Mikkeli Biking Trails

For the latest access tips, parking, and who the route suits, start with Visit Mikkeli’s Kaihun kierros page(1). The Kaihu circuit is a short, easy outdoor round through ice-marginal ridges and gentle heath between Mikkelipuisto park and the Urpola countryside centre, with lake views and Saimaa Geopark interpretation along the way(1)(2). On this page the mapped line is about 2.6 km as one continuous path. It is not drawn as a closed loop in our data, but on the ground it behaves as a compact outing you can start from several points: Visit Mikkeli recommends the free car park by Kaihun kota off Pursialankatu 5 and notes boards and short descriptions at Kaihunharju’s south end and along the western shores of Kattilanlahti and Kaihunlahti(1). Walking time is often quoted at about 35 minutes for the roughly 2.5 km circuit in visitor material(1)(2), so a leisurely ride on a city or trekking bike is usually quicker on the paved and wide sections. From the Urpola side, Urpolan luontokeskus nuotiopaikka and Urpolan luonnonsuojelualueen nuotiopaikka lie close to Kaihun kierroksen nuotiopaikka, while Kuntokeskus Liikku Mikkeli and EasyFit Mikkeli Setri are a few hundred metres away along Setrikatu if you arrive by car in that block. Mid-route near Kaihun you pass Kaihun frisbeegolfpuisto, Kaihun beachvolleykenttä, and Kaihun uimaranta, where Marin Matkassa highlights the shallow sandy beach, changing cubicles, beach volleyball, and a small playground for a summer swim break(3). Kaihun vuokrakota offers a bookable shelter for groups; check Saimaa Central Park’s kota page for current fees and reservations(3). The line finishes through Mikkelipuiston grillipaikka, Mikkelipuiston beachvolleykenttä, and Mikkelipuiston ulkosalibandykenttä, with Pursialan ulkokuntoilupaikka Mikkeli and Pursialan ulkokuntoilupaikka Pursiala along Pursialankatu for a strength station after the spin. Walkers often pair this outing with Urpolan luontopolku for a quieter nature line on shared shores, while Urpolan latu and Urpolan kuntopolku/latu 2,5 km share winter and running-loop traffic nearby on other mapped routes(1). Visit Mikkeli mentions partial wheelchair access on the easiest, wide segments from the kota parking but advises skipping the hillier parts of the full circuit for mobility users(1). Polkupyörä Etappi in central Mikkeli rents mountain and trekking bikes by the day if you did not bring your own(4).

Otson oikaisu is the middle-distance option among three year-round, colour-marked winter multipurpose loops on Kalevankangas in Mikkeli: City of Mikkeli and Visit Mikkeli list it at 4.2 km alongside Karhun kiertämä (6.2 km) and the shortest loop published as Nallepolku (2.8 km)(1)(2). The mapped ride for this page is about 4.4 km as one continuous loop through the Kalevankangas sport-and-forest edge. Official copy describes easy, mostly level pine-forest riding with small ups and downs, winding around the Hanhilampi nature side of the hill, passing a lean-to, varied woodland, and small waterlines(2). Summaries aimed at visitors note leashed dogs are allowed, horse riding is not, and surfaces can be slippery or uneven—use care(2). Winter care follows the same pattern as the sister loops: City of Mikkeli prepares the multipurpose corridors with a snowmobile and drag while the wider classic ski network stays a separate system—yield to skiers and avoid damaging tracks when you ride or run near latu corridors(1)(3). Velo Saimaa and the city launched the 2019 naming-and-marking project (club vote on cub-themed names, new field signs, three new wooden bridges)(3). The routes are unlit; bring lights if you start or finish in the dark(3). On the ground the loop threads practical waypoints from our map: you start from the Raviradantie sport block near racecourse pitches and Kalevankankaan school and daycare facilities, pass Kalevankankaan ulkokuntoilupuisto and Kalevankankaan kuntoportaat, cut toward Tuulikin hiekkakenttä, then swing through forest toward Kalevankankaan laavu before returning past Saimaa Stadiumi, ice-hall athletics areas, MAH ry fields and halls, Sport Forum and Padel X Mikkeli, and Kalevankankaan ulkokuntoilupaikka. For a longer pedal the same trailhead network adds Kalevankankaan monikäyttöreitti 6,2 km; for a separate marked nature circuit on foot consider Kalevankangas nature trail around Hanhilampi(1)(2). A Retkipaikka report on Kalevankangas captures wide winter corridors, bridges toward Hanhilampi, and busy intersections where several route types meet—useful context before mixing bikes and skis on the same hill(5). On Velo Saimaa mountain-biking pages you will find regular Tuesday departures from Polkupyörä Etappi and Thursday meetups off Raviradantie if you want company on nearby forest loops(4).

The Cycling route around Häkkilä is a long mountain-bike loop in the Kyyvesi lake countryside of former Haukivuori, now part of Mikkeli in South Savo. The mapped ride is about 41.7 km and forms a circuit. Haukivuori’s nature tourism pages describe it as roughly 42 km, following roads and paths that brush the signed Häkkilä hiking trail network beside Lake Kyyvesi(1). The described start is at the junction of Porsaskoskentie and highway 72(1), in the same general corner of the district as Pitkähiekan uimaranta on Porsaskoskentie 60. Early on the loop you pass Pitkähiekan uimaranta, a lakeshore swimming spot that works well as a quick swim or photo stop. Around eight kilometres into the ride you are near Vehkamäen kota, a wilderness kota on the walking and cycling corridor that links the northern and southern Häkkilä circuits. Near the northeast side of the loop, Laihalahti nuotiopaikka is a sheltered campfire point off Laihalahdentie—handy for a longer break. Several stretches run through forest, gravel roads, and lakeshore shoreline typical of Järvi-Suomi; where the line shares ground with Häkkilä retkipolku branches, expect a mix of blue-signed walking trail sections on the southern shore loop and yellow ribbon or square paint marks on trees along the northern trail as the land manager describes for those hiking lines(1). The route meshes with our mapped hiking corridor Häkkilä Trail, Northern Route, which shares lean-tos and viewpoints such as Keronlahden keittokatos and Keronvuoren näköalapaikka for riders who combine both networks in one visit(1). Visit Mikkeli gathers longer day-ride ideas around Haukivuori and the wider Mikkeli region if you want to extend toward Naarajärvi or add lakeside kilometres after this loop(3). For printed background on how the walking trails and fire places are arranged, Haukivuori still publishes brochure and map links from the same page block(1). Luontopolkumies captured a summer 2019 walk-through of the southern hiking branch with photos of Kapustasalmi parking, marker spacing, and path firmness in dry weather—worth reading even though the trip was on foot(4). Always verify campfire rules and any trail notices with the City of Mikkeli outdoor services pages before you ride; they carry map links and seasonal guidance for the wider municipality(2).

This is the shortest of three year-round, colour-marked winter multipurpose loops on Kalevankangas in Mikkeli—published as Nallepolku alongside longer Otson oikaisu and Karhun kiertämä on City of Mikkeli’s Kalevankangas outdoor pages(1) and on Visit Mikkeli’s trail overview(2). The trail is about 2.1 km for the line used here. On easy pine-forest terrain it is intended for mountain biking, walking, running, and snowshoeing when conditions allow; in winter the city clears snow from these corridors with a snowmobile pulling a small drag, while keeping skiers on the wider ski-track network separate(1)(3). The routes are not lit(3). Dogs may accompany you(3). Velo Saimaa cycling club and Mikkeli Sport Services planned the 2019 naming and marking project: trail names were chosen by club vote on a “bear cub” theme, the city marked the trails and built three new wooden bridges(3). For day-to-day questions the city lists the sports-facilities supervisor at Raviradantie 2(1); Visit Mikkeli also lists tourism contact details for the same area(2). Velo Saimaa’s mountain-biking pages describe an active local scene with regular group rides—Tuesday departures from Polkupyörä Etappi and Thursday meetups near Raviradantie—useful if you want company on nearby forest routes(4). Luontopolkumies’ Retkipaikka walk-through of Kalevankankaan luontopolku captures how busy and well-linked the harju outdoor hub feels, with wide winter ski corridors, foot bridges toward Hanhilampi, and clear signing where several route types meet(5). Along the route you pass practical fitness stops in the Kalevankangas sports campus: early on you are near Kalevankankaan kuntoportaat, then the corridor runs toward Rouhialan koulun pallokenttä and Tuulikin hiekkakenttä before curling past Raviradantie’s Sport Forum cluster—kuntokeskus, hall courts, and Padel X—and finishing near Kalevankankaan koulun liikuntasali, lähiliikuntapaikka, ulkokuntoilupuisto, and tekonurmi. For a longer ride the same hub offers Monikäyttöreitti Otson oikaisu and Kalevankankaan monikäyttöreitti 6,2 km, and for a separate marked nature loop on foot you can add Kalevankankaan luontopolku around Hanhilampi(1)(2). Kalevankankaan laavu on connecting routes sits a bit deeper in the forest network for a fire-pit stop when you combine trails.