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Oulanka National Park
Services, facilities and contacts
Office location
Torangintaival 2, 93600 Kuusamo
Tel: + 358 205 646804
Emai: oulanka@metsa.fi
Website: http://www.luontoon.fi/page.asp?Section=5144
Customer Service and Guidance
- Oulanka Visitor Centre, the main information point in Oulanka National Park is located in the park’s centre.
- Guided tours, introductions, exhibitions, information on hiking in the National Park and in surrounding areas.
- Maps
- The Visitor Centre has a cafe, which sells souvenirs and foodstuff. The cafe also arranges meals for groups if reserved in advance. Cafe is open 1.5. - 30.9.
- Hautajärvi Visitor Centre is the starting point for Karhunkierros Hiking Trail and the customer service point for the park’s northern part.
- Guided tours and information on hiking.
- Exhibition on the northern mires of Oulanka.
- Cafe, souvenirs and maps on sale.
Meals, where to buy and prepare Stores, kiosks and restaurants
- There are stores in the villages of Hautajärvi and Käylä.
- There are several restaurants in Ruka.
- There are kiosks at the Oulanka Camping Ground and at Juuma Retki-Etappi.
More information can be found at the Oulanka Visitor Centre and Hautajärvi Visitor Centre.
Campfire sites and cooking places
Oulanka National Park has:
- 35 campfire sites, which are mainly located along the Karhunkierros Hiking Trail.
- 6 open wilderness huts with cooking spots and gas cookers. (Taivalköngäs, Kerojärvi at, Savilampi, Jussinkämppä, Siilastupa, Uusi Ansakämppä).
Any kind of fire is strictly forbidden outdoors during forest fire warning, even at designated campfire sites.
Drinking Water
- Waters in lakes, rivers and brooks should be boiled before it is drunk, as the quality of water differs from one area to another.
- Drinking water from the parks water-system is at each person’s own risk.
Waste Management
- The National Park and Karhunkierros Hiking Trail have six recycling points. Each is a day trip from the next. Visitors can recycle glass and metal for example at these points as well as hazardous waste such as batteries. Visitors are asked to burn paper and burnable plastics at campfire sites.
- More information on Hiking without Littering.
Toilets
- There are toilets at Oulanka Visitor Centre and Hautajärvi Visitor Centre.
- There are toilets and outhouses at Oulanka and Juuma Camping Grounds.
- There are dry toilets at wilderness huts and campfire sites.
Overnight stays
Camping in tents and lean-to shelters
There are several lean-to shelters and tens of camping sites around the River Kitkajoki. Pitching of tents is also permitted in the vicinity of wilderness huts.
Open Wilderness Huts
There are 8 open wilderness huts in Oulanka National Park.
- Savilampi Wilderness Hut is by the River Savinajoki on the Karhunkierros Hiking Trail.
- Taivalköngäs Wilderness Hut is by the River Oulankajoki on the Karhunkierros Hiking Trail.
- Puikkokämppä and Ristikallio Wilderness Huts are by the River Aventojoki.
- Uusi Ansakämppä Wilderness Hut was finished in February 2004 and is 1.2-km south from the site of the old wilderness hut near the River Oulankajoki on the Karhunkierros Hiking Trail.
- Jussinkämppä Wilderness Hut is on the shore of Lake Kulmakkojärvi on the Karhunkierros Hiking Trail.
- Siilastupa Wilderness Hut is near the River Kitkajoki at Jyrävä on the Pieni Karhunkierros Hiking Trail.
- Kerojärvi Wilderness Hut is on the Keroharju Trail on the shore of Lake Kerojärvi.
Camping Grounds
Lodging in the Surrounding Area
- In the villages of Juuma and Käylä (about 10 km from the National Park) there are rental cottages some of which are in year-round use.
- Altogether, in Kuusamo there are about 36 000 beds for guests, of which the majority are at the Ruka Ski Resort. The ski resort is 22 km from Oulanka. There are also several hotels in the Ruka area.
- Reservations (www.finfun.fi) can be made on the reservations page.
Equipment Rental
- Oulanka Visitor Centre loans out infant backpacks to carry the family’s youngest in. Visitors must pay a deposit.
- There are over 40 programme service enterprices in the Kuusamo area, which rent out eg. hiking equipment.
- More information can be found on the Town of Kuusamo (www.kuusamo.fi) and Ruka (www.ruka.fi) websites.
Services for the Disabled
- Oulanka Visitor Centre and Hautajärvi Visitor Centre and both their exhibitions and cafes are accessible by wheelchair and baby pram. Both buildings have toilets for the disabled.
Private Tourist Services in Oulanka National Park
Metsähallitus and the enterprises mentioned in link have made a co-operation agreement, which follows the principles of sustainable nature tourism.
Other Services in the Surrounding Area
- There are public payphones at Oulanka Visitor Centre, Oulanka Camping Ground and in Käylä Village.
- There is a bank, a post office and a store, which also sells fuel, in Käylä Village. The village also has a taxi station and a library. There are some rental cabins in the area, of which some are in year-round use.
- There are many programme service enterprises in Juuma, which arrange hiking trips in Oulanka National Park rent hiking equipment.
- There is a bank, a post office and stores in the village of Hautajärvi.
- There are several programme service enterprises in Ruka, which arrange white water rafting and canoeing excursions and hiking trips in Oulanka National Park. The companies also rent hiking equipment. Ruka also has stores and the ATM closest to the park.
- Kuusamo has a variety of services. In the centre of town there is a medical centre and two pharmacies, a hiking gear store and several other speciality shops.
- Some tourist sights in the area are Ruka Fell, Valtavaara Hill, the River Kuusinkijoki and the Giant’s Kettles at Aholavaara in the southern part of the Municipality of Salla. (Giant´s kettles were formed during the Ice Age by water making stones whirl around, which grounded a deep hole in the rock).
- Kuusamo bird watching club (www.kuusamobirds.net).
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