Könkäänsaari accessible nature trail

The Könkäsaari Accessible Nature Trail is in Vikajärvi, 20.8 km from Rovaniemi toward Sodankylä. It is part of the Arctic Circle hiking area, a wilderness destination ideal for year-round outdoor recreation. The landscape's signature features are rugged hills, open water-logged string bogs, and Raudanjoki with its spectacular rapids and lush shoreline forest. The hiking area’s trail network is diverse and has several resting places, offering visitors of all ages a variety of hiking destinations. The location is easy to access year round.

The Könkäänsaari Accessible Nature Trail is a small-scale nature trail presenting the nature of Könkäänsaari, or Könkään Island, and Raudanjoki. It is especially well-suited for families with children and the physically disabled. The trail can be accessed with a wheelchair, baby carriage, or stroller. The recommended direction for touring the trail is clockwise. The whole trail is covered by one-metre-wide duckboards with wider spots for passing.

Colourful, richly illustrated information boards tell little stories, for example, about what happens on the riverside over the course of a year or what kind of bugs live in an old, fallen tree that lies rotting next to the duckboards. You might also see forest plants in new light. The trail provides hints for recognising the most common birds and finding the best bird-watching spots. It is a great nature experience to see the lushness of the islands and their diverse trees and animals, especially in the summer.

In the winter, the trail is suitable for snowshoeing. The round trip of the circular trail and the connecting trail is 1.1 km. The nature trail is classified as easy, and as a difficult wheelchair trail, requiring an assistant or power wheelchair.

The resting place on Könkäänsaari takes into account the physically disabled. The Vaattunkiköngäs parking area and Könkäänsaari lean-to are also equipped with accessible outhouses. There is an accessible duckboard trail from the Könkäänsaari lean-to to a dock on the riverside for observing the nature of Raudanjoki. Benches are also provided along the Könkäänsaari Nature Trail.

Directions: drive 22.1 km out of Rovaniemi along Sodankyläntie; turn right on Vaattunkikönkääntie; drive 2.1 km to the parking area at the end of the road. Take the Könkäiden Trail from the parking area to cross the bridge over Raudanjoki to the start of the accessible nature trail. The Arctic Circle hiking area is also accessible by bus along Sodankyläntie. The Vaattunkiköngäs parking area is about 2.1 km from Sodankyläntie along Vaattunkikönkääntie. The Vikaköngäs parking area is also in the vicinity of Sodankyläntie.