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Teurajärvi Telatie trail

—•Hiking Trails

17.4 km

Route

Description

Kylien Kolari – Teurajärvi village+

Description

The Teurajärvi Telatie trail is about 17.4 km as one continuous hiking line in Kolari, western Lapland. It follows the historic Telatie, a duckboard-linked path around Suur-Teuravuoma that once connected the villages of Teurajärvi, Kurtakko, and Venejärvi. For the latest local notes on duckboard condition and village access, Kylien Kolari summarizes what walkers are seeing on the ground. The Finnish Heritage Agency describes the Kurtakko–Venejärvi corridor as a nationally significant built heritage reminder of sparsely settled Aapa Lapland travel from the late 1800s into the mid-1900s, including the 1878 imperial-funded project and later upkeep cycles. Day hikers and birders looking for a feel of the terrain, towers, and seasonal bird activity will find colour in Retkipaikka’s Teurajärvi outing report. The trail lies beside Teurajärvi in Europe’s largest aapa mire complex; the wider Teuravuoma–Kivijärvenvuoma ensemble is a Ramsar and Natura 2000 wetland complex with open fens, forested bogs, and strong bird habitat. From the Teurajärvi access side you quickly reach Telatie luontotorni, a compact nature tower suited to scanning the lake edge and mire fringe. About 5 km into the route, Telatie Saarijärven laavu and Telatie Saarijärvi polttopuusuoja kuivakäymälä form a natural rest cluster overlooking Saarijärvi—good for sandwiches, a fire, and a pause before deeper mire sections. Around 10 km, Särkilehto puusuoja kuivakäymälä and Särkilehdon vesikaivo sit together near Rantaherko laavu in the same recreational strip where the Ylläs ja Kolari moottorikelkkareitit line runs; treat crossings with care when snowmobile traffic is active. Farther along, Luontotorni is another lookout over wide mire and, in clear weather, toward the Ylläs skyline as described by visitors at the tower. Kurtakon kesänavetan laavu and Venejärven lähtöpaikan laavu bracket the Venejärvi trailhead area with shelters; dry toilets at Venejärven lähtöpaikan kuivakäymälä sit nearby. Jämäräoja tulipaikka and Jämäräoja Kuivakäymälä add a campfire and toilet pair toward the east before the route closes again at Särkilehdon laavu. Winter travellers share markings with Ylläs maastohiihtoladut near Rantaherko laavu; check local grooming and motor-traffic notices before choosing skis versus snowshoes. Kolari is an easy base in western Lapland: trains and Kittilä airport feed the valley, and snowmobile routes reach Teurajärvi in season.

Length & route

The trail is about 17.4 km end to end on one continuous walking line, not a loop. Published walking descriptions of the Telatie core around Suur-Teuravuoma often quote shorter duckboard-only figures near 6–11 km because they measure different segments or legacy alignments; the longer distance here reflects the full mapped corridor between endpoints including forest links and village approach tracks. Expect alternating duckboard stretches, organic-soil paths beside ditches, and short gravel links; several sources caution that boards can be soft or broken, so move with care and consider turning back if planks shift underfoot.

Getting there

Walkers typically start from one of three village trailheads—Teurajärvi, Kurtakko, or Venejärvi—with Teurajärvi the closest drive from Kolari parish centre for many visitors. Kylien Kolari notes Teurajärvi’s location about 10 km from Kolari railway station and roughly 30 km from the Ylläs resort area. Road access to Teurajärvi follows a village lane to a marked parking pocket, information boards, and the duckboard gateway described in trip write-ups. Venejärvi is a longer drive deep in the village network; Kurtakko is the third historic terminus on the mire side. Use official village parking rather than blocking farm gateways.

Good to know

Several recent visitor accounts and village pages stress poor duckboard condition in places and “at your own risk” guidance on information boards; spread out when crossing questionable spans and consider poles or companions for balance. Hunting and statutory wilderness permits may apply on surrounding state and private parcels—check Eräluvat and local bulletins before long detours off the marked corridor. Telatie is part of reindeer husbandry districts; give herds and working dogs space.

History

In 1878 the Russian Imperial Senate funded an 11 km duckboard Telatie through the eastern Suur-Teuravuoma to link Kurtakko and Venejärvi; carriers, hunters, and villagers used it for post, meadow work, berry grounds, and fishing lakes until the route faded from daily use by the 1950s. Fifty years after construction the alignment was maintained again, and between 2000 and 2003 a further restoration project updated the structures. Fragments of the early 1800s meadow cabins and barns survive on Naamijoki flood-meadows near the system. End villages Kurtakko, Venejärvi, and Teurajärvi anchor the network, with Venejärvi forming a nationally valued lakeshore landscape.

Managed by

Kolari

Official Maintenance

+358 40 550 2424

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Walkers often stage out-and-backs from whichever village car park they use; through-hikers may string Teurajärvi–Venejärvi via Kurtakko depending on shuttle plans.

Route direction

Recreation Area

Lake

Blue flagging appears on some mire legs with wooden posts on open fens; winter travellers report needing to follow paint and posts when duckboards disappear under snow.

Route Signs

Retkipaikka – Birdwatching hike on Teuravuoma aapa mire

Activities allowed

Ski

Activity

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

17.4 km

Distance

About 5–8 hours to cover the full 17.4 km in summer conditions, faster if you only hike Teurajärvi–Saarijärvi laavu and back in a half-day outing.

Est. Time

Duckboards, forest soil paths, occasional gravel

Surface

Point-to-Point

Route Type

Light Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

1878

Construction year

2000–2003

Renovation years

Retkipaikka – Birdwatching hike on Teuravuoma aapa mire

Location

67.35945°N, 24.04409°E

Approximate location

FinlandCountry

LaplandRegion

KolariCity

TeurajärviVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Kolari, 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 Kolari Hiking TrailsTeurajärvi Telatie trail

Teurajärvi Telatie trail17.4 km

Route

Telatie luontotorni

1.3 km|Free

Scenic Lookout TowersTelatien luontotorni or Teuravuom Lintutorni

Telatie Saarijärvi polttopuusuoja kuivakäymälä

5.1 km|Free

Outdoor Toilets

Telatie Saarijärven laavu

5.2 km|Free

Wilderness Huts

Särkilehto puusuoja kuivakäymälä

10.3 km|Free

Outdoor Toilets

Särkilehdon vesikaivo

10.4 km|Free

Wells & Springs

Luontotorni

13.1 km|Free

Scenic Lookout Towers

Description

Kylien Kolari – Teurajärvi village+

Description

Length & route

Getting there

Good to know

History

Managed by

Kolari

Official Maintenance

+358 40 550 2424

Trail info

Location

Walkers often stage out-and-backs from whichever village car park they use; through-hikers may string Teurajärvi–Venejärvi via Kurtakko depending on shuttle plans.

Route direction

Recreation Area

Lake

Blue flagging appears on some mire legs with wooden posts on open fens; winter travellers report needing to follow paint and posts when duckboards disappear under snow.

Route Signs

Retkipaikka – Birdwatching hike on Teuravuoma aapa mire

Location

67.35945°N, 24.04409°E

Approximate location

FinlandCountry

LaplandRegion

KolariCity

TeurajärviVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

Activities allowed

Ski

Activity

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

17.4 km

Distance

About 5–8 hours to cover the full 17.4 km in summer conditions, faster if you only hike Teurajärvi–Saarijärvi laavu and back in a half-day outing.

Est. Time

Duckboards, forest soil paths, occasional gravel

Surface

Point-to-Point

Route Type

Light Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

1878

Construction year

2000–2003

Renovation years

Retkipaikka – Birdwatching hike on Teuravuoma aapa mire

Rate & Review

Be the first to write a review for "Teurajärvi Telatie trail"

Share a photo from a recent trip

Answers to your questions

Finland Lapland Kolari Hiking TrailsTeurajärvi Telatie trail