Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is Finland's third largest
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
and it covers an area of 1,020 square kilometres. The national park is located in Western Lapland in the municipalities of
Enontekiö
Enontekiö (; sme, Eanodat ; sv, Enontekis; smn, Iänudâh; sms, Jeänõk) is a municipality in the Finnish part of Lapland with approx. inhabitants. It is situated in the outermost northwest of the country and occupies a large and very spars ...
,
Kittilä
Kittilä ( se, Gihttel, smn, Kittâl, sms, Kihttel) is a municipality of Finland and a popular holiday resort.
It is located in northern Finland north of the Arctic Circle within the Lapland region. The municipality has a population of () and ...
,
Kolari
Kolari is a municipality of Finland at the Swedish border, which follows the Torne River, the longest free-flowing river in Europe.
It is located in the region of Lapland. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of whic ...
and
Muonio
Muonio (previously called ''Muonionniska'', se, Muoná) is a municipality of Finland. The town is located in far northern Finland above the Arctic Circle on the country's western border, within the area of the former Lappi (Lapland) province. T ...
. The landscape of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is dominated by a chain of
fell
A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or Moorland, moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle o ...
s stretching for approximately 100 km and the
taiga
Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruce ...
forests in the boreal forest zone. In terms of visits, Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is Finland's most popular national park. In 2019, the visitor counters recorded 561,200 visits.
There are many reasons for the popularity of the national park. According to a visitor survey, visitors to the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park particularly appreciate the landscapes in the area, its extensive network of paths and trails as well as general tidiness and safety. The landscape of Pallastunturi Fells has been chosen as one of Finland's national landscapes.
Hiking opportunities
Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park has dozens of different trails for
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
and
skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...
that are suitable for people looking for different levels of difficulty. The trails provide a great chance to see the diverse nature of the national park. Some of the trails lead to the top of the fells, while others wind through the forest nature and swamp landscapes of the area.
You can walk,
mountain bike
A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which ...
,
paddle
A paddle is a handheld tool with an elongated handle and a flat, widened distal end (i.e. the ''blade''), used as a lever to apply force onto the bladed end. It most commonly describes a completely handheld tool used to propel a human-powered wa ...
, ski and
snowshoe
Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...
in the national park. A diverse range of hiking trails provides the opportunity for day trips of different lengths and longer hikes. In Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, day hikers can also climb to the top of the fells. Popular day trips include the Pyhäkeron päiväretki Day Hike, Taivaskeron kierros Circle Trail, Pirunkurun ponnistus Trail, Varkaankurun polku Trail, Kesänkijärven kierros Circle Trail and Tuomikurun kierros Circle Trail.
The majority of the routes are circle trails, and there are serviced campsites on all the trails. The campsites can be Lapp huts, lean-to shelters, campfire sites, scenic locations, as well as
wilderness
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...
and rental huts. The national park area has a total of 340 kilometres of marked summer hiking trails. Approximately 200 kilometres of summer hiking trails are also located in the vicinity of the national park. With a few exceptions, mountain biking is permitted on marked summer hiking trails. There are over 500 kilometres of ski trails and more than 100 kilometres of winter hiking trails. You can walk, snowshoe and mountain bike on the winter hiking trails.
The Hetta-Pallas Trail is the best known hiking trail in the national park – and the oldest marked hiking trail in Finland. It was marked in 1934. The Hetta-Pallas Trail is approximately 50 kilometres long, and it can be hiked in either direction. The trail runs along the fell
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...
s and descends into
ravine
A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion.ExcursionMap.fi
Geography and nature
The landscape of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is dominated by a chain of fells, which is the remains of an ancient folded mountain range. Today's rounded fells are the worn-down bases of those mountains. The highest point in the national park is Taivaskero in the Pallastunturi Fells, which is 809 metres above sea level. Other high summits include Pyhäkero, Lumikero, Laukukero and Palkaskero. Kero is a Finnish word that refers to the round, treeless top of a fell.
The nature in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is diverse and varied. The area has several different habitats:
mire
A mire, peatland, or quagmire is a wetland area dominated by living peat-forming plants. Mires arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, due to water-logging and subsequent anoxia. All types ...
s,
heath forest
Heath forest is a type of tropical moist forest found in areas with acidic, sandy soils that are extremely nutrient-poor. Notable examples are the Rio Negro campinarana of the Amazon Basin in South America, and the Sundaland heath forests (also kn ...
s,
old-growth forest
An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...
s in their natural state, open fells and herb-rich forests.
Vegetation and waterways
The national park is rich in vegetation.
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 accep ...
,
spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...
and fell
birch
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...
do particularly well in the area. Typical plants in the treeless fell areas include various low-growing plants like
dwarf birch
''Betula nana'', the dwarf birch, is a species of birch in the family Betulaceae, found mainly in the tundra of the Arctic region.
Description
It is a monoecious, deciduous shrub growing up to high. The bark is non-peeling and shiny red-coppe ...
bearberry
Bearberries (indigenous kinnickinnick) are three species of dwarf shrubs in the genus ''Arctostaphylos''. Unlike the other species of ''Arctostaphylos'' (see manzanita), they are adapted to Arctic and Subarctic climates, and have a circumpolar d ...
and
crowberry
''Empetrum nigrum'', crowberry, black crowberry, or, in western Alaska, blackberry, is a flowering plant species in the heather family Ericaceae with a near circumboreal distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. It is usually dioecious, but there ...
. The lush creekside groves are a good place to find plants like downy currant,
ostrich fern
''Matteuccia'' is a genus of ferns with one species: ''Matteuccia struthiopteris'' (common names ostrich fern, fiddlehead fern, or shuttlecock fern). The species epithet ''struthiopteris'' comes from Ancient Greek words () "ostrich" and () "fer ...
,
garden angelica
''Angelica archangelica'', commonly known as garden angelica, wild celery, and Norwegian angelica, is a biennial plant from the family Apiaceae, a subspecies of which is cultivated for its sweetly scented edible stems and roots. Like several oth ...
and mezereum. In terms of dwarf shrubs,
blueberry
Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' within the genus ''Vaccinium''. ''Vaccinium'' also includes cranberries, bi ...
and
lingonberry
''Vaccinium vitis-idaea'', the lingonberry, partridgeberry, mountain cranberry or cowberry, is a small evergreen shrub in the heath family Ericaceae, that bears edible fruit. It is native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Norther ...
thrive in the heath forests. Wood
cranesbill
''Geranium'' is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mostly in ...
and dwarf cornel as well as many other rare species of
moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...
and
fungi
A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...
grow in the moist old-growth forests.
In addition to fells and
coniferous forests
Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All exta ...
, mires are a typical landscape in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. Many wetland plants, such as
Labrador tea
Labrador tea is a common name for three closely related plant species in the genus ''Rhododendron'' as well as an herbal tea made from their leaves.
All three species are primarily wetland plants in the heath family. The herbal tea has been a ...
cloudberry
''Rubus chamaemorus'' is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to cool temperate regions, alpine and arctic tundra and boreal forest. This herbaceous perennial produces amber-colored edible fruit similar to the blackbe ...
and
bog bilberry
''Vaccinium uliginosum'' (bog bilberry, bog blueberry, northern bilberry or western blueberry) is a Eurasian and North American flowering plant in the genus ''Vaccinium'' within the heath family.
Distribution
''Vaccinium uliginosum'' is native ...
, do well in mires. Rare
orchids
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
also grow in the calcareous areas.
The national park has many
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
s,
pond
A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...
s and
stream
A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream ...
s. The largest lake in the park is Pallasjärvi Lake, located southeast of the Pallastunturi Visitor Centre.
Large mammals found in the national park include
reindeer
Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subspe ...
and
elk
The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...
. During the summer, reindeer in particular spend a lot of time on the fells and in mire areas. Other mammals typically seen in the area are the
hare
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...
,
fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
,
weasel
Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bo ...
,
Norway lemming
The Norway lemming, also known as the Norwegian lemming (''Lemmus lemmus'') is a common species of lemming found in northern Fennoscandia, where it is the only vertebrate species endemic to the region. The Norway lemming dwells in tundra and fell ...
, various species of
mole
Mole (or Molé) may refer to:
Animals
* Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America
* Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...
and the
squirrel
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
.
Bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
and
lynx
A lynx is a type of wild cat.
Lynx may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Lynx (constellation)
* Lynx (Chinese astronomy)
* Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory
Places Canada
* Lynx, Ontar ...
are two of Finland's large predators that live permanently in the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park area.
Northern and southern bird species mix in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. Northern species include the
rock ptarmigan
The rock ptarmigan (''Lagopus muta'') is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family. It is known simply as the ptarmigan in the UK. It is the official bird for the Canadian territory of Nunavut, where it is known as the ''aqiggiq'' (ᐊᕿ ...
,
willow grouse
The willow ptarmigan () (''Lagopus lagopus'') is a bird in the grouse subfamily Tetraoninae of the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is also known as the willow grouse and in Ireland and Britain, where the subspecies '' L. l. scotica'' was previ ...
and
Eurasian dotterel
The Eurasian dotterel (''Charadrius morinellus''), also known in Europe as just dotterel, is a small wader in the plover family of birds.
The dotterel is a brown and black streaked bird with a broad white eye-stripe and an orange-red chest ban ...
. Lush spruce forests are a popular location for southern species like the common blackbird and
wood warbler
The wood warbler (''Phylloscopus sibilatrix'') is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asian Russia in the southern Ural Mountains.
This warbler is strong ...
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 ...
s and
pine grosbeak
The pine grosbeak (''Pinicola enucleator'') is a large member of the true finch family, Fringillidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Pinicola''. It is found in coniferous woods across Alaska, the western mountains of the United States, Can ...
s can be seen in the forest. Whenever there are a lot of moles, more
owl
Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...
s and
hawk
Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica.
* The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...
s can also be observed in the area. A typical inhabitant of streams is the
white-throated dipper
The white-throated dipper (''Cinclus cinclus''), also known as the European dipper or just dipper, is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The species is divided into several subspecies ...
, which dives into running water to catch its food – also in the winter. Other bird species seen in the national park include the
bluethroat
The bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica'') is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and similar small Europea ...
,
wood sandpiper
The wood sandpiper (''Tringa glareola'') is a small wader. This Eurasian species is the smallest of the shanks, which are mid-sized long-legged waders of the family Scolopacidae. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the gree ...
,
western yellow wagtail
The western yellow wagtail (''Motacilla flava'') is a small passerine in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws.
This species breeds in much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is resident in the milder parts ...
,
ruff
Ruff may refer to:
Places
*Ruff, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community
*Ruff, Washington, United States, an unincorporated community
Other uses
*Ruff (bird) (''Calidris pugnax'' or ''Philomachus pugnax''), a bird in the wader fami ...
and
spotted redshank
The spotted redshank (''Tringa erythropus'') is a wader (shorebird) in the large bird family Scolopacidae. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'', a ...
.
Weather and natural phenomena
Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park's location north of the
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...
means that it experiences the typical weather and natural phenomena associated with seasonal changes. Winter includes a
polar night
The polar night is a phenomenon where the nighttime lasts for more than 24 hours that occurs in the northernmost and southernmost regions of Earth. This occurs only inside the polar circles. The opposite phenomenon, the polar day, or midnig ...
period in December–January, snowfall, freezing temperatures that can drop to -30 °C and very little sunlight. On clear evenings and nights, planets, stars and the northern lights may be visible in the sky.
The snow cover in the national park is thickest in March–April, when there may be more than one metre of snow on the fells and in the forests. The amount of light increases rapidly in late winter. When spring arrives, the snow melts and the amount of light continues to increase. Summer begins in mid-June, and the midnight sun lights up the area in June–July. The sun doesn't set at all during this period.
The display of autumn colours usually begins in mid-September in Western Lapland and lasts for two to three weeks. The first snow generally falls sometime after mid-October, but snowdrifts can occasionally be seen during the summer months, especially in the area of the Pallas-Ounastunturi Fells.
Responsibility
Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park has been granted a European Charter 1 certificate for 2013-2018 and for 2019–2023. The certificates have been granted by the EUROPARC Federation.
All national parks in Finland follow the principles of litter-free hiking. The aim of litter-free hiking is to ensure that visitors carry their own trash out of the terrain and deliver it to the serviced recycling points. The purpose is to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in nature.
There are recycling points at the Pallastunturi, Fell Lapland and Yllästunturi Visitor Centres where
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...
,
cardboard
Cardboard is a generic term for heavy paper-based products. The construction can range from a thick paper known as paperboard to corrugated fiberboard which is made of multiple plies of material. Natural cardboards can range from grey to light b ...
,
glass
Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...
and
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
waste as well as batteries can be delivered. Biowaste can be composted in dry toilets, and small amounts of combustible waste can be burned at campfire sites.
Air purity in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is measured at the Finnish Meteorological Institute's Sammaltunturi weather station. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), some of the cleanest air in the world is measured at Sammaltunturi weather station. Concentrations of fine particles in the area are less than 4 µg/m3.
Visitor centres
Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park has three visitor centres: Yllästunturi Visitor Centre Kellokas, Pallastunturi Visitor Centre and Fell Lapland Visitor Centre in Heta. The customer service officers at the visitor centres provide information on the national park and hiking possibilities. The Meän Elämää (Our Life), From Forest to Fell Tops, and Vuovjjuš – Wanderers exhibitions present the nature and culture of the area. You can also watch films and see art exhibitions at the visitor centres. Visitors can also purchase nature-themed products.
History
The idea of establishing national parks in Finland was first brought up in 1910. At that time, the management committee for protected forests published a report proposing the establishment of national parks at the Pallastunturi Fells and at Pyhätunturi Fell in
Pelkosenniemi
Pelkosenniemi ( smn, Pelkosnjargâ) is a municipality of Finland.
Pelkosenniemi is located in the province of Lapland. The municipality has a population of
(), which make it the smallest municipality in Lapland in terms of population. It covers ...
. Finnish botanist
Kaarlo Linkola
Kaarlo Linkola (surname until 1906 Collan; 1888–1942) was a Finnish botanist and phytogeographer.
Linkola was docent of botany at Helsinki University 1919–1922. He was professor of botany at University of Turku from 1922, and at Helsinki ...
had a major role in the work to establish a national park in the Pallastunturi Fells area.
A proposal to designate the Pallas-Ounastunturi Fells a protected area was approved at the 1928 Parliamentary Days and, after many reports and proposals, Finland's first national parks were finally established in 1938. Pallas-Ounastunturi National Park was one of these first parks.
The history of tourism in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park stretches back to the 1930s, when the first fell skiing courses were organised at Pyhäkero in the Ounastunturi Fells and at the Pallastunturi Fells. Tourism also increased in
Äkäslompolo
Äkäslompolo [] is a village in the municipality of Kolari in Finland's Lapland (Finland), Lapland region. It is situated next to a lake of the same name, north-east of the town of Kolari. Äkäslompolo had 473 inhabitants on December 31, 2017.P ...
at the same time.
Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park was established in 2005. The new park combined the old Pallas-Ounastunturi National Park, Ylläs-Aakenus Nature Reserve and nearby areas from other conservation programmes, such as old-growth forests and areas that were part of wetland conservation programmes. Pallas-Ounastunturi National Park ceased to exist at the same time. The total area of the new national park was 1022 km2.
The highest point of Yllästunturi Fell and the ski resorts located there are not part of the national park area, but the ski resort on Laukukero at Pallastunturi Fell is inside the park.