Cycling is a fun and nature-friendly way to explore the nature of Lapland. A fatbike is a good way of getting around in winter, too, and is good for beginner mountain bikers.
Hire a fatbike and experience Pyhä-Luosto in the saddle
From the centre of Sodankylä to National Parks
The Sodankylä National Parks, the Urho Kekkonen National Park and Pyhä-Luosto all have a fine selection of routes for mountain biking. In the landscape of the fells you can pedal without a care in the world. Cycling enthusiasts’ route tips for the Sodankylä area can be found here.
Are you staying in the centre of Sodankylä and would like to explore the area by bike? It is a short distance from the city centre to Kommatti, where you can explore the surroundings of Kommattivaara along various paths. Did you know that Kommattivaara has also hosted the Finnish Fatbike Championships in February!
The fatbike, originally developed for the Alaskan winter conditions, is fun and easy to ride. There are no obstacles for a fatbike, meaning you can ride it in almost any landscapes at all. The fatbike is also the beginner’s best friend. The fat wheels forgive the areas the rider still needs to develop. Because of its generously sized wheels, the fatbike travels well over soft surfaces such as snow and sand.
Pyhä-Luosto National Park
In the Pyhä-Luosto National Park you can mountain bike using a circle route running between the Luostonloma car park by the road, at one end, and the Lampivaara amethyst mine, at the other. Rykimäkero fell top, Rykimäkuru gorge and the shelter at Porontahtoma are also accessible by mountain bike trails, and you can use the network of routes crisscrossing the national park to combine different routes to build a tour that suits your schedule and fitness level. You can find the summertime mountain bike routes on the map of Luosto on Nationalparks.fi.
In Luosto, a winter cycling route leads you from the village centre (Off-Piste 4) through beautiful fellside landscapes to the amethyst mine of Lampivaara. In addition, a ploughed route encircles the beautiful Lake Ahvenlampi, which you can complete by fatbike in the winter. You can see the winter fatbike routes in Pyhä-Luosto on the map on Nationalsparks.fi. In Pyhä-Luosto, you can hire fatbikes from Bliss Adventure, which also organises biking trips.
Urho Kekkonen National Park
In the Urho Kekkonen National Park the most popular mountain biking spots include Kiilopää, Niilanpää, Lake Rautulampi, Lake Luulampi and Rumakuru. You can also ride your mountain bike on the Ruija Path. In the summer, mountain biking is permitted on all marked trails. See the map at Nationalparks.fi.
In the Urho Kekkonen National Park you can ride a fatbike on the Aurora Path in Saariselkä, for example, which is a winter walking route. Cycling on ski trails is forbidden, but in the winter cycling off-trail is allowed. In the winter, the Kiilopää division of Suomen Latu, the Finnish outdoors association, maintains a cycle route from Kiilopää to the Sivakkaoja shelter.
