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Saarijärvi loop (Lieksa)

—•Hiking Trails

3.2 km

Route

P 1

Description

City of Lieksa – Änäkäinen outdoor services agreement+

Description

The loop lies in Lieksa in North Karelia, around Lake Saarijärvi in the Änäkäinen area—do not confuse it with trails named Saarijärvi in Central Finland. For who maintains the laavu, cooking shelter, kota, caravan area campfire, and western leg of the circuit, and for possible future changes when lakeside structures are assessed for visitor safety, start from the City of Lieksa’s March 2026 agreement news with Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services. Visit Karelia’s Karhunpolku page explains how the Bear Trail is marked and how Änäkäinen connects into the long-distance corridor, including laavu and kota placement near Saarijärvi on the main route description. Lieksa Travel introduces Änäkäinen’s nature-and-history mix and names a short ring path around Saarijärvi—also called Iso-Änäkäisen—in the northern part of the area. Laavu.org lists coordinates for the roadside lean-to cluster if you are cross-checking map points. Saarijärvi loop is about 3.2 km and follows a true circuit around the lake. The terrain is an easy day outing compared with the steep ridge work farther north on Karhunpolku: think forest paths, some wet shoreline, and—on the east side—boardwalks that officials may someday close if they are judged structurally unsuitable. Along the southern and western shore cluster Saarijärven kota, Saarijärvi keittokatos, Saarijärvi tulentekopaikka (eteläinen), Saarijärvi kuivakäymälä, and nearby Välikangas pysäköintialue for drivers who want to walk in from the car park. Round toward Syväjärvi and you pass Syväjärvi laituri, Syväjärvi asuntovaunualueen tulentekopaikka, and Syväjärvi kuivakäymälä—handy if you combine a short lake outing with the caravan shoreline. The northern end finishes past Saarijärvi laavu - Lieksa, Saarijärvi tulentekopaikka (pohjoinen), and Saarijärvi kuivakäymälä pohjoinen. Dry toilets sit near the shelters; use them as shared amenities for the rest spots rather than as separate destinations. Read more on our pages for Saarijärven kota, Saarijärvi keittokatos, and the laavu when you want booking or hut rules. The same shoreline plugs into longer plans: Karhunpolku (retkeilyreitti) hiking and Karhunpolku (maastopyöräilyreitti) biking share segments here, and Maastopyöräreitti Rukajärventien kierros plus Änäkäinen yhdyspolku offer shorter bike or link options if you want to extend the day. Report windfalls, litter, or shelter damage along Karhunpolku to Lieksa sports maintenance using the contacts on the Visit Karelia page.

Length & route

The trail is about 3.2 km as one lake circuit with many shared facilities on Karhunpolku. Metsähallitus and Lieksa note that, for now, Saarijärvi loop stays open while the western leg sits under Lieksa maintenance, but the full circuit could be withdrawn once east-side boardwalks are judged too poor for customer safety.

Getting there

Drivers often stage from Välikangas pysäköintialue near the Syväjärvi caravan shoreline and shelters, then follow orange-marked Karhunpolku spurs around the lake. Long-distance hikers arrive via Karhunpolku from Patvinsuo or Ruunaa; Visit Karelia and Luontoon.fi trail pages give Änäkäinen timing cues for through hikers. For maintenance issues phone Lieksa sports facilities at +358 40 104 4775 or email jaa.halli@lieksa.fi.

Good to know

Respect fire bans during forest or grass-fire warnings and keep campfires attended—Visit Karelia repeats standard Everyman’s Rights cautions for Karhunpolku. Cell coverage can have gaps in eastern Finland; carry basics even on short loops.

Managed by

Lieksa

Official Maintenance

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Walk either around the lake; the loop is a ring tied into two-way Karhunpolku traffic.

Route direction

orange paint markers and signage on the wider Karhunpolku network where this loop ties in

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Activities allowed

Bike

Activity

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

3.2 km

Distance

About 45–70 minutes for the full 3.2 km loop at an easy pace with short photo or snack stops.

Est. Time

Dirt

Surface

Loop, Single Track

Route Type

Light Traffic

Traffic

Location

63.58112°N, 30.08376°E

Parking coordinates

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 TrailsSaarijärvi loop (Lieksa)