When did huts.fi research the data for Pahanojankuru loop (Hetehaltija's Enchantment)?

Huts.fi

Pahanojankuru loop (Hetehaltija's Enchantment)

—•Hiking Trails

13.8 km

Route

P 1

Description

Luontoon.fi – Pahanojankurun kierros (Salla)+

Description

For closures, national park rules, and the official trail sheet for this circuit, start with the Pahanojankuru loop materials on Luontoon.fi. The same trail is widely known by the older marketing name Hetehaltijan lumous (“Enchantment of Hetehaltija”) and was formerly called Pahakurun kierros; independent hiking writers still use those names when describing the round of Sallatunturi in Sallan kansallispuisto. The trail is about 13.8 km on the line used here. It tours the Sallatunturi massif and Salla’s national park scenery—forests, mires, ponds, and the steep-sided Pahanojankuru gorge—where Metsähallitus has placed day huts, lean-tos, duckboards, and fireplaces along a marked UKK spine. Many printed descriptions round the full circuit with short links between trailheads to about 15 km; that is a common way to quote the same walk when parking and approach tracks are included. From the Sallatunturi north parking areas you quickly reach the busy Salla fell resort strip: Sallan hiihtokeskus, Holiday Club Salla, and the frisbee course sit within a few hundred metres of the line, so the first kilometres feel like a resort edge before the path dives into spruce forest and duckboards toward Kaippahanoja. About 5 km from the start, Kaippahanojan laavu, Kaippahanoja tulentekopaikka, and dry toilets at Kaippahanoja käymälä form the first long break cluster on mire and forest boardwalks. In the Woods, Dear describes extensive new duckboard construction and a Kaippahanoja day hut beside this segment—worth confirming on the ground if you rely on indoor shelter. The climb deepens toward Pahanojankuru: Pahanojankuru autiotupa, Pahakuru tulentekopaikka, and the toilets at Pahanojankuru käymälä sit at the rim of the gorge. From here you can continue on the national UKK-reitti Hautajärvi - Nuortti toward Pitkälampi and Aatsinginhauta, or follow signs toward Kylmähete. The Kylmähete cluster—Kylmähete päivätupa, Kylmähete tulentekopaikka, Kylmähete Laituri, and Kylmähete käymälä—sits on a small lake shore with views back toward the fells. Tunturilampi laavu 1, Tunturilampi laavu 2, and Tunturilampi käymälä close the lap toward the Tunturi centre side of the fell, where Kaunisharjun kierros, Kaunisharjun latu, and the Ukk-reitti Sallatunturi-Tunturikumpu-Pahanojankuru branch share junctions on the resort side of Sallatunturi. Visit Salla publishes summer and winter route PDFs, trail feedback contacts, and links to live ski-track status; use their outdoor pages alongside Luontoon.fi for Salla-wide parking and seasonal tips. We drew colour and pacing detail from In the Woods, Dear’s on-trail account of the Pahanojankuru round—worth reading for photos and a full walk-through of the duckboards, day huts, and gorge stairs.

Length & route

The trail is about 13.8 km as one continuous hiking line around Sallatunturi. Brochures and Luontoon often describe the same circuit as roughly 15 km when short connections between trailheads are included. The walk is usually planned as a half-day to full-day outing in moderate fell forest terrain.

Getting there

The usual road access to Sallatunturi is from Salla town along Kuusamontie (road 950) toward the fell; Visit Salla links summer hiking PDFs and notes where to pick up paper maps from tourist information and accommodation. For this circuit, In the Woods, Dear recommends starting from the Sallatunturi north slopes (Tunturikummuntie, 98900 Salla) and walking clockwise; you can also join from the nature centre or fell centre areas with a short link. Park at Sallatunturin pohjoisrinne pysäköintialue or Salla pohjoisrinne pysäköintialue when spaces there match your direction of travel. Check Luontoon.fi for the latest parking and approach advice inside Sallan kansallispuisto.

Good to know

Follow Metsähallitus national park guidance on campfires, waste, and staying on marked routes where required. Dogs in Sallan kansallispuisto must be on leash. Duckboards can be slippery when wet; carry traction aids in shoulder seasons. For trail-condition feedback in Salla, Visit Salla lists reittipalaute@salla.fi for coordinated ski and multi-use route reports.

History

The route’s official name on Metsähallitus materials is Pahanojankurun kierros; it was previously marketed as Pahakurun kierros and Hetehaltijan lumous, reflecting Salla’s storytelling around the “hetähaltija” spirit of the fells.

Managed by

Salla

Official Maintenance

Trail info

Sources recommend walking clockwise from the north-slope parking; you can complete the ring in either direction.

Route direction

National Park

Area

Recreation Area

Lake

River

Marked with red square paint marks on trees along the circuit.

Route Signs

Dogs (On Leash)

Dogs

Open / Good Condition

In the Woods, Dear – Sallan Pahakurun kierros

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

13.8 km

Distance

About 4–6 hours for the full circuit, depending on pace and breaks at day huts and lean-tos.

Est. Time

Forest path, duckboards over mires, wooden stairs in places at Pahanojankuru, uneven root and bedrock sections.

Surface

Loop, Single Track

Route Type

Moderate Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

In the Woods, Dear – Sallan Pahakurun kierros

Location

66.77093°N, 28.77763°E

Parking coordinates

FinlandCountry

LaplandRegion

SallaCity

Hiking TrailsCategory

Explore nearby

Sallan liikuntakeskuksen kuntosali

344 m

Holiday Club Salla

151 m

Sallan liikuntakeskus

355 m

Sallan hiihtokeskus

194 m

Aihkipetsi–Ikihonkien wilderness trail

369 m

Free

Grandma's Trail

389 m

Free

Salla bike route

389 m

Free

Ruuhitunturi Trail

369 m

Free

Rate & Review

Be the first to write a review for "Pahanojankuru loop (Hetehaltija's Enchantment)"

Share a photo from a recent trip

Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Salla, 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 Salla Hiking TrailsPahanojankuru loop (Hetehaltija's Enchantment)