Lampivaara Amethyst Mine - Luosto Winter Trails
The Lampivaara Amethyst Mine winter trail invites you to walk and snowshoe in the snowy old forests of Luosto, Lapland. In the frosts of January and February, the landscape is particularly fairytale-like, with the crown-snow trees painting a beautiful nature scene. In March and April, the deep green of the forest and the rays of the spring sun on the slopes are the best part of the hike.
Along the Lampivaara trail, you climb to the top of Pikku-Luosto fell, with sweeping views of the snowy Ukko-Luosto peak and the surrounding fells in the distance. At Lampivaara, the hike can be completed with a guided visit to an amethyst mine or by stopping for a coffee at the café.
Winter route of the Lampivaara Amethyst Mine
The Lampivaara Amethyst Mine can be reached in winter by walking or snowshoeing, fatbike cycling and cross-country skiing. The walking and snowshoeing trail starts either from the Luosto gate or from the Ukko-Luosto car park.
The Lampivaara trail is an easy to moderate winter route. The ascents and descents of the trail provide a bit of exercising in fresh air. About half of the trail is on the same track as the maintained winter cycling trail.
The route is marked in winter with blue plough sticks and blue squares on tree trunks. There are also metal signposts at crossings, snowshoe icons and maps of Luosto.
The Lampivaara winter trail as a circular route is about 5.5 km from the Ukko-Luosto P area, with an ascent of about 130 metres.
Luostonportti gate
The Luosto-Lampivaara snowshoe route from Luostonportti is 7.7 km long, according to the nationalparks.fi website. The route starts at the Luostonportti gate, passes the Luosto stairs to the Ukko-Luosto car park, follows the ring trail to the amethyst mine and then returns to the Luosto gate.
The Ukko-Luosto stairs are not in use in winter. The stairs run through an avalanche area, so even a short visit to the stairs is not recommended.
The Lampivaara ring route is much shorter from the Ukko-Luosto P area, and there is no need to walk the same path twice.
Ukko-Luosto parking area
Ukko-Luosto parking is located at the end of Ukko-Luostontie road. The parking area is quite spacious, but fills up quickly on a beautiful winter day.
Next to the parking lot you will find a large map of Luosto with summer and winter trails and Luosto cross-country skiing tracks. The Ukko-Luosto car park provides easy access to both Lampivaara and the top of Ukko-Luosto.
Lampivaara trail description in winter
When you start from the highest parking area and go around the ring trail counter-clockwise, you will see a signpost with a snowshoe route icon next to the parking area. The trail first runs for a while in the woods on flat terrain towards Lampivaara.
The route meanders and crosses a small wooden bridge. At this point the route is also marked in blue squares on tree trunks. After a while, the path forks: the signpost points right to Ukko-Luosto and the Lampivaara trail continues straight ahead.
The trail continues over hilly terrain surrounded by lichen covered candle-shaped fir trees. The trail is gently sloping and the route is fast to walk. A signpost and map await you at the junction. The Lampivaara trail continues to the left over the Pikku-Luosto.
The crossing of Pikku-Luosto is the only major ascent and descent of the route, where you climb above the tops of the trees. Higher up, the slopes of Pikku-Luosto offer the finest views of the Lampivaara Amethyst Mine route towards Luosto - the Ukko-Luosto weather tower stands out against the blue sky in the distance.
From the top, there are also fine views towards Lampivaara before descending back into the forest. The path descends the slope, first a little steeper until it becomes quite flat terrain again.
Shortly before reaching Lampivaara, the path runs alongside cross-country skiing tracks. A grey café made of logs stands out among the fir trees. Lampivaara had still a campfire site last winter, but now there is no fireplace. But there is a dry toilet behind the café.
Lampivaara café
The Lampivaara café is a rest stop in the Pyhä-Luosto National Park, that has become familiar to many people during hikes and skiing days. The café is one of the oldest buildings in the area. It is located about five kilometres from the centre of Luosto, near Lampivaara, and is not accessible by car. The nearest car parks are the Ukko-Luosto and Rykimäkero car parks, about 2,5 km from the café.
The café serves as an information and ticketing point for the Amethyst Mine, and is the starting point for visits to the mine. In winter, the service road is not ploughed, but you can get there on foot, fatbike, skis or snowshoes from the car parks. There is also a separate shuttle service to the mine during the winter season. The Lampivaara café is open during the winter season, usually from December to April.
Even if the spring sun has melted the frosty crown-snow scenery away from the Lampivaara trail, the café's warm doughnut and coffee will make your day.
From the café, the snowshoe trail starts to descend along the winter cycling route near the Lampivaara service road. Check the routes at the start, as the winter cycling trail also runs higher up along the lower slope of the Pikku-Luosto along the Luosto fitness trail.
As I saw a group of hikers coming up the upper route, I took the wrong route myself on the way back. There were no cyclists on the upper route and the scenery was probably better than the correct route close to the road.
However, both return routes end at the right edge of the Ukko-Luosto car park. There is a Luosto map at the edge of the car park showing the cross-country skiing tracks. If you have parked on the upper level, you can still admire the slopes of the snow-covered Luosto fell for a few hundred metres.
Pyhä-Luosto National Park
Pyhä-Luosto National Park is the southernmost large fell area in Finland, stretching from Sodankylä to Pelkosenniemi and Kemijärvi. In winter, Pyhä-Luosto is particularly popular for its great slopes and skiing, but outdoor enthusiasts will also find great cross-country skiing and winter trails through fells, forests and meadows.
The Luosto fells are located in the Pyhä-Luosto National Park, to the north of the park. The highest peak of Luosto is Ukko-Luosto, which rises to 514 metres.
Pyhätunturi is located to the south of the national park. The most famous peak of Pyhä is Kultakero, which can be reached on foot in both summer and winter.
Lampivaara Amethyst Mine
The Amethyst Mine in Luosto is a mine on the top of Lampivaara. The site is not a massive mining area, but a small mine that has been operating in the same way for a long time, where mining activities have been adapted to the fell environment. The amethyst was formed around two billion years ago, at a time when the ancient mountain range was rising in the area. The current mine is located on top of that deposit.
At the mine, amethyst is not extracted by heavy machinery and the stone is not sold as an industrial raw material. As a result, operations will continue slowly and well into the future, while the mine is open to visitors. A guided tour allows visitors to see the environment in which amethyst is found and, if they wish, to find their own stone to take home with them.
The amethyst mine is open during the winter season, mainly from November to April. Guided tours of the mine are organised daily, and guides are available also in English. The tours start from the Lampivaara café, and it is possible to enter the mine either on your own or by shuttle from the centre of Luosto and the Ukko-Luosto car park. Tickets for the tour can be purchased in advance from the online shop or on the spot before the tour starts.
The Lampivaara winter route in a nutshell
- The official starting point of the Lampivaara Amethyst Mine snowshoe trail is the Luostonportti gate, and the 5.5 km ring trail can be accessed directly from the Ukko-Luosto P area.
- If the trail is hardened, you don't need snowshoes for the hike. However, the wind may have piled up the snow, especially on the slopes of Pikku-Luosto.
- Follow the blue squares on the tree trunks as well as the plow sticks and metal snowshoe trail signs. Do not walk on the cross-country skiing tracks.
- The best view of the Lampivaara trail is from the top of the Pikku-Luosto towards Luosto.
- The Lampivaara winter route is suitable for all levels of hikers. The easy trail is also a good option in poorer weather conditions.
- Even if it's calm and sunny in the parking area and sheltered by the forest, it can be windy and cold when crossing the Pikku-Luosto.
- Bring basic winter hiking equipment, hot drinks and snacks outside café opening hours and your own toilet paper.
Luosto ski & winter trails
- Ukko-Luosto in winter - snowshoe route
- Luosto - Torvinen hut - winter route
- Around Luosto cross-country skiing track
- Pyhä-Luosto cross-country skiing track
- Rykimäkuru cross-country skiing track
Pyhätunturi ski & winter routes
- Kultakero - walking to the top of Pyhätunturi
- Soutaja Fell - Pyhä Winter
- Pyhätunturi cross-country skiing - Karhunjuomalampi
- Tunturiaapa nature trail - winter route
- Around Pyhätunturi cross-country skiing track
