Groomed fatbike trail Saariselkä
Winter trail information
Length of the route
Total length for the period 2024-2025 around 45 km.
Trail difficulty
The routes are easy, but the long distances between some of the break points are worth bearing in mind.
Duration
We recommend that you allow upwards of three hours.
Recommendable bike
Roll Outdoors recommends 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. Route maintenance information will also be updated on the map.saariselkatrails.fi page. 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.
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.
For winter trails, Saariselkä centre, Laanila and Kiilopää are good starting points. For navigation you can use either the official map.saariselkatrails.fi service or Google Maps(we try to keep the Google map up to date as best we can).
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, buns and other hot snacks are available at the following cafés/restaurants:
Kaunispään huippu
Laanilakievari
Savottakahvila
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!
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.