Arctic Circle National Hiking Area

Hiking area with much infrastructure, such as lean-to shelters. There are three trailheads with parking areas. Coaches to Kemijärvi or Sodankylä stop at Lake Vikajärvi, near one of them. Two nature trails (200 m and 1.5 km) are suitable for wheelchairs and prams, the longer with assistance or motor. There are also longer or more demanding nature trails, as well as marked hiking trails, the longest, Olkkajärvi Hiking Trail of 12 km each way, requiring some hiking skills, suitable footwear and possibly equipment for an overnight stay.

outdoors

Getting there: by E75, 20 km east of Rovaniemi centre
Website: nationalparks.fi (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Rovaniemi, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

Close by

Buy
Kauppa-Shop
Grocery store.
Mon–Fri 07:00–18:00, Sat 08:00–16:00, Sun 10:00–16:00
Do
Santa's Motor Park
A motor park with 750-meter-length track.
Do
Santa Claus Forest nature trail
Joulupukin metsä -luontopolku
A nature trail next to the Santa Claus Village. From the Santa's Village you need to walk through the underpass next to the bus stop and there you are. The trail starts with duckboards over a beautiful aapa-type mire (aapa mires are extremely typical for these latitudes) and then continues to nice pine and spruce forests. In the far end there is a park-like planted spruce colony called "Santa's forest". The trail is 1.5 km in one direction and returns the same route. There are wooden stairs as help at the steepest climbs. The trail is not suitable for the disabled.
Free
Do
Taava Reindeer Farm
See reindeer up close either at the Arctic Circle or 30 minutes away by car at the farm (pickup at the Joulumaa address).