Karhunkierros Trail hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

Karhunkierros, the Bear's Trail, is the most popular long-distance hiking trail in Finland. It runs from Hautajärvi village in Salla, just south of the Arctic Circle, to Ruka in Kuusamo, and most of it crosses Oulanka National Park in north-east Finland. The official length is about 81 km from Hautajärvi (71 km if you start at Ristikallio), and Metsähallitus, the state agency that runs the park, suggests 3 to 5 days. You follow the Oulankajoki and Kitkajoki rivers past rapids, canyons, cliffs and suspension bridges, then finish over the hills of Valtavaara. You sleep in free open wilderness huts or in your own tent at marked campsites, and nothing needs to be booked.

The route

The trail starts at the Napapiiri Café and Karhunkierros visitor centre in Hautajärvi and crosses dry pine heath and mires to Perttumakoski rapids and Rupakivi rock. After 15 km it reaches the Oulankajoki at the end of Oulanka Canyon and Savilampi hut, and 4 km later Taivalköngäs, where three suspension bridges cross the rapids and the shorter route from Ristikallio joins. A wide path leads past Oulanka Camping to the Oulanka Visitor Centre and Kiutaköngäs rapids, then follows the river to Ansakämppä. The next section is the hardest: from Jussinkämppä the trail drops to the Kitkajoki and runs along a rocky, rooty riverbank to Harrisuvanto, Jyrävä waterfall and Siilastupa near Juuma, sharing the last part with the Pieni Karhunkierros day loop. From Juuma it is easy to Porontimajoki, then steep up and down over Kumpuvaara, Konttainen and Valtavaara to the end.

Since April 2026 the official end is the Saarua parking area in East Ruka, not Ruka village. The old finish through the ski area was moved for safety, and the official length dropped by about 1 km. Orange paint on trees and posts marks the way, and a post every kilometre shows the distance to Hautajärvi and Ruka, the nearest landmark and its coordinates.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits it into 4 stages, about 20.2 km each, ending at the huts most hikers use: Taivalköngäs, Ansakämppä and Siilastupa. For 5 days, stop at Jussinkämppä or Porontimajoki as well.

Highlights

• Oulanka Canyon and Taivalköngäs: the river in a cliff-lined gorge, then three suspension bridges over the rapids
• Kiutaköngäs: a long set of rapids beside an ancient cliff wall, 1 km from the visitor centre
• Kitkajoki valley: the wildest section, with Jyrävä waterfall, Harrisuvanto and the old mill at Myllykoski on the Pieni Karhunkierros
• Valtavaara: the highest natural hill in Kuusamo, with a view over the forests on the last day

When to go

The hiking season runs from the end of May to October; the main season is mid-June to the end of September. Snow can still lie on the trail in early June, and snowmelt can flood brooks. Mosquitoes and other biting insects hatch from mid-June. Autumn colours (ruska) start in early September and last two to three weeks, and the first snow often falls in October. The trail has no winter maintenance: winter trips are only for experienced hikers, with very short days and temperatures in the river valley that have reached -46 °C.

How hard is it?

Metsähallitus grades the trail as hard. The first two days are mostly flat forest path. The Kitkajoki riverbank and the hills before Ruka are rocky, with roots, stairs, rope railings and steep short climbs, and duckboards and bridges are slippery when wet. Plan on 3 to 4 km an hour with a full pack, so 5 to 8 hours of walking a day on the 4-day plan. You carry everything: tent, stove, sleeping bag and all your food.

Huts, camping and booking

There is no permit, fee or booking. The seven open wilderness huts sleep 10 to 20 people and are free, first come, first served, for one or two nights; they have a wood stove and firewood, but no mattresses, power or shop. Carry a tent: the huts fill up in July and August, and Metsähallitus asks groups of more than five to use their own shelter. In the national park you may only camp close to the marked rest areas, campfire sites and huts. Make fires only at maintained campfire sites, and during a wildfire warning use only the cooking shelters with a chimney or your stove. Beds with sheets exist only at the ends and near the trail: cabins at Hautajärvi, Oulanka Camping in summer, Basecamp Oulanka and cottages in Juuma, and hotels in Ruka.

Getting there and away

Kuusamo airport has flights from Helsinki, and buses run from Oulu to Kuusamo and Ruka. In 2026 the pre-booked Karhunkierros Express ran from Kuusamo airport via Ruka to Hautajärvi from 25 May to 30 September, a daily bus left Ruka Valley for Hautajärvi at 08:45 from 1 June to 30 September, and another Karhunkierros Express line linked Ruka, Juuma and the Oulanka Visitor Centre. All are booked on Matkahuolto at least 24 hours ahead and run only with bookings. Long-term parking at Hautajärvi costs €10 a day. From Saarua it is a short walk to East Ruka and about 1.5 km to Ruka village, where the airport bus stops.

Water, food and phone signal

Treat or boil surface water for 5 minutes. The tap on the outside wall of the Oulanka Visitor Centre gives clean water outside winter, and there is no flowing water on the last 15 km from Porontimajoki to Ruka. There are no proper shops on the trail: buy food in Kuusamo, Ruka or Käylä. Restaurant Talonpöytä at the Oulanka Visitor Centre and the cafés in Hautajärvi and Juuma open only in season, and the visitor centre itself is temporarily closed in October 2026. Finland uses the euro and cards are accepted almost everywhere; there is an ATM at Ruka Info. Mobile coverage is good on most of the trail but drops out in deep valleys.

What to pack

A tent, a warm sleeping bag and mat, a stove and fuel, food for every day, a water filter or tablets, rain gear and a warm layer, insect repellent and a head net, toilet paper, a first-aid kit, a power bank and the 1:25,000 Karhunkierros outdoor map. Carry out all your rubbish, including gas cartridges.

Safety

In an emergency call 112, or call through the 112 Suomi app so the operator sees your location. Tell someone your plan and write your name and route in each hut's guest book. In June 2025 Metsähallitus closed all huts for a week after a stomach-flu outbreak, so boil water, use your own cup rather than the hut bucket, and clean your hands before eating. Respect the seasonal restricted areas along the Kitkajoki and stay on the trail.

History

The Karhunkierros was first marked in 1955, from Ristikallio to Ruka, and the Hautajärvi start was added later. Oulanka National Park was founded in 1956 and now receives about 190,000 visits a year; the Karhunkierros, the Pieni Karhunkierros and Kiutaköngäs are its busiest places.