The Ylläs–Levi summer trail is about 50.8 km as one marked point-to-point hiking line from the Yllästunturi Nature Centre Kellokas area toward the Levi fell resort in Kittilä, Lapland. For national-park regulations, maintenance, and the official description of the maintained summer corridor through Pallas–Yllästunturi...
Luontoon.fi – Ylläs-Levi trail+
Description
The Ylläs–Levi summer trail is about 50.8 km as one marked point-to-point hiking line from the Yllästunturi Nature Centre Kellokas area toward the Levi fell resort in Kittilä, Lapland. For national-park regulations, maintenance, and the official description of the maintained summer corridor through Pallas–Yllästunturi National Park, rely on the Ylläs-Levi trail page on Luontoon.fi. Visit Levi presents the route as a roughly 50 km wilderness stage with wilderness huts, lean-tos, and fireplaces where you can break the trip or stay overnight. Pallas-Ylläs Outdoors walks through how the line moves from Levi across Homevaara and Lake Pyhäjärvi toward the Äkäslompolo side, with wide track bed, forest paths, steel stairs, and duckboard crossings that also explain why mountain bikers use the same marked course in summer. Napapiirinseikkailija notes the corridor stays clearly marked in the terrain and largely follows the familiar Ylläs–Levi winter race alignment except between Kotamaja and Pyhäjärvi, and that people complete the distance on foot as well as by bike.
From Kellokas, Kellokas uusi kota and Yllästunturin luontokeskus Kellokas sit at the trailhead beside Yllästunturin luontokekus Kellokas, piha- ja pysäköintialue parking. The short Varkaankurunpolku loop shares this trailhead if you want a sampler before committing to the long crossing. The early kilometres pass Lapland Hotels Äkäshotelli/Pirtukirkko and Äkäshotellin kuntosali near Äkäslompolo services; Äkäslompolon uimaranta and Äkäslompolon lintutorni offer a lakeshore and bird tower detour just off the main line. After Navettagalleria hiihtomaa the forest opens toward the Kotamaja cluster around 11 km: Kotamaja latukahvila, Kotamaja kota, and Kotamaja kuivakäymälä make a natural lunch stop before the more technical climb-and-descent section toward Lake Pyhäjärvi described on outdoor blogs.
Between about 18 km and 20 km the route threads Pyhäjärvi autiotupa and Pyhäjärvi AT uusi laavu with Pyhäjärvi esteetön venelaituri, Pyhäjärvi venelossi, Pyhäjärven uusi kota, Pyhäjärvi esteetön kota, Pyhäjärvi esteetön ulkotulipaikka, and Pyhäjärvi Kalastuspaikka grouped along the shore; Pyhäjärvi veneluiska and Pyhäjärven uusi käymälä serve the same bay. Pyhäjärvi pysäköintialue gives road access if someone meets you by car. Boardwalks and short lake passages can stay wet after snowmelt; later dry summers are easier underfoot. Past Pyhäjärvi the line eases onto longer forest-road and peat sections before Aakenusjärven veneenlaskupaikan pysäköintialue and Aakenusjärvi kota with Aakenusjärvi kuivakäymälä near the lake.
Vuolittaman hirvikämppä autiotupa and Vuollittaman hirvikämppä kuivakäymälä- puusuoja give a sheltered stop in the upland forest before Muusan päivätupa and Muusa uusi kuivakäymälä. Merkkinen marks another wilderness hut on the approach to Levi. The last kilometres cross resort amenities such as Hotelli K5:n kuntosali, Levi Hotel Spa, Levi Spa Bowling, Levi Hotel Span liikuntasali, Kylpylähotelli Levitunturin kuntosali, Levi Bowling, Levin hiihtokeskus, and Fressi 24h Levi as you enter the Levi village centre. The summer line runs on or beside the same marked course as Ylläs-Levi maastopyöräilyreitti; give bikes space on narrow or steep pitches and expect other hikers during holiday weeks.
Length & route
The trail is about 50.8 km end to end as one continuous marked line on the map. Official resort and Metsähallitus material for the shared summer corridor often quotes rounded figures near 50–55 km depending on whether village connections or summit variants are included; use 50.8 km as the mapped hiking distance. Surface alternates between wide gravel or track bed, narrow forest singletrack, lake-shore paths, duckboards, and short road links.
Getting there
Most hikers start from the Kellokas visitor centre parking at Yllästunturin luontokekus Kellokas, piha- ja pysäköintialue near Äkäslompolo and join the marked line from Yllästunturin luontokeskus Kellokas. Finishing in Levi, the route reaches Levin hiihtokeskus and central hotel blocks where local buses, taxis, and resort shuttles operate; organisers of the summer mountain-bike event have published transfer options between the resorts that independent hikers sometimes reuse. Printed summer maps for Levi are sold at Levi tourist information (phone +358 16 639 3300). Pyhäjärvi pysäköintialue and Aakenusjärven veneenlaskupaikan pysäköintialue allow support drivers to meet the trail mid-route.
Good to know
You are inside or beside Pallas–Yllästunturi National Park for long sections; follow everyman's rights, campfire restrictions, and waste rules posted at huts and day shelters. Popular race weekends concentrate bike traffic; step aside on narrow boardwalks. Pair this stage with Varkaankurunpolku for a short nature-centre loop or plan onward links toward longer Pallas–Ylläs hiking networks from Äkäslompolo if you want extra days.
Itinerary
Suggested three-day hike using route amenities:
Day 1 (about 0–11 km): Start at Yllästunturin luontokeskus Kellokas. Walk through Äkäslompolo services past Kotamaja kota and Kotamaja latukahvila for a long break.
Day 2 (about 11–29 km): Cross the demanding Kotamaja–Pyhäjärvi forest leg to Pyhäjärvi autiotupa, Pyhäjärvi AT uusi laavu, and lakeshore fireplaces; optional vehicle support at Pyhäjärvi pysäköintialue. Continue to Aakenusjärvi kota.
Day 3 (about 29–50.8 km): From Aakenusjärvi kota trek via Vuolittaman hirvikämppä autiotupa and Muusan päivätupa to Merkkinen, then descend toward Levi Hotel Spa and Levin hiihtokeskus.
Walk in either direction; the mountain-bike event reverses resort-to-resort direction in alternate years, but the marked summer line can be hiked both ways.
Route direction
Marked Route
Route Signs
Open / Good Condition
Open / Good Condition
Napapiirinseikkailija – Ylläs–Levi MTB route
Activities allowed
Hike / Walk
Activity
Bike
Activity
Terrain & conditions
50.8 km
Distance
Fit groups sometimes cover the distance in a single long summer day of roughly 10–14 hours of moving time, but most people plan two or three easier days using Pyhäjärvi autiotupa, Kotamaja, Aakenusjärvi kota, or Merkkinen as overnight or rest stops.
Be the first to write a review for "Ylläs–Levi summer 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 Ylläs–Levi summer trail is about 50.8 km as one marked point-to-point hiking line from the Yllästunturi Nature Centre Kellokas area toward the Levi fell resort in Kittilä, Lapland. For national-park regulations, maintenance, and the official description of the maintained summer corridor through Pallas–Yllästunturi...
Luontoon.fi – Ylläs-Levi trail+
Description
The Ylläs–Levi summer trail is about 50.8 km as one marked point-to-point hiking line from the Yllästunturi Nature Centre Kellokas area toward the Levi fell resort in Kittilä, Lapland. For national-park regulations, maintenance, and the official description of the maintained summer corridor through Pallas–Yllästunturi National Park, rely on the Ylläs-Levi trail page on Luontoon.fi. Visit Levi presents the route as a roughly 50 km wilderness stage with wilderness huts, lean-tos, and fireplaces where you can break the trip or stay overnight. Pallas-Ylläs Outdoors walks through how the line moves from Levi across Homevaara and Lake Pyhäjärvi toward the Äkäslompolo side, with wide track bed, forest paths, steel stairs, and duckboard crossings that also explain why mountain bikers use the same marked course in summer. Napapiirinseikkailija notes the corridor stays clearly marked in the terrain and largely follows the familiar Ylläs–Levi winter race alignment except between Kotamaja and Pyhäjärvi, and that people complete the distance on foot as well as by bike.
From Kellokas, Kellokas uusi kota and Yllästunturin luontokeskus Kellokas sit at the trailhead beside Yllästunturin luontokekus Kellokas, piha- ja pysäköintialue parking. The short Varkaankurunpolku loop shares this trailhead if you want a sampler before committing to the long crossing. The early kilometres pass Lapland Hotels Äkäshotelli/Pirtukirkko and Äkäshotellin kuntosali near Äkäslompolo services; Äkäslompolon uimaranta and Äkäslompolon lintutorni offer a lakeshore and bird tower detour just off the main line. After Navettagalleria hiihtomaa the forest opens toward the Kotamaja cluster around 11 km: Kotamaja latukahvila, Kotamaja kota, and Kotamaja kuivakäymälä make a natural lunch stop before the more technical climb-and-descent section toward Lake Pyhäjärvi described on outdoor blogs.
Between about 18 km and 20 km the route threads Pyhäjärvi autiotupa and Pyhäjärvi AT uusi laavu with Pyhäjärvi esteetön venelaituri, Pyhäjärvi venelossi, Pyhäjärven uusi kota, Pyhäjärvi esteetön kota, Pyhäjärvi esteetön ulkotulipaikka, and Pyhäjärvi Kalastuspaikka grouped along the shore; Pyhäjärvi veneluiska and Pyhäjärven uusi käymälä serve the same bay. Pyhäjärvi pysäköintialue gives road access if someone meets you by car. Boardwalks and short lake passages can stay wet after snowmelt; later dry summers are easier underfoot. Past Pyhäjärvi the line eases onto longer forest-road and peat sections before Aakenusjärven veneenlaskupaikan pysäköintialue and Aakenusjärvi kota with Aakenusjärvi kuivakäymälä near the lake.
Vuolittaman hirvikämppä autiotupa and Vuollittaman hirvikämppä kuivakäymälä- puusuoja give a sheltered stop in the upland forest before Muusan päivätupa and Muusa uusi kuivakäymälä. Merkkinen marks another wilderness hut on the approach to Levi. The last kilometres cross resort amenities such as Hotelli K5:n kuntosali, Levi Hotel Spa, Levi Spa Bowling, Levi Hotel Span liikuntasali, Kylpylähotelli Levitunturin kuntosali, Levi Bowling, Levin hiihtokeskus, and Fressi 24h Levi as you enter the Levi village centre. The summer line runs on or beside the same marked course as Ylläs-Levi maastopyöräilyreitti; give bikes space on narrow or steep pitches and expect other hikers during holiday weeks.
Length & route
The trail is about 50.8 km end to end as one continuous marked line on the map. Official resort and Metsähallitus material for the shared summer corridor often quotes rounded figures near 50–55 km depending on whether village connections or summit variants are included; use 50.8 km as the mapped hiking distance. Surface alternates between wide gravel or track bed, narrow forest singletrack, lake-shore paths, duckboards, and short road links.
Getting there
Most hikers start from the Kellokas visitor centre parking at Yllästunturin luontokekus Kellokas, piha- ja pysäköintialue near Äkäslompolo and join the marked line from Yllästunturin luontokeskus Kellokas. Finishing in Levi, the route reaches Levin hiihtokeskus and central hotel blocks where local buses, taxis, and resort shuttles operate; organisers of the summer mountain-bike event have published transfer options between the resorts that independent hikers sometimes reuse. Printed summer maps for Levi are sold at Levi tourist information (phone +358 16 639 3300). Pyhäjärvi pysäköintialue and Aakenusjärven veneenlaskupaikan pysäköintialue allow support drivers to meet the trail mid-route.
Good to know
You are inside or beside Pallas–Yllästunturi National Park for long sections; follow everyman's rights, campfire restrictions, and waste rules posted at huts and day shelters. Popular race weekends concentrate bike traffic; step aside on narrow boardwalks. Pair this stage with Varkaankurunpolku for a short nature-centre loop or plan onward links toward longer Pallas–Ylläs hiking networks from Äkäslompolo if you want extra days.
Itinerary
Suggested three-day hike using route amenities:
Day 1 (about 0–11 km): Start at Yllästunturin luontokeskus Kellokas. Walk through Äkäslompolo services past Kotamaja kota and Kotamaja latukahvila for a long break.
Day 2 (about 11–29 km): Cross the demanding Kotamaja–Pyhäjärvi forest leg to Pyhäjärvi autiotupa, Pyhäjärvi AT uusi laavu, and lakeshore fireplaces; optional vehicle support at Pyhäjärvi pysäköintialue. Continue to Aakenusjärvi kota.
Day 3 (about 29–50.8 km): From Aakenusjärvi kota trek via Vuolittaman hirvikämppä autiotupa and Muusan päivätupa to Merkkinen, then descend toward Levi Hotel Spa and Levin hiihtokeskus.
Walk in either direction; the mountain-bike event reverses resort-to-resort direction in alternate years, but the marked summer line can be hiked both ways.
Fit groups sometimes cover the distance in a single long summer day of roughly 10–14 hours of moving time, but most people plan two or three easier days using Pyhäjärvi autiotupa, Kotamaja, Aakenusjärvi kota, or Merkkinen as overnight or rest stops.
Be the first to write a review for "Ylläs–Levi summer 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.