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Koppelo mountain bike loop, Tankavaara

—•Biking Trails

2.4 km

Route

P 1

Description

Luontoon.fi – Tankavaaran luontopolku Koppelo+

Description

For markings, facilities, seasonal use, and the latest Metsähallitus guidance on Koppelolenkki at Tankavaara in Urho Kekkonen National Park, start with the Tankavaaran luontopolku Koppelo page on Luontoon.fi. Visit Sodankylä notes that mountain biking is allowed in summer on all marked routes in the park —stay on the marked corridor, give way to walkers, and keep speed sensible on shared forest tread. The riding route here is about 2.4 km as one forest loop through candle-spruce woodland on Tankavaara fell near Sodankylä in Lapland. Taipaleita and Maailma kotina both often describe the same ring as about 3 km for walkers. The first part is often gravelled; further along, trip accounts describe rooty and stony tread and short duckboard crossings, with modest climbing—on the order of 50 m cumulative gain when measured on foot. The trail is marked with blue pine-cone symbols on green posts. One recommended direction of travel is counterclockwise. From near the start you pass Tankavaara Gold Disc Golf. About 0.8 km along the ring, Tankavaaran luontopolun kota, Tankavaaran luontopolku tulipaikka 2, and dry toilets sit together; a little farther, Tankavaaran luontopolun tulipaikka works as another break spot. Tankavaaran lintutorni comes up before you close the loop toward Tankavaara pysäköintialue. A reconstructed dugout (korsu) and wartime interpretation along the wider Tankavaara network appear in visitor write-ups; the black pine-cone variant marks the separate war-history spur shared with longer Kuukkeli, not the blue Koppelo marking. The same marked ring is also published for walking as Tankavaaran luontopolku Koppelo. For more distance, riders often combine Tankavaaran maastopyöräilyreitti Kuukkeli, Tankavaaran geologinen polku maastopyöräreitti, or Tankavaaran maastopyöräilyreitti Urpiainen from the Sompio-talo trailhead area. In midwinter, routes are mainly thought of for snowshoeing rather than riding; Retkipaikka warns that untouched drifted snow is common until spring packs the surface, so expect soft going and read markers carefully at crossings.

Length & route

About 2.4 km as one mapped loop. Walking-oriented listings and trip reports often describe the same ring as roughly 3 km. On a mountain bike, allow from about 20 minutes up to perhaps 45 minutes with photo stops and care on roots and duckboards.

Getting there

Park at Tankavaara pysäköintialue on Tankavaarantie; a footpath leads to the Sompio-talo yard at the former Tankavaara nature centre, where Kuukkeli, Koppelo, and Urpiainen depart from the right-hand gate in visitor descriptions. Tankavaara Gold Museum summarises road access from Finnish national road 4 for visitors coming from Saariselkä or Sodankylä. Follow blue pine-cone posts for Koppelolenkki. For bike hire and winter guided snowshoe options near the trailhead, see Where to rent bikes and Guided tours & experiences on this page. Use the coordinates on our page for Tankavaara pysäköintialue when navigating.

Good to know

Use campfire spots such as Tankavaaran luontopolku tulipaikka 2 and Tankavaaran luontopolun tulipaikka only when Metsähallitus rules and wildfire warnings allow. Dogs stay on leash in the national park. Snow and crossing trails make winter riding a poor default plan here; snowshoeing is the more typical winter mode on these loops. Firewood at the kota is not always available on site; ask locally if you plan a fire.

Where to rent bikes

Kuukkeli Rental Shop hands over bikes at Kuukkeli Rental Office, Kiveliöntie 8, Saariselkä—roughly half an hour by road from Tankavaara. Their online booking catalogue lists e-fatbikes and other mountain bikes for hires from a few hours upward; on-site materials describe using a bike for a longer spin into Urho Kekkonen National Park. Phone +358 44 363 6893.

Guided tours & Experiences

Tankavaara Gold Village runs snowshoe hire and guided snowshoeing on the fell beside these Tankavaara trails. Programme lengths, prices, and the booking link are on their snowshoeing rentals and guided trips page.

Managed by

Sodankylä

Official Maintenance

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

One visitor account describes riding the loop counterclockwise.

Route direction

Blue pine-cone symbols on green posts.

Route Signs

Dogs (On Leash)

Dogs

Open / Good Condition

Taipaleita – Luontopolku Koppelo (3 km), Tankavaara+

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Bike

Activity

Terrain & conditions

2.4 km

Distance

Often about 1–1.5 hours on foot for the ring in visitor accounts; on a bike, roughly 20–45 minutes depending on pace and stops.

Est. Time

Gravelled segments near the trailhead, then rooty and rocky forest tread with short duckboard crossings in places.

Surface

Loop, Wide Track

Route Type

Light Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

Taipaleita – Luontopolku Koppelo (3 km), Tankavaara

Location

68.17769°N, 27.09713°E

Parking coordinates

FinlandCountry

LaplandRegion

SodankyläCity

TankavaaraVillage

Biking TrailsCategory

Explore nearby

Tankavaara Gold Disc Golf

359 m

Free

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Sodankylä, 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 Sodankylä Biking TrailsKoppelo mountain bike loop, Tankavaara