summer 2021 while an older branch toward the museum site remained closed and duckboards were removed. Near Moloslaki, Junkers JU 52 wreckage from a 1944 storm approach is treated as heritage in Retkipaikka’s narrative.
Hikers commonly move either toward Totovaaran pysäköintialue or toward Pyhäjärvi; our mapped direction runs from the Pyhäjärvi-side start toward Totovaara, crossing Aakenustupa near the midpoint.
Route direction
Orange paint marks appear on sections toward Pyhäjärvi, while open fells use tall posts with directional arms; lower forest junctions add wooden information boards.
Route Signs
Open / Good Condition
Open / Good Condition
Taipaleita – Totovaara to Pyhäjärvi via Aakenustupa+
Activities allowed
Hike / Walk
Activity
Terrain & conditions
10.2 km
Distance
About 4–6 hours of hiking for the full 10.2 km in typical summer conditions, longer if you photograph the fells or wait out weather; Taipaleita allowed roughly 5.5 hours for a longer 14 km variant via the same corridor.
Est. Time
Dirt / Gravel
Surface
Point-to-Point, Single Track
Route Type
Partial Shade
Shade
Moderate Traffic
Traffic
2021
Renovation years
Taipaleita – Totovaara to Pyhäjärvi via Aakenustupa
Be the first to write a review for "Small Palojärvi Trail"
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Answers to your questions
Our data was researched from Kittilä, 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.
The Small Palojärvi Trail is about 10.2 km point to point through Aakenustunturi near Kittilä, inside Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park in Lapland. The same Finnish name appears on a different trail in Viitasaari, but this line sits on the rocky Aakenus chain between the Pyhäjärvi side and Totovaara, with Aakenustupa,...
Luontoon.fi – Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park+
Description
The Small Palojärvi Trail is about 10.2 km point to point through Aakenustunturi near Kittilä, inside Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park in Lapland. The same Finnish name appears on a different trail in Viitasaari, but this line sits on the rocky Aakenus chain between the Pyhäjärvi side and Totovaara, with Aakenustupa, autiotupa roughly halfway along your hike. For park rules, wilderness hut practices, and the latest maintenance notes, start from Luontoon.fi. Taipaleita describes gravel surfacing and metal steps on the lower fell, then natural tread with roots, stones, and short rocky sections higher up, junction signs, and tall direction posts on the open fells toward Pyhäjärvi. Retkipaikka’s Aakenustunturi account from Totovaara explains how rough scree under Moloslaki and Vasalaki rewards slower pacing and careful attention to markers. Pallas-Ylläs Outdoors notes Metsähallitus realignments around Aakenus from 2019 onward, including clearer orange paint marks on newer alignments that meet the shared Totovaara approaches.
About 5.5 km into the route you reach Aakenustupa, autiotupa: a newer wilderness hut with a stove, wood storage, a campfire spot, and a dry toilet nearby—useful for a long lunch or an overnight if you follow hut etiquette. Taipaleita recorded the hut opening in summer 2021 and praises the outlook toward the surrounding fells. Totovaaran pysäköintialue sits at the far end of this segment once you drop back toward the maintained approaches; Sompion Samoilijat outline guided outings of roughly seven kilometres to Aakenustupa and about four kilometres back to that same car park.
The route meets Aakenus summer trail at the Aakenustupa junction, so you can extend east toward Pyhäjärvi esteetön kota, Pyhäjärvi autiotupa, and the wider lake-side shelters when you want a longer day. At Totovaaran pysäköintialue it joins Totovaara Fell Route, the broader Ylläs ski-track network, the Levi–Kittilä–Kittilä snowmobile line, and Levi area mountain-bike trails—useful links if you are planning winter or bike days from the same trailhead. Looking west from the crests, skyline features include Ylläs, Levi, and distant Pallas peaks on clear days.
Junkers aircraft wreckage from 1944 lies beside Moloslaki routes described by Retkipaikka; treat it as a sober historic stop, not a playground.
Kittilä is the municipality. Lapland is the wider region.
Length & route
The trail is about 10.2 km point to point. It is not a loop. Much of the crossing matches the middle leg hikers use between the Pyhäjärvi approaches and Totovaara: lower benches can be gravelled with short metal bridges, while open fell tops mix scree, embedded stone, and wet hollows after rain. Guided Aakenus day walks from Totovaaran pysäköintialue often allow roughly seven kilometres to Aakenustupa and about four kilometres back along marked nature paths, which frames how this segment sits inside longer circuits even when you shorten or lengthen at junctions. The Totovaara Fell Route between Haavepalo kota and Totovaaran pysäköintialue is listed separately on Luontoon.fi for comparison when you plan stacked hikes.
Getting there
One end of the route finishes at Totovaaran pysäköintialue near Totovaarantie 165 in Kittilä, the same large parking area Taipaleita used for Pyhäjärvi-directed signs and national park boards. The opposite end sits on the Pyhäjärvi side of the Aakenus traverse—treat all junctions with the printed Metsähallitus brochure or the national park map from Luontoon.fi, because several summer trails and bike lines share spurs here. Confirm winter access, road maintenance, and any temporary closures on Luontoon.fi before you leave.
Good to know
Weather on Aakenus can deteriorate quickly; Taipaleita turned back on another trip when cloud hid the crest markers, while clear hours opened long views toward Ylläs and Levi. Carry wind and rain layers even on short summer days. Respect wilderness hut rotation, firewood etiquette, and national park waste sorting at Totovaara.
History
Aakenustupa replaced the older Moloslehto reindeer herder shelter for overnight hikers; Taipaleita records that the new wilderness hut was ready in summer 2021 while an older branch toward the museum site remained closed and duckboards were removed. Near Moloslaki, Junkers JU 52 wreckage from a 1944 storm approach is treated as heritage in Retkipaikka’s narrative.
Hikers commonly move either toward Totovaaran pysäköintialue or toward Pyhäjärvi; our mapped direction runs from the Pyhäjärvi-side start toward Totovaara, crossing Aakenustupa near the midpoint.
Route direction
Orange paint marks appear on sections toward Pyhäjärvi, while open fells use tall posts with directional arms; lower forest junctions add wooden information boards.
Route Signs
Open / Good Condition
Open / Good Condition
Taipaleita – Totovaara to Pyhäjärvi via Aakenustupa+
About 4–6 hours of hiking for the full 10.2 km in typical summer conditions, longer if you photograph the fells or wait out weather; Taipaleita allowed roughly 5.5 hours for a longer 14 km variant via the same corridor.
Est. Time
Dirt / Gravel
Surface
Point-to-Point, Single Track
Route Type
Partial Shade
Shade
Moderate Traffic
Traffic
2021
Renovation years
Taipaleita – Totovaara to Pyhäjärvi via Aakenustupa
Rate & Review
Be the first to write a review for "Small Palojärvi Trail"
Share a photo from a recent trip
Answers to your questions
Our data was researched from Kittilä, 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.