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Olkkajärvi hiking trail

—•Hiking Trails

10.4 km

Route

Description

Etiäinen – Olkkajärvi hiking trail+

Description

The trail is about 10.4 km as a one-way summer hike through the Arctic Circle hiking area near Rovaniemi in Lapland. Etiäinen outlines fells, wet aapa mires, and the Raudanjoki river with rapids and riverside forest, and Luontoon.fi gathers the same landscape under the Napapiirin retkeilyalue destination pages. Retkipaikka’s Suoluontopolku walk shows how Vianaapa’s boardwalks behave when thaw water still sits under the planks, which is a useful reality check for footwear and timing. You normally begin from Vaattunki pysäköintialue at the end of Vaattunkikönkääntie, cross the footbridges to Könkäänsaari, and follow Könkäiden polku before joining Suoluontopolku on raised wooden walkways. Karhukummun laavu sits right beside the early forest track; Könkäänsaari laituri and the Könkäänsaaren laavu and Könkäänsaari laavu 2 cluster on the small island overlooking moving water. About 1.5 km along the route you reach Vianaapa lintutorni on the wetland ring—Retkipaikka used it as the scenic hinge of their Suoluontopolku day—before Etiäinen directs you to leave Suoluontopolku roughly 200 m east of that tower toward the Olkkajärvi leg. From there the character changes: roughly nine kilometres continue without duckboards even where the mire stays soft, so waterproof boots and careful pacing are part of the kit. The marked climb touches Rantakivalo slopes and rocky ridges, drops toward Korvanaapa with a documented spring near a snowmobile crossing, then ascends steeply to Korvavaara before descending through spruce draws toward Korvalampi and finishing in mixed mire and pine forest at Olkkajärven laavu on Olkkajärvi’s shore. Return is along the same path unless you arrange your own pick-up at the lake end. Along this route you share trailheads with Suoluontopolku and Könkäiden polku, and the broader Vaattunki network—including Könkäänsaari esteetön luontopolku, Jaaran kodan polku near the lean-tos, and the long Kalliosalmi - Olkkajärvi vesiretkeilyreitti for paddlers—gives plenty of ideas for shorter or wet-day alternatives.

Length & route

The trail is about 10.4 km one-way on foot in summer. Etiäinen classifies it as demanding and quotes roughly ten hours for that one-way trip, reflecting slow progress through brushy mire, steep climbs, and faint path sections tracked with orange paint. The first leg on Suoluontopolku is easy boardwalk and forest path; once you leave the tower area the roughly nine-kilometre continuation omits duckboards even across wet ground. Retkipaikka measured Suoluontopolku itself near nine kilometres for their November loop with boardwalks, which helps set expectations for how different the terrain feels once you step off that maintained ring toward Olkkajärvi.

Getting there

From central Rovaniemi, drive Sodankyläntie about 22.1 km toward Sodankylä, turn right onto Vaattunkikönkääntie, and continue roughly 2.1 km to Vaattunki pysäköintialue at the road end. Walk Könkäiden polku about 1.6 km, turn right onto Suoluontopolku, and leave Suoluontopolku roughly 200 m east of Vianaapa lintutorni for the Olkkajärvi fork. Sodankyläntie bus services can get you close enough to walk the last forest road link, according to Etiäinen. Vikakönkään pysäköintialue sits nearer Sodankyläntie for other Vaattunki loops.

Good to know

Etiäinen recommends this hike for summer on foot only because the long middle section crosses wet mire without boardwalks. Lean-tos at Karhukumpu, along Suoluontopolku at Säynäjäoja, and at Olkkajärvi each pair a fireplace with a woodshed and dry toilet; carry your own fire-starting kit and leave shelters tidy. When the marsh surface is only partly frozen, follow the same caution Retkipaikka describes on Suoluontopolku—thin ice and hidden water under duckboards are real hazards.

Managed by

Rovaniemi

Official Maintenance

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Hike from Vaattunki toward Olkkajärvi along the marked summer route; return the same way or arrange transport from the lake end.

Route direction

Recreation Area

Island

Lake

River

Orange paint blazes after you leave the broad Suoluontopolku boardwalks.

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Etiäinen – Olkkajärvi hiking trail

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

10.4 km

Distance

About 10 hours one way at a careful pace, per Etiäinen.

Est. Time

Duckboards / Dirt

Surface

Point-to-Point, Single Track

Route Type

Light Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

Location

66.58796°N, 26.13047°E

Approximate location

FinlandCountry

LaplandRegion

RovaniemiCity

VikajärviVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

Explore nearby

Kielosaari Plant and Fungus Trail

436 m

Free

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Rovaniemi, 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 Rovaniemi Hiking TrailsOlkkajärvi hiking trail