With the right gear, hiking is fun all year round

With the right gear, hiking is fun all year round!

Winter is a great time to go on a hike – just make sure you have the right gear and attitude. In Ruka-Kuusamo, you can head to a winter wonderland on snowshoes or skinbased skis with a guide or by renting equipment for a self-organised trip.

On snowshoes or skinbased skis, you can reach the river valleys of Oulanka National Park, the peaks of Riisitunturi fell, the ridge scenery of Hossa National Park and the peaks of Rukatunturi, Valtavaara, Konttainen and Pyhävaara along marked trails.

Updated information during winter 2025:

Please note that parking along Myllykoskentie is temporarily prohibited (at least until 16 March 2025) for visitors to Oulanka National Park. The only official parking area for Pieni Karhunkierros Trail (also marked on Metsähallitus maps) is located in Juuma. Signs with parking restriction information can be found at the beginning of the road and near the gates leading to Basecamp.

During the holiday season, cars parked along the road have blocked access for both staff and visitors to workplaces and privately owned cottages. Bus access to Basecamp has also been disrupted. Myllykoskentie is a private road, and the decision to prohibit parking has been made by the landowners, as visitors have been using their land for parking.

Walking is strictly forbidden on ski trails, with a few exceptions

Walking is allowed in Kuusamo centre on the edge of the Ympäryslatu circular ski trail along the route Kolvankijoki bridge – Sports centre – Kirkkosaari bridge – Tolpanniementie.

Walking is allowed in Ruka on Vuosseli outdoor trail and also on the Talvijärvi dog trail if the dog trail runs as a separate ski trail next to the actual ski trail tracks.

These ski trail sections have clear signs regarding walking on the trail.

Sledding/tobogganing/sliding is not allowed on nature trails!

While it’s mostly fine and safe to pull a toddler uphill in a sled on a trail, sliding downhill is unsafe for both the sledder and others on the trail.

The terrain in the Ruka area, as well as in the national parks of Kuusamo and nearby regions, is highly varied, and sledding on trails can cause sudden dangerous situations. Sliding with a snow slider also makes the trails slippery for hikers.

It’s important to remember that in the event of an accident, it can be difficult and time-consuming for rescue personnel to reach remote nature sites. The risk of hypothermia for the injured person and their companions is a serious concern. Let’s act responsibly and sled only in places where it’s safe to do so! More information on page Snow sledding.

New: Multi-purpose Vuosseli Outdoor Trail

Ruka's Vuosseli trail, known as a skiing trail for decades, has transformed into an outdoor trail with various forms of mobility in a project spanning several years. In its winter form, the outdoor trail offers space for Nordic and skate skiing, fatbike riding and walking. During the summer, the trail can be used for walking, running, cycling (regardless of tire width), and optionally, dog walking (dog walking is prohibited in the winter).

More information on page Cross-country ski trails.

What on earth are skinbased skis?

Skinbased skis are fairly short and wide skis with strips of synthetic hair underfoot to add grip. Skinbased skis glide when you are going forward and provide grip when the ski would otherwise glide back, such as when climbing up a hill. Skinbased skis have bindings that are like snowshoes, which means you can use regular, sturdy winter shoes with skinbased skis. As getting around with skinbased skis is gliding, similar to skiing, you will also need ski poles with wide baskets when heading out.

Many who enjoy the great outdoors on skinbased skis prefers high-ankled neoprene boots that provide support when moving about in hilly places, because the support from the shoe helps when heading downhill. Skinbased skis are excellent when you are heading out at a time when there is already some snow and it’s fairly dry. In places with little snow and damp snow (e.g. when water rises above a lake’s icy surface), skinbased skis are not at their best, because the hair freezes and gets scratched eaily.

If you are hiking with dogs, skinbased skis are a great choice because the trail they provide is consistent, when compared to individual, deep steps formed by snowshoes. It’s easy for your dog to follow you when you are on your skinbased skis.

Winter hiking trails

Snowshoes and skinbased skis open up the access to the trails of Oulanka, Riisitunturi and Hossa National Parks as well as the trails of Rukatunturi, Valtavaara, Konttainen and Pyhävaara.

Snowshoe trails in Ruka area as well as to Konttainen, Kiutaköngäs and Myllykoski can usually be accessed by foot during winter except of heavy snowfall and during melting snow cover in springtime. These trails are not maintained by groomers.

Vuosseli Trail is a multi-purpose trail, available for skier, fatbikers and walkers alike. This trail is maintained by groomer.