Riisitunturi National Park in Posio Lapland is a great nature destination year-round. Riisitunturi is probably the most popular location for nature photographers in winter, when thick white crown snow covers the trees on the fells. Riisitunturi's winter is amazing for seeing Northern Lights as well.

In the summer, the peaks of Riisitunturi National Park offer beautiful green fell and hill landscapes and views of sparkling Lake Kitkajärvi. The lakes of Kitkajärvi together form the largest spring in Europe.

Riisitunturi National Park

In the Riisitunturi nature area you can see wonderful wilderness of forests and sloping bogs, which the area is especially known for. The slopes of the national park's fells are almost treeless. The height of Riisitunturi is 465 meters (1526 ft).

The distance to Riisitunturi National Park is 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the center of Posio, 35 kilometers (21.75 miles) from Ruka, 49 km (30.45 miles) from the Oulanka Visitor Centre and 60 km (37.3 miles) from Kuusamo. The large parking lot and the Riisitunturi café Tykky can be found at the end of Riisitunturintie road. Parking is free.

In Riisitunturi National Park, camping is only allowed at designated rest areas. You can stay overnight in open wilderness huts, and you can also find accommodation in Kirintövaara. Fires are allowed only at campfire sites.

Riisitunturi trails and routes

In the Riisitunturi and Karitunturi fell area, there are about 85 kilometers (53 miles) of marked hiking trails and ski tracks. The starting point of all the Riisitunturi National Park routes is the parking area of Riisitunturi.

The easiest of Riisitunturi's routes are the 1.5 kilometer (0.93 miles) route to Riisi open wilderness hut, and the short and popular Riisin Rääpäsy Trail. Riisin Rääpäsy Trail is a 4.3 kilometer (2.67 miles) ring trail, which is a hiking trail in the summer and a snowshoe trail in the winter.

Riisin Rääpäsy winter trail is so popular that you can usually hike the well-trodden path with just winter boots. Bikes are not allowed on the route.

In winter, a 20-kilometer (12.4 miles) multi-purpose route also starts from the Riisitunturi starting point. It first goes to Soilu lean-to shelter ‘laavu’ and then makes a clockwise loop through Uudensuonlampi, Kolmiloukkonen and Soilunlampi back to Soilu laavu and the Riisitunturi starting point. You can snowshoe, ski and bike on the multi-purpose trail, and it is also partly a dog sled trail.

Riisin Rietas Trail is an approximately 11-kilometer (6.84 miles) ring route in a varied landscape of fells and forests. The route is available until October or until the snow arrives. Riisitunturi's 26 kilometer (16.16 miles) hiking route goes from Riisitunturi to Kirintövaara.

You can move freely in Riisitunturi National Park, but to protect nature it is good to prefer marked routes. Riisitunturi is a litter-free nature destination. Disturbing drone flying is prohibited.

Riisin Rääpäsy Trail in winter

The starting point of Riisin Rääpäsy Trail is in the parking lot next to the Lappish hut cafe. At the beginning of the trail, there is a gate and a shelter, where you can find all kinds of information about hiking and the nature of the area, as well as a map of Riisitunturi. There are also dry toilets next to the shelter, bring your own toilet paper.

The path immediately begins to ascend, winding between tall candle firs. The gentle ascent continues for almost the entire 1.7 kilometer (1 mile) distance to the top of Riisitunturi fell.

Right at the beginning of the route is a fenced attraction, Tapio's table. Tapio's table is a spruce that has no top and that only grows widthwise. In winter, the tree looks like a sugar loaf mountain that you can slide under.

As the path rises higher, there is an increasingly thick layer of snow covering the trees and the landscape begins to open up in different directions. Sculptural crown snow trees line the trail. You can see footprints all over the hillsides.

From the top of Riisitunturi fell, beautiful snowy landscapes open in all directions. In good weather, the white spruce trees stand out wonderfully against the blue sky. The crown snow trees and the landscape are perhaps the most photogenic when the sun rises or sets on a bright day. Similar crown-snow scenery is on Ruuhitunturi fell in Salla Lapland.

The route signposts get frosted from ice and snow in the winter, but they stand out quite well. There can be a lot of crowds at the top of the fell, children are climbing on the crown snow spruces and people are eagerly photographing the scenery.

From the top of Riisitunturi fell, the trail turns downhill towards Ikkunalampi pond. The pond is covered with a thick blanket of snow, so it doesn't stand out from the landscape. Only the sign reveals the location of the pond.

A few hundred meters from Ikkunalampi you reach the intersection of the summer routes. Riisin Rääpäsy Trail is continued to the right towards the open wilderness hut and parking area. Riisin Rietas Trail would go up the slope towards Pikku Riisitunturi fell.

Footprints reveal that Pikku Riisitunturi fell also has plenty of visitors, even though the winter route is not maintained. It is difficult to deviate from the trodden path on your own routes in winter boots, because you may sink into the snowdrift up to your waist. The distance to the open wilderness hut is a couple of hundred meters along the trodden path.

Riisitunturi open wilderness hut

The Riisitunturi open wilderness hut is a six-person hut about one and a half kilometers (1 mile) from the Riisitunturi parking area. In the hut you will find wooden beds, a group of benches and a table, a fireplace and a kitchen corner with a gas stove. Riisitunturi open wilderness hut is a very popular place to visit all year round.

There is a dry toilet and a woodshed in the yard area. A little further down the slope, there is a large cooking shelter with several tables and benches. There is a large fireplace in the middle of the shelter, around which several groups can fit to grill their food.

From Riisitunturi's wilderness hut, you can first admire the snowy lake scenery, before the forest gradually thickens. The rest of the journey is a gentle downhill path back to the parking area.

If you're looking for silence and a peaceful winter hiking destination, I don't recommend Riisitunturi's routes, at least in good weather and during skiing holidays. On the other hand, you can find silence and beautiful scenery outside the trails.

Tips and my experiences for a nature photography or winter trip to Riisitunturi National Park

• Riisitunturi is at its most beautiful in winter on a frosty day, when the sky is bright blue, but you can also enjoy the scenery in cloudy weather.
• Pikku Riisitunturi fell and Soilunvaara hill are less crowded than Riisitunturi.
• In winter, there is not much daylight, and the weather can turn challenging in just minutes. Learn the basics of winter hiking and pack enough warm clothes and a headlamp.
• Bring toilet paper, warm food and matches. The cooking shelter probably has fires, but not always.
• Pack your lunch in a thermos in your backpack, put on your forest or fell skis or snowshoes, and head for the pristine slopes.
• Visit Riisitunturi National Park on a clear full moon night or go see the northern lights.
• Riisitunturi National Park is located just a short drive from Oulanka National Park and the landscapes of Karhunkierros Bear’s Trail and Ruka - you can also find wonderful winter scenery e.g., at Pieni Karhunkierros (Small Bear’s Trail), Käylä (rapids), Konttainen hill, Valtavaara hill and Pyhävaara hill in Ruka!