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Tähtipolku (Salpausselkä Trails)

—•Hiking Trails

3.5 km

Route

Description

City of Lahti – Tähtipolku+

Description

Tähtipolku is a roughly 3.5 km point-to-point connector on the Salpausselkä Trails network in Lahti, linking the city-side sports area toward Tapanila forest. For full route notes, maps, GPX, and seasonal reminders, use the City of Lahti’s Tähtipolku page. Lahden seudun luonto explains how the first Salpausselkä ridge formed at the ice margin and how kettle terrain and mixed pine–spruce forest shape the landscape you travel through. Visit Lahti places the wider trail system in the Salpausselkä UNESCO Global Geopark story. The trail is marked with pink arrows in both directions and gains about 50 m in total. From the Vanha Ravirata side it threads spruce forest, passes historical trench earthworks, uses a short light-traffic path link, then passes the observatory (tähtitorni) and crosses Sammalsuonkatu with care. A steep, fast descent with limited sight lines drops into a kettle-lined notch typical of the ridge; the slopes beside it show deep suppa hollows. After the notch you climb toward the marked junction near Tapanilan hiihtomaja, where green-marked Tapanilan taival - Salpausselkä Trails and other Salpausselkä routes branch off. Along the way the route shares short segments with blue-marked Raviksen rento - Salpausselkä trails and meets the Pirttipolku - Salpausselkä trails corridor toward Kärpäsen school. Near Suurmäen näkötorni you are close to the lookout and observatory skyline above Hämeenlinnantie; the senior outdoor gym at Kasakanpuiston senioriulkokuntolaitteet sits where the path swings past Kärpäsenmäki. Toward Tapanila the trail passes Pirttiharjun pallokenttä and finishes near Tapanilan hiihtomaja and Tapanilan ulkokuntolaitteet, a practical turnaround point before returning toward the city or continuing onto longer loops such as Hakalaukunlenkki ja Hakalaukunpolku - Salpausselkä Trails or Kintterön kymppi - Salpausselkä Trails. You can combine Tähtipolku with Tapanilan taival - Salpausselkä Trails for a longer round of about 6.8 km, or take a marked shortcut (dashed-arrow junction) down to Tapanilan taival before Sammalsuonkatu for roughly 5 km. Expect other trail users on narrow sections; give space on blind crests and descents.

Length & route

The trail is about 3.5 km as a single two-way segment with roughly 50 m of elevation gain. Sections alternate between narrow, rooty singletrack and short wider tread, including about 300 m on the bike path beside Hämeenlinnantie. Lahden seudun luonto notes dozens of kettle holes and mixed forest structure on the Salpausselkä ridge around Tapanila, matching the suppa slopes you see beside the steepest descent.

Getting there

Primary start from Vanha Ravirata at Vaskelaisenrinne 11, with map links on the City of Lahti page. You can also join from the trail junction above Tapanilan hiihtomaja when travelling toward the city, or link in from Kärpäsenmäki via Pirttipolku toward Kankaankatu; buses serve Kärpäsenmäki with about 300 m walk to the path crossing. Use kartta.lahti.fi or the PDF maps bundled with the Salpausselkä Trails pages because markers are occasionally vandalised.

Good to know

Dogs must be on a leash on Salpausselkä Trails, including Tähtipolku. The route briefly touches the Finlandia ski course; when the classic track is groomed in February, bypass it from the side rather than walking on the ski lane. In darkness use lights and reflectors; forest trails are not lit although signs are reflective.

Managed by

Lahti

Official Maintenance

Trail info

Marked both ways; optional return via Tapanilan taival - Salpausselkä Trails for a longer loop.

Route direction

Recreation Area

pink

Route Signs

Dogs (On Leash)

Dogs

Activities allowed

Run

Activity

Hike / Walk

Activity

Bike

Activity

Terrain & conditions

3.5 km

Distance

about 1–2 hours on foot; about 20–40 minutes by mountain bike

Est. Time

Dirt / Gravel

Surface

Point-to-Point, Single Track

Route Type

Moderate Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

Location

60.98324°N, 25.61975°E

Approximate location

FinlandCountry

Päijät-HämeRegion

LahtiCity

Hiking TrailsCategory

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Lahti, 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 Päijät-Häme Lahti Hiking TrailsTähtipolku (Salpausselkä Trails)