Category: Visit Finland’s National Parks

Visiting a national park is one of the best ways to enjoy Finnish nature. You get to enjoy it’s beauty, silence, purity. It’s close to perfect out there. National parks are protected areas, so nature is almost untouched. And by following a simple national park etiquette, we all can help to preserve these wonders of nature.

The biggest threat to these nature reserves are the visitors. We are all nature lovers. That’s why we want to enjoy it. So how we can help to preserve the nature and keep it as it is? Well, there is a one easy thumb rule to follow: Respect nature!

National Park Etiquette – Just 6 Simple Rules

1. Respect Nature

National parks are created to preserve nature. But to make visits possible, there are usually marked trails to follow. These trails will lead you to the most beautiful places. To avoid any unnecessary wear and tear, stay on these trails. Don’t take shortcuts.

You may pick berries and mushrooms, but don’t collect plants or cut tree branches. Don’t build rock piles either. Even if you have seen that others have done it. Rock piles can be harmful to nature and disrespectful of cultural values.

2. Respect Wildlife

National parks are excellent for wildlife watching. But remember that this is their home. We are just visiting. Observe wildlife from distance. Don’t try to approach or feed animals. And don’t enter restricted areas. Dogs are usually welcomed to national parks but must be kept on a leash.

3. Respect Other Visitors

How cool it would be if you were the only visitor in that forest. Unfortunately, there are usually others who want to enjoy of the same nature experience as you do. So let’s make it great for everyone. Nature trails aren’t usually very crowded, but sometimes there are more people on the same trail. Let others pass you easily. And when you stop for a view, move off the trail. People usually greet each other on the forest trail. It’s not a must, but a nice habit if the trail isn’t very crowded.

4. Camp Only Where Allowed

Camping is usually allowed only in designated camping areas. Check if camping is allowed in your destination.

5. Be Careful with Fire

If you want to light a fire, there are designated campfire sites for that. Check first if the forest or grass fire warning is in effect. And always be careful with fire.

6. Keep Nature Clean

The easiest way to keep nature clean and beautiful is to avoid littering. Leave nothing behind! Instead you can have a little bag with you for your trash. And if you see someone else have accidentally dropped something, you can pick that up and take it away with you.

So here you go. Just a few things. A simple national park etiquette for visiting a nature reserve in Finland, or in any country. But always check the destination’s own guidelines and rules before you go.

Sources:
National Parks Visitor Guidelines

Finnish National parks have become so popular that you could almost call them trendy. In 2021, Finland’s national parks were visited over 4 million times. In a country with a population of 5.5 million, that’s quite impressive.

National Parks are Trendy

Visitor numbers have been growing steadily year by year. They have almost doubled in the last 10 years. And with the new Salla National Park opening in 2022, visitor numbers can be expected to grow even further.

Naturally, not every person in Finland doesn’t visit national parks, but some like to visit frequently. And it is easy to guess why. National parks are a great way to enjoy nature. And even if you have already visited the park once, the second visit can be very different. You can take a different trail. Or you can visit different time of the year. Because each season is a unique in Finnish nature.

Pallas-Yllästunturi was the Trendiest in 2021

Metsähallitus Parks and Wildlife Finland, which manages Finnish national parks, releases yearly visitor numbers. These estimates are based on the data collected with electronic counters counting visitors on trails.

Based on this data, the most popular Finnish national park in 2021 was the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park with 699 000 visits. the second place goes to Urho Kekkonen National Park with 446 000 visits, and the third most popular was the Nuuksio National Park with 314 500 visits.

The least popular, or least number of visits gathered the Bothnian Bay National Park. Reasons for this could be that this national park is located only on islands. So visiting Bothnian Bay National Park is a bit more challenging, and counting visits even more challenging than in other parks. Bothnian Bay National Park gathered 6 300 visits in 2021.

Another “quiet” destination was the Hiidenportti National Park. It got only 15 000 visits in 2021. But it doesn’t mean that it would be any less significant than other parks. And with so few visits, it’s guaranteed to offer peace and quiet.

Source:
Metsähallitus

Models:
Thanks to active sisters Marianna & Katarina