Salla National Park

Salla national park was established at the beginning of 2022, the most recent addition to the Finnish network, covering a block of fells, old-growth forest, bog and streams in eastern Lapland that had long been proposed for protection. The landscape is the transition between the fell country of the north and the forests to the south: rounded summits with open ground above the treeline, spruce and pine below, and wide bogs between. Marked trails and wilderness huts have been developed since designation, and the area is used for walking in summer and for skiing and snowshoeing in the long winter. Reindeer herding continues across the same ground.

What you actually see

• Rounded fell summits - open ground above the treeline.
• Old-growth forest and bog - the lower ground between the fells.
• Marked trails and wilderness huts - the routes developed since 2022.
• Working reindeer herding - the land use continuing in the park.

When to go

March and April for skiing with returning daylight, and July to September for walking. A day or two. Facilities are still developing; check current trail information.

Honest expectations

The park is new and infrastructure is thinner than in long-established parks. It is remote and needs a car. Mosquitoes in midsummer are severe. Winter conditions are serious and require proper equipment.

Nearby

Salla village is north-west; the eastern border lies close.