Groomed fatbike trail Saariselkä
Winter trail information
Length of the route
Total length of the trail system is around 55 km.
Trail difficulty
Easy. Sections marked in red on the map are demanding.
Duration
Recommend to prepare for at least 3 hours on the trails.
Recommendable bike
We recommend using a fatbike. With or without electricity. A narrow tyre causes, for example, grooving of the trail surface and significantly increases the maintenance costs.
Season
Snowy season, i.e. around November-April. First parts of the route are made as soon as there is enough snow. In windy weather, the sections in the open fell are the first to close.
Fee for using the route
Use of the route is free of charge. However, you can support trail maintenance by paying a voluntary trail fee. More information on the Saariselkä Trail Care Cooperative page.
Maintenance information
The Saariselkä Area Care Cooperative provides information on their website about current issues and trail maintenance. Maintenance information for the route will also be updated on infogis.fi/saariselka. From the side menu, select Winter paths for walking and cycling .
You should also follow Roll Outdoors’ own trail account Kiilopaa_Saariselka_trails, where we also occasionally update views of the terrain.
Note! Riding is always at your own risk!
Saariselän talvireittikartta
In Saariselkä, there is a nice winter cycling route around three villages. Good starting points for winter trails include Saariselkä centre, Laanila, Kakslauttanen and Kiilopää. You can use the Google Maps app to navigate. We do our best to keep the Google map up to date.
Link to trailmap on Google Maps.
The official route map can be found on the website of the Saariselkä area Care Cooperative. The picture below routes may still change during the winter, so we recommend you check the current situation e.g. at your nearest rental shop and buy an official route map.
Resting places
There are many good places for having a break along the fatbike routes in Saariselkä. Good spots for making a fire can be found at the Aurora hut, Piispanoja hut, Rönkönlampi hut, and the Sivakkaoja lavu.
Coffee and food are available in the following cafés/restaurants:
The top of Kaunispää
Laanila kievari
Savotta café
Wilderness Hotel Muotka
Aurora Queen Resort
Suomen Latu Kiilopää
The rest stops and attractions are also marked on Roll Outdoors’ own Google Maps trail map.
Attractions around Saariselkä
- At the new departure gate of Urho Kekkonen National Park you will find up-to-date information and instructions on how to get around the park.
- The Saariselkä chapel has a unique altarpiece; a window opening onto the fell landscape behind the altar.
- The Urkin Park’s Christmas colour-lit wall is a collective work of art by the villagers to brighten up the darkness.
- The oldest pine tree in the Saariselkä area is over 530 years old. You can hug or otherwise admire the wooden tree at the beginning of the Jokostie.
- The observation tower at the top of Kaunispää was built as a memorial and information point to preserve the long tradition of triangulation at Kaunispää. The tower offers views for tens of kilometres.
- The Bishop’s Stone is a memorial to the Bishop of the Diocese of Oulu and his entourage, who died in Laanila during the Russian attack during World War II.
Explore outdoors at the Saariselkä winter trails
Winter cycling in Saariselkä is a great option for those looking for an active and fun way to enjoy the winter nature. The Saariselkä winter biking route is one of the best fatbike routes in Finland, offering breathtaking mountain scenery and fun flow trails for beginners and experienced cyclists alike.
The route is made safe for beginners, but also so that more experienced riders can have fun on the winding and hilly route.
The trail will be built in autumn as soon as there is enough snow to snowmobile on the terrain. The winter biking route is marked.
Winter biking is a great alternative to traditional skiing, downhill skiing or even snowmobiling. It is a more environmentally friendly and quieter way to get around in nature, allowing you to better connect with the surrounding nature. In addition, winter biking offers an effective and varied form of exercise, suitable for both fitness and adventure.
If you are looking for activities in Saariselkä, winter biking is absolutely worth trying. Biking allows you to explore the incredible fell scenery and nature at your own pace, while enjoying the fresh winter air.
All in all, winter biking is a great alternative to Saariselkä’s winter activities, and Saariselkä’s famous fatbike trail is one of the best opportunities to try this fun and exciting sport.
Route etiquette – Respect the trail!
The route is maintained by volunteers, and it takes a lot of the entrepreneurs’ little time and even less money. We therefore hope that you will show respect for fresh and newly groomed trail. Only ride with wide fat tyres and enough low tyre pressures. A narrow tyre or a fat tyre that is too hard will sink through the surface of the trail and in the worst case, freezing the trail into a groove. Afterwards, of course, everyone behind you will thank you for a groovy route. The more snow that has fallen over the past few days, the longer it will take for the route to harden. Usually at least couple of hours after last grooming. After a good blizzard it can take even couple of days!
Route user guide in brief:
Let’s let the snow-covered route harden before we go out there to drive!
Rent a bike and a guide from Roll Outdoors
Give us feedback on the route
We would love to hear your opinions on the routes and their condition! Please send us your feedback using the form below and we will forward it to the trail maintainer.