Sininen polku - Särkkäjärvi Ring Route 16 km, Kuhmo Finland
Sininen polku - the Blue Path Recreational Forest - is named after a trail passing through the area in Wild Taiga forest.
Sininen polku - the Blue Path - is an old path between villages. When walking along the trail you may imagine what it was like to visit a neighbour in old times, when there were no cars. Today, the path is easily accessible thus being an ideal day trip destination for the whole family.
The area is worthy of its name: blue lakes and ponds on both sides of the path that runs through the picturesque esker ridge. The easy-to-navigate routes are mostly traversed in dry boreal forest, but occasionally pass by mixed spruce forests and wetlands.
The Blue Path offers excellent opportunities for diverse recreation: hiking and fishing, as well as berry and mushroom picking. There are two Metsähallitus rental huts (reservable wilderness huts), Kalastajatorppa and Särkkäpirtti, which are connected to the routes. The area's forests are managed only in small scale, taking into account the recreational use of the area.
- Ponds and small lakes
- Pine forests
- Esker ridges
More information https://wildtaiga.fi/en/
Author’s recommendation
The Blue Path is also a good winter hiking destination for cross-country-skiing and snowshoeing, but the trails are not maintained.
Rest stops
Väärälampi campfire site and a lean-to shelter, Blue Path Kuhmo FinlandPitkäniemi campfire site and a lean-to shelter, Blue Path Kuhmo Finland
Särkkäjärvi campfire site and cooking shelter, Blue Path Kuhmo Finland
Särkkäpuro campfire site, Blue Path Kuhmo Finland
Safety information
Own drinks and snacks are recommended, since there are no cafés or shops in the area.
In the summer, hikers should protect themselves from mosquitoes (clothing, insect repellent).
Duckboards crossing mires and wetlands may be slippery when wet.
Tips and hints
Berry and mushroom picking is allowed in the Blue Path area. There are lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), bog bilberries (Vaccinium uliginosum) and crowberries (Empetrum nigrum) in the area. In mires, you can find cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus) and cranberries (Vaccinium oxycoccus).
Fishig is allowed with a rod and line.
Walking outside the routes is permitted, but it is advised to stay on paths.
Open fire is not permitted even at a campfire site if a forest fire warning has been issued.
Campfire Sites, Lean-to Shelters and Cooking Shelter:
- Väärälampi: a campfire site and a lean-to shelter
- Särkkäjärvi: a campfire site and cooking shelter
- Pitkäniemi: a campfire site and a lean-to shelter
- Särkkäpuro: a campfire site
Drinking Water
- It is recommended that you bring your own drinking water.
- The waters in the area are natural waters. You may use the water at your own risk. Boiling the water before drinking it is recommended since water quality varies from one area to another.
Waste Management
- There are no waste-bins in the nature reserve. Avoid taking unnecessary waste into the area.
- Biodegradable waste should be placed in a toilet or composter, and small amounts of clean paper and cardboard can be used as kindling in a campfire. Read more about Hiking without littering.
Toilets
- There is a dry toilet near every campfire site and lean-to shelter.
- There is a dry toilets also at the Liminsärkkä parking areas.
- Wilderness huts can be reserved in advance for short stays through local nature centres or the Internet www.lomarengas.fi
- Kalastajatorppa wilderness hut
- Särkkäpirtti wilderness hut
Camping
- You are allowed to camp temporarily near lean-to shelters and campfire sites.
Start
Destination
Turn-by-turn directions
The history of the Blue Path includes hunting and tar burning. There are several historical tar pits still found in the area. Waterways have been used for small-scale timber rafting of which there are still some signs.
Eskers have long been offering good routes between houses and villages. The Blue Trail hiking trail follows the old path between the villages.
The region's diverse terrain and natural details offer the most enjoyable sights at the Blue Path. Attractions include water glimmering on both sides of the esker and marshes at the foot of the ridge. Huge aspen trees and small stone fields are attracting the attention of the hiker.
Särkkäjärvi ring trail from Liminsärkkä, 16 km. The Särkkäjärvi ring route, starting from the Liminsärkkä parking area, practically covers the entire area. At the start, path goes up on the high Liminskärkkä esker ridge, below there is the Vääränlampi pond. After a mere half a kilometre hike, there is a campfire site and lean-to shelter by the pond.
The trail goes on an esker ridge, with a wide path and water on both sides. There are a lot of dead pine trees ('kelo' in Finnish) near Kapustalammi. It is possible to go from the esker ridge to the cooking shelter at the eastern end of Lake Särkkäjärvi, or continue west, where after a short walk you will reach the Pitkäniemi campfire site and a lean-to shelter. The distance from the departure point to Pitkäniemi lean-to shelter is approximately 5.5 km.
After Pitkäniemi, the forest changes into a mixed spruce forest with some huge aspen trees. After about a 2.5 km walk you will reach the western end of Lake Särkkäjärvi, where there is a campfire site along Särkkäpuro. The path then turns back towards the east, but now runs north of the lake. After about 3.5 km walk you will arrive to the Kapustavaara parking area and the nearby Särkkäjärvi campfire site with a cooking shelter. From here, get back to the ridge and return to the road to the Liminsärkkä parking area.
Infrasructure: Vääränlampi campfire site and a lean-to shelter, Särkkäjärvi campfire site and cooking shelter, Pitkäniemi campfire site and a lean-to shelter, Särkkäpuro campfire site.
Särkkäjärvi tour from Kapustavaara, 7 km. You can also hike a shorter ring route by starting the trip from Kapustavaara parking area and hiking around Särkkäjärvi. Choose either direction. When proceeding clockwise, there is a cooking shelter immediately after the parking area. After that, take the steps up to the ridge and turn right towards west. The Pitkäniemi lean-to shelter is about 2 km from the parking area, at the end of a long peninsula. The route continues then to the west. There is a campfire site along the Särkkäpuro. From there the path curves towards the east and goes back to the Kapustavaara parking area.
Infrastructure: Särkkäjärvi campfire site and cooking shelter, Pitkäniemi lean-to shelter and campfire site, Särkkäpuro campfire site, Kapustalampi campfire site.
Note
Public transport
The area cannot be reached by public transport.Getting there
From Kuhmo:
Drive the Kuhmo - Kajaani road (No. 900) about 4 km from Kuhmo, and turn right to Kekkostie (Moisiovaarantie) (No. 9070). Drive the road about 21 km. The Blue Path (Sininen Polku) signs guide you to the Liminsärkkä parking area next to the road.
Kapustavaara parking area is centrally located on the Blue Path. You can get there by driving from Kekkostie (No. 9070) about 1 km past the Liminsärkkä parking area and turning left. Drive 5.3 km to Karhuvaarantie, turn left (signpost: Särkkäpirtti) and drive 0.8 km to the parking area.
Parking
Free parkingCoordinates
Author’s map recommendations
Equipment
The paths are mostly easy terrain. Trekking does not require special equipment. At the wet mires there are duckboards. There are bridges over the small rivers and stairs in the ridge area. In dry weather, you can even walk along with jogging shoes. Nevertheless, proper hiking shoes are recommended.Statistics
- 7 Waypoints
- 7 Waypoints
Questions and answers
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