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Paimenen polku connecting trails

—•Hiking Trails

0.7 km

Route

Paimenenvaaran tulentekopaikka

0.0 km|Free

Campfire SpotsTulentekopaikka, käym Paimenenvaara tulentekopaikkaälä, kaivo.

Paimenenvaara kuivakäymälä

0.0 km|Free

Outdoor Toilets

Description

Luontoon.fi – Koli National Park hiking & outdoor+

Description

For closures, route changes, and national-park rules before you head out, check the Koli National Park hiking and outdoor pages on Luontoon.fi. Those pages sit on Metsähallitus’ outdoor service together with the wider trail network descriptions for Lieksa and Koli National Park. Lieksa lies on the west shore of Lake Pielinen. North Karelia is known for Koli’s ridges and forest-and-lake scenery. The trail on our map is about 0.7 km long as one walking line. This entry is the short connector bundle—local “yhdyspolut”—that link the Paimenenvaara service cluster with the larger eastern Ukko-Koli trail network: you can continue onto Ukko-Koli eastern slope trails, Mäkrän Kierto, Kolinuuron Kierros, the main Paimenen polku circle trail, and in winter the Ukko-Koli ski trail corridor is routed in the same landscape matrix. It is not a separate themed loop; Metsähallitus publications and visitor write-ups describe the signature Paimenen polku nature trail as roughly 2.5–2.6 km on Paimenenvaara’s leafy hillside. The 2006 route guide PDF is still useful background but Metsähallitus notes that Koli trail content was renewed in 2020–2023, so pair it with current Luontoon.fi material. Right beside the junction you have Paimenenvaaran tulentekopaikka and Paimenenvaara kuivakäymälä—handy if you are stitching this link into a longer day from Paimenenvaara pysäköintialue at Kotaniementie 10. For the character of the broader Paimenen polku loop, Retkipaikka hosts Luontopolkumies’ walk-through, which describes a steep climb, a wider level shelf (an old cart track feel), Paskovaara’s rocky opening toward Lake Jerö and Verkkovaara, duckboards in wet hollows, and orange circle route marks at junctions on that themed route. Koli.fi summarizes the national park’s extensive marked trail network and reminds that many viewpoints are open rock without railings. Via Karelia places the main Paimenen polku nature loop near Mäkräaho as part of the park’s ring-route family. Use our pages for Paimenenvaaran tulentekopaikka and Paimenenvaara kuivakäymälä for facility detail; for the skiing corridor see our Ukko-Kolin ladut route when you plan snow trips.

Length & route

The trail is about 0.7 km long as one walking line between trail junctions in the Paimenenvaara sector. Official background for the wider themed Paimenen polku loop quotes about 2.6 km on Paimenenvaara in Metsähallitus’ archived route guide; visitor trip descriptions often round the loop to about 2.5 km. Treat Luontoon.fi as the place to confirm the latest route numbering and any renewals after 2020–2023.

Getting there

Paimenenvaara pysäköintialue at Kotaniementie 10 is the practical access point for the Paimenen polku family of trails; Retkipaikka notes space for fewer than ten cars and that bus connections reach Ukko-Koli with a few kilometres still to walk or transfer to the parking. Koli.fi points visitors to Luontokeskus Ukko for on-the-day advice on marked trails.

Good to know

Metsähallitus states the classic Paimenen polku brochure trail had twelve multilingual information boards aimed at schools and nature learners; visitor blogs note that not every older board text matches what you still see on the ground—carry a current map and follow junction markers. Spring snowmelt and rain can make short steep sections awkward; the archived guide mentioned wellington boots for May thaw and rubber boots in wet weather on the full themed route.

Managed by

Lieksa

Official Maintenance

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Either direction along the connector depending on which trunk trail you are joining; junctions on the wider Paimenen polku loop are described with a recommended clockwise circuit in recent visitor mapping notes.

Route direction

National Park

Area

Recreation Area

Visitor trip notes on the main Paimenen polku loop mention orange circle signs at junctions.

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Retkipaikka – Luontopolkumies: Paimenen polku

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

0.7 km

Distance

About 10–15 minutes walking for this short connector alone at an easy pace.

Est. Time

Dirt

Surface

Point-to-Point, Single Track

Route Type

Light Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

Location

63.08213°N, 29.81139°E

Approximate location

FinlandCountry

North KareliaRegion

LieksaCity

Hiking TrailsCategory

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Lieksa, 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 North Karelia Lieksa Hiking TrailsPaimenen polku connecting trails