Liesjärvi National Park – Blue Lakes and Green Forests
Liesjärvi National Park is located in Kanta-Häme in Finland, in the Tammela, Somero and Karkkila regions along national road 2. It is less than a hundred kilometers from Helsinki to Liesjärvi National Park. Liesjärvi is suitable for outdoor activities all year round. I have hiked and camped in Liesjärvi during the first snows of winter, in November.
There are enough hiking routes in Liesjärvi National Park for a couple of days, and the park is great for day trips as well. Liesjärvi is a popular destination also for picking berries and fishing. Another beautiful destination, Torronsuo National Park, is just a short drive away. You can combine visiting both parks when heading to Liesjärvi.
In Liesjärvi National Park, you can experience the traditional cultural landscape of Häme Region, the beautiful ridge of Kyynäränharju and majestic spruce forests, the oldest of which are over 180 years old. The diverse nature of the national park is characterized by mire ponds and lakes, there are more than forty kilometers of undeveloped coastline. The waterways are dotted with numerous islands and islets.
Liesjärvi National Park was established in 1956, and it is one of the oldest parks in Finland.
Liesjärvi National Park in winter
In winter, the trails of Liesjärvi are not maintained, but the most popular routes are visited regularly, and trails run in snow. There are no cross-country skiing tracks in the national park, but you can hike with forest or fell skis, sliding snowshoes, and snowshoes if there’s enough snow.
Liesjärvi National Park’s rest areas are maintained in the winter, and fires can be made from ready-made firewood. The water wells may freeze in winter, so you should bring your own water with you.
Liesjärvi's parking areas have recently been expanded and renovated. Parking lots are maintained in winter at Kopinlahti, Peukalolamminkangas, Korteniemi, Pirttilahti, Sikomäki, and Lehdos. In winter, however, there is less space for cars in parking areas than in summer. Sudden blizzards can make driving on forest roads difficult.
Liesjärvi National Park routes
There are approximately 30 kilometers of marked trails in the area of Liesjärvi National Park. Most of the trails are easy to navigate and there are numerous short ring routes in the park. Liesjärvi also has one of the longest accessible trails in Finland, the four-kilometer-long Peukaloinen Trail, which visits the shore of Lake Kaksvetinen.
From the ring routes and most of the parking areas, you can go directly to the Hämeen Ilvesreitti Trail, which runs through the park and connects e.g., Liesjärvi with the Ruostejärvi recreation area. The routes are marked with colored diamonds on the trees.
The Hyypiö trail is located on the north side of Kyynäränharju Ridge. When coming from Kyynäränharju, Hyypiö hut, a rental cabin with a smoke sauna, is immediately left on the shore of Lake Kyynäräjärvi. The route takes you through a green mossy spruce forest. The differences in the elevation and the cliffs bring variety to the route. From Hyypiökallio cliff, beautiful landscapes open up to Lake Tapolanjärvi.
From the Korteniemi farm you can also access several paths and hiking trails. On the Ahonnokka nature trail, you can experience an atmospheric and hundred-year-old protected forest. It can also be combined with the five-kilometer Pohjantikka trail and the shorter Punatulkku tour. You can also get to Kyynäränharju Ridge from both trails.
Kyynäränharju Ridge
The most photographed landscape of Liesjärvi National Park is Kyynäränharju Ridge. The narrow, green ishtmus, about a kilometer long, cuts through the lake landscape, where incredibly blue water glistens on both sides of the ridge. A wide and flat path runs along the ridge separating the Liesjärvi and Kyynäräjärvi lakes. Halfway through the journey, the isthmus breaks, and the waterway is crossed via a wooden bridge.
A drone is needed for the classic photo from Liesjärvi's Kyynäränharju, but the experience of walking on a sunny, frosty day is great even from the grassroots level.
Camping in Liesjärvi National Park
Liesjärvi National Park has marked camping areas. Tenting is allowed at the Savilahti campfire and camping site and in the Peukalolammi lean-to and Kaksvetinen Lappish hut areas. You can also camp at Tittilammi's cooking shelter, but only if you book the shelter for one day from Metsähallitus.
Liesjärvi's Savilahti
Savilahti is the only official camping site in Liesjärvi. In the area there is a campfire place and wood storage as well as dry toilets. From the lakeshores, beautiful landscapes open up to the lake in several directions. The trees are so dense that to see the lake scenery you have to walk right to the water's edge.
It takes quite a long time to find a flat place for the tent in the rooty and rocky terrain. The area is also quite hilly. Savilahti could be good with hammocks.
There is a group of table and benches right at the tip of the cape. There is a dense grove of trees around.
Peukalolammi's lean-to shelter
The closest parking lot to Peukalolammi's lean-to shelter is the Peukalolamminkangas parking area. A flat path to the lean-to shelter is a bit over half a kilometer. The lean-to is close to Peukalolammi pond, but not right on its shore. There is a fireplace in front of the shelter, a wood shed and a dry toilet a little further away.
There are good flat spots for the tent under the shelter of large fir trees. Peukaloinen's small two-person rental cabin can also be found on the shore of Peukalolammi.
Korteniemi farm
The area around the Korteniemi heritage farm is the oldest part of the park. The traditional farmhouse has previously served as a forest ranger's apartment and has been restored to match its 1910s appearance. The Korteniemi heritage farm is the only forest ranger farm in Southern Finland belonging to Metsähallitus, whose yard has been preserved in its original form.
Korteniemi farm can be visited from May to October, the place is closed in winter. During the summer in Korteniemi, you can watch various events and participate in traditional activities, such as cutting rye. The farm also has a smoke sauna for rent.
Liesjärvi National Park – my experiences
I went hiking and camping in Liesjärvi National Park in late autumn - winter, at the very end of November. During my stay, the ground was already frosty, the first snow fell at night.
At the end of November, nature in Finland is not at its best, but Liesjärvi offers beautiful landscapes. The lakes echoed the blue of the sky, the lush mossy forests shimmered deep green. The ice created patterns on the surface of the water. On a cloudless frosty morning, the quiet pink lake landscape looked fairy-tale beautiful.
Kopinlahti is a good starting point for an overnight trip when you want to experience all the finest destinations. From the parking area, you can easily reach the Savilahti campfire site for camping and hiking to Kyynäränharju Ridge. From Kyynäränharju you can continue to the Hyypiö trail.
Liesjärvi's Kyynäränharju Ridge is great to walk, especially in sunny weather. The lake scenery is best seen from the bridge, as trees grow thickly on the isthmus.
Perhaps the most beautiful part of the national park's routes can be found on the Hyypiö trail, where the landscape opens up to Lake Tapolanjärvi from Hyypiökallio cliff. Although there are plenty of trees in front of the landscape, you can see glimpses of the shimmering lake. At the end of November, in clear weather, the afternoon sun shines beautifully on the low left side of the lake and warms the sheltered cliff for a wonderful picnic.
Some routes are crossed by roads, which you may not notice while hiking. Pay attention when going on a trip.
Liesjärvi National Park is located along the busy national road 2. Due to the proximity of the main road, traffic noises carried over to some parts of the park. There is also silence, for example on Peukolammi's lean-to shelter at night you could only hear the hum of the wind in the trees.
There were hardly any people at the end of November, despite the wonderfully sunny weather. Peaceful time guaranteed.
The trails are flat and wide, in some places very rooty and slippery in winter. In the boggy places there are duckboards, which are quite slippery when icy. The paths and routes of Liesjärvi National Park would also be suitable for trail running!
Learn also all you need to know before your winter outdoorsy trip: Hiking in winter: The essential guide for hiking in snow and safety
