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Metla trail

—•Hiking Trails

0.4 km

Route

P 1

Description

Natural Resources Institute Finland – Punkaharju research forest+

Description

Metla trail is about 0.4 km one way in Savonlinna on Punkaharju, inside the Natural Resources Institute Finland research-park area often still associated with the former Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla) name. It works as a short arboretum walk from the research-park car park toward where the longer Kokonharju nature trail begins on the ridge. The trail is not a loop on its own: it links parking, the roughly seven-hectare tree-species collection with over a hundred taxa, and the start of the marked Kokonharju circuit described on the institute’s visitor pages. Natural Resources Institute Finland keeps Punkaharju Tutkimuspuisto open year-round at no charge and points walkers to Metsäbiotalous.fi for maps and themed observation sites. Luontopolkumies reports good signing at the car park and notes that the Kokonharju nature trail proper starts roughly 400 m past the parking area after a first section through the arboretum—ground-truth that lines up with this very short mapped segment before the main orange-marked hill loop. From Kokonharju P-alue you pass interpretation by the exotic and native tree plots; continuing walkers join the about 3 km Kokonharju route with its ridge walking, record-height specimens, and the historic larch stand the institute highlights. Cyclists on Puruveden ympäriajo share the wider trail network near Ratavartija kaivo and the research park; Bikeland summarizes that about 126 km lake circuit for gravel, road, or e-bikes. Etelä-Savo offers dense lake-and-ridge scenery around Savonlinna; this stretch suits a twenty-minute outing paired with Lusto Forest Museum or a longer day on Kokonharju or Hakinkierros. Visit Savonlinna rounds up regional walking and cycling ideas for visitors planning wider itineraries.

Length & route

The trail is about 0.4 km as mapped, a point-to-point connector through the arboretum from Kokonharju P-alue toward the Kokonharju nature-trail start. Natural Resources Institute Finland describes the full Kokonharju round on the ridge at about 3 km beginning from the old-school car-park area in the research park. Allow about 5–10 minutes one way for this short link; pairing it with Kokonharjun polku or Puulajireitti turns the visit into a one- to two-hour outing.

Getting there

Use Kokonharju P-alue by the research park—the same cluster Natural Resources Institute Finland refers to as the old-school parking for Kokonharju—with space for roughly fifteen cars and large map boards noted by independent walkers. Trains stop at Lusto a couple of kilometres away for museum visitors combining the outing. Bikeland lists Puruveden ympäriajo for riders linking Punkaharju with Kesälahti and Kerimäki if you arrive on a bike.

Good to know

Stay on marked paths inside active research plots and respect temporary study closures Natural Resources Institute Finland may post. Dogs are not detailed for this micro-segment; follow general everyman’s-rights etiquette and any on-site instructions. There is no dedicated campfire on this 400 m link—longer neighbouring loops describe shelters elsewhere.

Managed by

Savonlinna

Official Maintenance

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Typically walked from Kokonharju P-alue toward the Kokonharju trail start on the ridge; return the same way or continue onto the longer Kokonharju loop.

Route direction

Information boards in the arboretum; the continuing Kokonharju nature trail is marked with orange blazes on trees.

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

0.4 km

Distance

5–10 minutes one way

Est. Time

Compacted paths and forest floor between arboretum plots; connectors to wider research-park trails.

Surface

Point-to-Point, Single Track

Route Type

Light Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

Location

61.80456°N, 29.31636°E

Parking coordinates

FinlandCountry

South SavoRegion

SavonlinnaCity

PunkaharjuVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

Explore nearby

Harjureitti – Punkaharju ridge trail

349 m

Free

Topelius Trail

349 m

Free

Laivalaituri-Lusto ladut

473 m

Free

Pyhät Polut

337 m

Free

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Savonlinna, 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 South Savo Savonlinna Hiking TrailsMetla trail

Metla trail0.4 km

Route

P 1

Parking 1

0.0 km|Free

Ratavartija kaivo

0.0 km|Free

Wells & Springs

Kokonharju P-alue

0.4 km|Free

Free Parking

Description

Natural Resources Institute Finland – Punkaharju research forest+

Description

Length & route

Getting there

Good to know

Managed by

Savonlinna

Official Maintenance

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Location

Typically walked from Kokonharju P-alue toward the Kokonharju trail start on the ridge; return the same way or continue onto the longer Kokonharju loop.

Route direction

Information boards in the arboretum; the continuing Kokonharju nature trail is marked with orange blazes on trees.

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition