Lohja Kayaking Routes

Lohjanjärvi Kayak Island Tour is about 9.5 km of lake paddling on a loop around the eastern bays and islands of Lohjanjärvi near Lohja town centre. City of Lohja publishes paddling routes on its map service and offers a waterproof 1:25 000 Lohjanjärvi recreation map with depth contours, boat channels, and shore services—useful for planning landings and breaks(1). From the Paloniemi shore, the line reaches Kaurassaaren laavu a few minutes out, then crosses toward Ollisaari where the short Ollisaaren polku hiking loop ties together a pier, campfire sites, a cooking shelter, a tent camping area, a reservable sauna, and a landing cove suited to kayaks. Hevossaaren Laavu sits close by along the same island cluster—easy to combine with a swim or a pause before the longer open crossing toward Liessaari. On the Liessaari side, bridges and beaches link to Liessaaren rantauimala, two laavut on the western end of the island, and the Haikari shore where an outdoor gym and winter-swimming sauna sit near the street end of the bay; Voudinpuiston uimapaikka lies a little farther along the city shore if you want a municipal beach stop before closing the loop back toward Paloniemi. Patikalla’s Patikkamuistio describes a roughly ten-kilometre island-hopping day from Paloniemen uimaranta via Kaurassaari, Ollisaari, Hevossaari, and Liessaari—matching the same cluster of beaches and shelters you see along this loop(2). On land, Paloniemen luonto- ja kulttuuripolku starts near the Paloniemi beaches; Liessaaren luonto ja hyvinvointipolku explores the island’s paths; in winter the Aurlahti–Hevossaari tour-skating track follows connected shorelines that overlap parts of this water tour. SeastarEvents runs guided open-canoe trips on Lohjanjärvi from the Haikarinkatu end of Liessaari (about 4–6 km on the water in three hours, seasonal booking), with equipment and instruction included—suitable if you want an introduction before paddling the full loop independently(3). Tony Hagerlund’s Paloniemi beach article notes the shallow, family-friendly sand and tree shade at Paloniemen uimaranta—typical put-in character for this side of the lake(4).

The Enäjärvi–Särkisalo kayaking route is a 74 km point-to-point multi-day paddle from the clear-water Enäjärvi lake in Lohja through the Kiskonjoki–Perniönjoki river system to the archipelago coast at Särkisalo. The route crosses from Uusimaa into the Salo area of Southwest Finland, flowing downstream through a chain of lakes, a protected river valley, and a dramatic rapids section before reaching the sheltered bays and open sea near Särkisalo. For current route information, the Salon Seudun Melamogulit paddling club maintains descriptions of the Kiskonjoki route sections on their website(1). The route begins at Sipilän uimapaikka on Enäjärvi — a clear lake straddling the Lohja and Salo municipal boundaries — and heads southwest through a connected chain of smaller lakes including Nummijärvi, Sikajärvi, and Kurkelanjärvi before reaching Kiskon Kirkkojärvi. The Kiskonjoki river begins at the southwestern end of Kirkkojärvi and flows south and west through a narrow, lush valley characteristic of southern Finnish river landscapes. This upper river section passes through the village of Koski, where a hydroelectric plant regulates water levels; upstream of the plant, the old Slussinkoski is typically calm, but below it the current picks up noticeably. Around the midpoint the river widens into Saarenjärvi, a four-kilometre-long shallow lake flanked by rocky ridges and agricultural land. Saarenjärvi is a nationally important bird habitat and, together with the adjacent Vähäjärvi, is part of the national bird sanctuary programme. In dry summers the lake can become very shallow — the paddling club notes it may be impassable in low-water years, so checking conditions beforehand is wise(1). Below Saarenjärvi the river narrows and twists westward into hillier terrain, building toward one of Southern Finland's most spectacular rapids: Latokartanonkoski. Latokartanonkoski drops roughly 16 metres over 500 metres of river — the Kiskonjoki's signature feature and a required portage. Paddlers land on the right bank before the falls and carry around the cascade. The slope is steep and can challenge beginners. At the portage point, the Latokartanonkosken pysäköintialue parking area provides road access, and the short Latokartanonkosken luontopolku nature trail explores the mill ruins and riverside forest nearby. After the portage the river continues west and then converges with the Perniönjoki below Muntolannokka. The combined river flows into Laukanlahti bay and out to the Archipelago Sea. The final stretch near the coast crosses open water before reaching Särkisalo, and Mia Suppaa's paddling blog describes the downstream current carrying paddlers smoothly toward the sea with wind often from behind(2). The Kiskonjoki and its estuary are part of the Kiskonjoen vesistö Natura 2000 protected area (309 ha, FI0200083), one of the most ecologically significant river systems in southern Finland(3). The river holds populations of the critically endangered thick-shelled river mussel (vuollejokisimpukka), and salmon and sea trout have returned in recent years — a fish ladder built at Hamarinkoski in 2012 re-opened upstream spawning grounds. The rich waterway is home to white-tailed eagles, ospreys, kingfishers, gray herons, cranes, bitterns, and otters. The Lifedream paddling blog describes spotting a white-tailed eagle circling overhead just one kilometre into the Kiskonjoki section, along with herons, swans, deer on the banks, and cattle drinking at river bends(4). Kayak rental is available at the southern end of the route. Valla Outdoors operates a staffed rental point at Meripirtti beach in Särkisalo from June and in July also offers self-service kayak rental at Niksaari (daily 10am–4pm), where paddlers can also access more exposed open-sea waters of the outer archipelago(5). For the middle section, Extreme Fun (Kaitsu) in the Kisko area has historically offered kayak and canoe rentals with equipment delivery to the Aijalan sillalta put-in on the Kiskonjoki(1).

The Antiaisenkannas portage is a short land carry for canoes and kayaks across the forested isthmus between Lake Antiainen and Lake Tämäkohtu on the Lohja–Karkkila boundary in Uusimaa. On our map the portage is about 0.3 km as a single line between landing spots; it is not a water paddle but the link that lets you move boats from one lake to the other. The Uusimaa Outdoor Recreation Association manages the surrounding Antiaisenkannas recreation area (about 10 hectares) and describes the narrow isthmus as a practical bridge between the two lakes for paddlers(1). The same page lists services visitors can expect: a parking area, an information board, a rest spot, and a dry toilet, and it repeats that open fires are forbidden and dogs must be on a leash(1). Paths in the area are narrow natural forest tracks and are not suitable for everyone; the road through the area is maintained in winter but the parking area is not(1). Along the portage trace, you pass Antiaisenkannas landing spots at either end of the carry, with Antiaisenkannas parking partway along the forest road and a dry toilet near that parking pull-off. Patikkamuistio’s write-up of the wider Antiaisen-lake circuit notes Antiaisenkannas parking as a workable put-in for multi-lake trips and describes easy carries between nearby lakes where paths exist(3). For regional context, the City of Lohja publishes paddling routes on its map service with blue dashed lines and offers printed lake touring charts for Lohja’s lake district(2). Lohja lies in Uusimaa; the postal address given for the recreation area is Nummi-Pusula(1).