Riisitunturi National Park

Small Fell National Park Known For Its Winter Crown Snow Trees And Hanging Bogs, Famous From Photographs · Posio, Lapland

Riisitunturi is one of Finland's smallest fell national parks, set up in 1982 on a low, rounded fell in Posio in southern Lapland, above the big lake Kitkajarvi. It is famous far beyond its size for one winter scene: spruces buried under thick crown-snow, called tykky in Finnish, which turns the slopes into fields of white, strangely shaped figures. The effect comes from the fell being the first high ground that moist air from the west meets, so rime and snow build up layer on layer. In summer the draw is different and quieter: hanging bogs, mires that cling to the slopes instead of lying in hollows, crossed on duckboards, with wide views over lakes and forest. Short marked trails and a day hut near the top make it an easy half-day outing. The honest caveat: this is a short visit, not a destination for several days, there is little service on site, and in the crown-snow season it is very cold, dark by mid-afternoon and the pictures depend on a good snow year and clear weather.

Riisitunturi National Park, Posio, Posio, Lapland, Finland

Open all year, day and night, with free entry - there are no gates or tickets. The main parking area and trailheads are off the road between Posio and Kuusamo; the approach road is ploughed in winter but confirm conditions locally. There is no public transport to the trailhead, so you need a car, taxi or a tour from Ruka, Kuusamo or Rovaniemi. The day hut near the summit is open for resting and warming but is not for overnight stays - confirm current rules. Nothing needs booking for a self-guided visit; book guided snowshoe tours and accommodation in Posio or Ruka ahead in February, March and the Christmas period.

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