If you are heading to Oulanka National Park or to the legendary Karhunkierros Bear’s Trail, you should definitely visit also Riisitunturi National Park in Posio nearby.
Riisitunturi fell is a great nature destination in summer and winter. Riisitunturi is perhaps most famous in winter - the magnificent crown-snow trees attract photographers to the fairytale scenery of Riisitunturi.
In the summer, the peaks of Riisitunturi area offer beautiful green forestry fell and hill nature landscapes and views of Lake Kitkajärvi. The Lakes Yli-Kitkajärvi and Ala-Kitkajärvi together form the largest spring in Europe.
Riisitunturi's routes are suitable for trail running, hiking and backpacking in the summer.
Riisitunturi National Park
The Riisitunturi nature reserve area has wonderful wilderness-like forest and marshland nature. Riisitunturi is especially known for its sloping fens. The peaks of Riisitunturi are almost treeless, the highest peak rises to 465 meters (1526 ft).
In Riisitunturi National Park, camping is only allowed at designated rest areas, by the campfire sites and lean-to shelters. Making fire is only allowed in fireplaces and only when the forest fire warning is not in effect.
Riisitunturi is located 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 to the Riisitunturi parking lot, and 60 km (37.3 miles) from Kuusamo. A large parking area and a small cafe can be found at the end of Riisitunturintie road, where you turn from Tolvantie road. Parking is free.
Riisitunturi summer routes
There are more than 40 kilometers (24.9 miles) of marked trails in the Riisitunturi area. Riisitunturi's summer routes start from the Riisitunturi parking area from Riisitunturintie road. All routes visit the top of Riisitunturi fell.
The easiest of the trails is the short and popular Riisin Rääpäsy Trail, a 4.3 km (2.67 miles) ring route. Riisin Rietas Trail is an 11-kilometer (6.84 miles) ring route in a beautiful varied landscape of fells and forests. Riisitunturi's 26 km (16.16 miles) hiking trail leads from Riisitunturi to Kirintövaara. The trails are clearly marked, there is almost no risk of getting lost.
You can move freely in Riisitunturi National Park, but to protect nature it is good to prefer marked paths. Riisitunturi is a litter-free nature destination. Disturbing drone flying is prohibited.
Riisin Rietas Trail
The trailhead of the Riisin Rietas Trail is by the parking lot next to the Lappish hut cafe. Inside the gate shelter you can find all kinds of information about hiking and the nature of the area. The trail immediately begins to ascend, and the gentle slope continues for the entire 1.7 km (1 mile) distance to the top of Riisitunturi fell.
Right at the beginning of the trail is a fenced attraction, Tapio's table. Tapio's table is a spruce that has no top and that grows in width. Soon you come out of the dense spruce forest, and the landscapes open up in different directions.
A large part of the trail is covered with stone ash to prevent the wear of the terrain. The surface is good for nature, but it is not very pleasing to the eye and it is not very exciting to run on smooth stone ash.
From the top of Riisitunturi fell, green and spacious landscapes open up in every direction. Riisin Rääpäsy Trail turns towards Ikkunalampi pond, Riisin Rietas Trail and the Riisitunturi hiking trail continue down the slope to the west and towards Nuolivaara hill.
The next stretch is a fast run down the slope. Stone ash turns into a firm peat, which feels pleasant under the shoe. Further down the slope, the trail becomes sandy and rocky.
You can reach Uusilammin laavu lean-to shelter after crossing a small lush stream, River Riisijoki, and a patch of duckboards. Laavu is located in the forest on the shore of the small, atmospheric Uudensuonlammi pond. The woodshed and the dry toilet can be found on the upper slope.
The next stretch of the trail runs through Uusisuo bog that grows tussock cottongrass. After about three hundred meters, you will come to an intersection, from where you could turn towards Kirintövaara. The Riisin Rietas Trail continues straight ahead for a few hundred meters and then turns sharply towards the slopes of Nuolivaara.
There is stone ash again in the wet places. Fortunately, there are also many narrow peat paths that wind between tall trees. The signs along the trail tell stories about the history of bear skull pines and various lean-to shelters that have been used for overnight stays in the Riisitunturi meadows.
The next longer section of three kilometers includes some ascent and descent on the eastern slopes of Nuolivaara. There are also new wooden benches on the way, which are nice for taking a break. The flowing streams are surrounded by fine, lush vegetation.
The best part of the route is the section from Nuolivaara via Riisisuo bog to Soilunvaara hill. Steep hills and rugged forests dot the landscape. The trail is mostly a nice nature trail, sometimes very steep. Most of the hikers hang out near Riisitunturi fell, the trail at Nuolivaara is peaceful.
The Riisinsuo marsh is split by a long stretch of duckboards. You can spot the Riisinsuo meadow barn in the middle of the greenery. You can also visit the barn inside. When grabbing an energy gel, you can read about the snacks of the old days: the haymakers brought with them e.g., butter, dried meat, salted fish and sour milk.
The ascent to Soilunvaara hill is a great power hiking stretch, even though the slope is not very long. Soilun laavu lean-to shelter is located on the lower slopes of Soilunvaara hill. The UKK hiking route would continue north towards the top of Soilunvaara.
From Soilun laavu shelter, the trail continues up and towards Pikku Riisitunturi fell. Now there are 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) left to the starting point. The route has been realigned in 2021. The old route had wooden stairs.
The path along Pikkku Riisitunturi is covered with stone ash throughout. Beautiful landscapes open up again in the direction of Soilunvaara and in the direction of Riisitunturi.
You can run down the gentle slope at speed all the way to the intersection, where you turn to the Riisitunturi open wilderness hut. If you're not in a hurry, it's worth stopping by to admire Ikkunalampi pond about 300 meters from the intersection in the direction of Riisitunturi.
The Riisitunturi open wilderness hut is a six-person hut a little less than two kilometers (1 mile) from the Riisitunturi parking area. A little further down the slope, there is a large cooking shelter with several tables and benches. Riisitunturi open wilderness hut is a very popular place to visit.
The rest of the way from the Riisitunturi wilderness hut is a gentle downhill trail back to the parking lot.
My experience from Riisin Rietas Trail
Riisin Rietas Trail is classified as a moderate to demanding trail due to the variation in elevation. The ascent is more than 400 meters (1312 ft). You should take your own drinking water before going for a run.
Especially on the trail sections near Riisitunturi, Ikkunalampi and the open wilderness hut, there are loads of people. If you're looking for a quiet destination, I don't recommend Riisitunturi, at least during the high season, in July-August. However, you can find peace on the more distant sections of the trail - and the sceneries are incredibly beautiful.
Riisin Rietas Trail was not a particularly difficult or hard trail to run, so it was very suitable for a warm-up a few days before my 70-kilometer (43.5 miles) run of the Sevettijärvi-Pulmanki hiking trail. I got worried about my gear though, because the gear I tested at Riisitunturi didn't work at all and I had to change my gear right before the ultra. A pro tip: test your gear in very easy conditions before heading to the wilderness!
