Oulanka National Park ( fi, Oulangan kansallispuisto) is a
national park in the
Northern Ostrobothnia
North Ostrobothnia ( fi, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa; sv, Norra Österbotten) is a region of Finland. It borders the Finnish regions of Lapland, Kainuu, North Savo, Central Finland and Central Ostrobothnia, as well as the Russian Republic of Karelia. ...
and
Lapland regions of
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, covering . The park was established in 1956 and was expanded in 1982 and 1989. It borders the
Paanajärvi National Park in Russia. The first inhabitants in the area were
Sami people from Lapland who lived here until the end of the 17th century, which was when they had to give way to Finnish settlers. Although hunting, fishing and later farming was the primary occupation of the people who lived there, today the most notable activity in Oulanka is tourism. From the 1930s, the Finnish Tourist Association kept boats on the river and renovated the wooden cabins found across the park for accommodation purposes. These cabins can be used free of charge by any hikers in the area, given that they follow some basic guidelines and rules regarding the state of the cabins, the wood supply, and protecting the surrounding nature.
[PAN Parks - Oulanka National Park](_blank)
From 2002, Oulanka was the first of the two Finnish national parks which became part of
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...
's
PAN Parks
The PAN Parks Foundation was a non-governmental organisation that aimed to protect Europe's wildernesses. The foundation filed for bankruptcy in May 2014 in The Netherlands, but was denied the status by the court and is currently in liquidation.
...
, the other one being the
Southwestern Archipelago National Park.
Nature
Oulanka National Park is a unique and versatile combination of northern, southern and eastern nature. The landscape is made up of
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...
forests, river valleys with sandy banks and rapids, and in the north of vast mires. It has a unique river ecosystem and is an example of untouched and unlogged boreal forest, close to the
arctic circle, which is protected by
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...
from intensive reindeer herding. The area is rich in animal and plant species, even endangered ones. Near the visitor's center is the Oulanka Research Center, which is part of the Thule Institute and was established in 1966 to facilitate research in biological and geological sciences. The research center also offers its facilities to visiting tourists or hikers, during the less busy seasons.
Along with the rugged geography and the varied microclimates, the location of the park is also one of the main reasons for the great variety of plants and trees, with more than 500 vascular plant species in the area. There is an overlap between northern and southern species in terms of their distribution, and numerous species in the east of Finland have their westernmost outposts here. Oulanka has a nutrient-rich soil, which makes it ideal for the rare and demanding flora that is found here. The Oulanka River Valley was a very important dispersal route for various species coming from eastern Finland, after the
last ice age. In late summer, the park is abound with bilberries and mushrooms, and
wild orchids are one of the most popular flowers in the area.
Riverbeds and alluvial meadows are home to rare species of butterflies, and more than a hundred different bird species have their home in the park. Most meadows are managed in a traditional manner, and
reindeer herding
Reindeer herding is when reindeer are herded by people in a limited area. Currently, reindeer are the only semi-domesticated animal which naturally belongs to the North. Reindeer herding is conducted in nine countries: Norway, Finland, Sweden, Rus ...
continues to thrive within the park, although it is restricted to people from Lapland. In the park there are also rare birds such as the
Siberian jay
The Siberian jay (''Perisoreus infaustus'') is a small jay with a widespread distribution within the coniferous forests in North Eurasia. It has grey-brown plumage with a darker brown crown and a paler throat. It is rusty-red in a panel near the ...
and
capercaillies, which are fond of the herb-rich forests in the park. Endangered species such as
bear,
lynx and
wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscul ...
also find their home in Oulanka, along with moose and other game.
Hiking
Oulanka is one of the most popular national parks in Finland. The most well-known Finnish trekking route,
Karhunkierros Karhunkierros (Finnish for ''Bear's Round'') is a hiking trail that stretches from Salla to Kuusamo in north-eastern Finland.
The route was first marked in 1955, and has since become the most popular hiking trail in Finland, attracting some 15,000 ...
(80 km), is located in the national park, and is accessible all year round. Other routes include the Pieni Karhunkierros Trail (12 km), Keroharju Hiking Trail (17 km) and other smaller nature trails such as the Rytisuo Nature Trail (5 km), Hiidenlampi Nature Trail (5 km), and the Kiutaköngäs Day-trip Trail (8 km). There are various camping areas, designated fireplaces, wooden cabins and boats which are available to the public. There are also some winter trails, which include the Rytisuo Snowshoeing Trail (7.5 km) or the Oulanka Wilderness Trail, from Juuma to Kiutaköngäs (26 km) which can be also explored with skis, snowshoes or even snowmobiles. Other activities include canoeing or cycling through some routes. Visitors
are allowed to pick berries and
mushrooms
A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans.
The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...
, but are not allowed to
hunt game or fish without a license.
See also
*
List of national parks of Finland
There are 41 national parks in Finland. They are all managed by the Metsähallitus. The national parks cover a total area of – 2.7% of Finland's total land area.
A total of 3.2 million people visited the parks in 2018. During the Covid-19 pa ...
*
Protected areas of Finland
The protected areas of Finland include national parks, nature reserves and other areas, with a purpose of conserving areas of all of Finland's ecosystems and biotopes.
Protected areas include:
* National parks of Finland (''Kansallispuisto/Nation ...
*
PAN Parks
The PAN Parks Foundation was a non-governmental organisation that aimed to protect Europe's wildernesses. The foundation filed for bankruptcy in May 2014 in The Netherlands, but was denied the status by the court and is currently in liquidation.
...
*
Maanselka
References
External links
Outdoors.fi – Oulanka National ParkPAN Parks - Oulanka National ParkNational Geographic Magazine 6/2009
{{Authority control
Kuusamo
Salla
Geography of North Ostrobothnia
Tourist attractions in North Ostrobothnia
Geography of Lapland (Finland)
Tourist attractions in Lapland (Finland)
Protected areas established in 1956
Ramsar sites in Finland
National parks of Finland