Pallas Yllästunturi National Park
| Pallas Yllästunturi National Park | |||
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| Location: | Lapland , Finland | ||
| Next city: | Kittila | ||
| Surface: | 1,020 km² | ||
| Founding: | 2005 | ||
| Address: | Metsähallitus, Natural Heritage Services, Lapland Koskikatu 44-46, PL 8016 |
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The Pallas Yllästunturi National Park is the third largest national park in Finland with an area of 1020 square kilometers . The national park is located in West Lapland in the area of the municipalities Enontekiö , Kittilä , Kolari and Muonio . The landscape of the Pallas Yllästunturi National Park is characterized by an approximately one hundred kilometer long mountain chain and by taiga forests in the Nordic coniferous forest zone. In terms of visitor numbers, Pallas Yllästunturi National Park is the most popular national park in Finland. In 2019, 561,200 visitors were counted.
The landscape of Pallastunturi was chosen as one of the Finnish national landscapes .
Hiking opportunities
In the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park there are dozens of hiking and skiing routes that are suitable for hikers and skiers of different levels. Some of the routes lead to the peaks of the fells, others lead through forest and moorland.
Tours in the national park are possible on foot, by mountain bike, by canoe , on skis or on snowshoes . In Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, day hikers also have the opportunity to climb the peaks of the fells. Popular day hikes include the Pyhäkerö day tour, the Taivaskero circular route, the Pirunkurun ponnistus, the Varkaankuru route, the Kesänkijärvi circular route and the Tuomikuru circular route.
Most of the routes are circular, and along all routes there are places to take a break. Koten , shelters , campfire sites, viewing areas , wilderness areas and huts to be reserved serve as resting places . There are a total of 340 kilometers of marked hiking trails in the national park area. In addition, there are another 200 kilometers of hiking trails in the vicinity of the national park. With a few exceptions, mountain biking is permitted on the marked hiking trails. There are over 500 kilometers of cross-country skiing trails and over 100 kilometers of routes for winter hikes. The winter hiking routes can be done on foot, with snowshoes or on a mountain bike.
One of the most famous hiking trails in the national park is the Hetta Pallas hiking trail, the oldest marked hiking trail in Finland. The route was established in 1934. The approximately 50 kilometers long Hetta Pallas hiking trail can be walked on from both directions. The route runs over mountain plateaus and through gorges. The trail leads to several mountain peaks. Along the route you will find numerous supplied wilderness and huts to be reserved.
Geography and nature
The landscape of the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is determined by a mountain range, a remnant of the prehistoric ceiling mountains . Today's rounded peaks of the fells are the rump mountains of the ceiling mountains. The highest point in the national park is the Taivaskero of Pallastunturi at 809 meters above sea level. Other high peaks are for example the Pyhäkero, Lumikero, Laukukero and Palkaskero. Kero means treeless, rounded mountain top.
The nature in the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is diverse and varied. There are many different types of nature in the area: swamps and bogs, heather forests, natural old forests, open fells and grove forests .
Vegetation and water
The vegetation in the national park is rich. Pine , spruce and mountain birch are particularly common trees . Various plants growing on the ground such as dwarf birch, Diapensia lapponica , alpine bearberry and black crowberry thrive on the treeless fells . In lush grove forests along streams you can find the spiked currant , the ostrich fern , the medicinal angelica and the real daphne . In heath forests in particular are growing blueberry and - cranberry . The wood cranesbill , the Swedish dogwood and numerous rare moss and mushroom species grow in the old, moist primary forests .
Marshes and moors are typical landscapes in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, alongside coniferous forests and fells. In swamps you will find numerous plants that are comfortable in wet areas, such as swamp porst , cottongrass , cloudberries and bog berries . Rare orchids also grow on the calcareous soil .
The national park is criss-crossed by numerous lakes, ponds and streams. The largest lake in the park is Pallasjärvi Lake, which is located southeast of the Pallastunturi Nature Center.
Reindeer and elk are the large mammals one encounters in the national park. Reindeer in particular feel at home on the fells and in the moorland in summer. Other typical mammals are the hare , fox , pine marten , mountain leming , various species of moles and squirrels . Of the carnivores in Finland, the bear and the lynx live in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park .
The northern and southern bird species meet in the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. The northern species include, for example, the rock ptarmigan , the willow grouse and the ringed plover . In the lush spruce forests, the southern species are more at home, such as the blackbird and the warbler . In the forests, for example, different species of titmouse, the blue jay and the pinicola can be found. Since there are many moles, you can also see more owls and hawks in the region. The typical inhabitant of streams is the dipper, which looks for food in flowing water even in winter. Other bird species found in the national park include the bluethroat , the wood sandpiper , the yellow wagtail , the ruff and the dark water strider .
Climate and natural phenomena
The location of the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park north of the Arctic Circle brings with it typical climatic and natural phenomena as the seasons change . Winter in December – January includes the polar night , snowfall and frost down to −30 ° C and little sunlight. When the sky is cloudless, you can see northern lights and astronomical objects in the evening and at night .
The snow cover in the national park is thickest in March – April, so that there can be over a meter of snow on the fells and in the forests. Summer arrives in mid-June and the midnight sun sets the tone for this region in June – July. During this time the sun does not go below the horizon .
The fall color season begins on the fells of western Lapland in mid-September and lasts two to three weeks. The first snow falls in the second half of October, but occasional snow showers can also occur in the summer months, especially in the Pallas-Ounastunturi area.
acting responsibly
The Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park was awarded the European Charter 1 certificate in 2013–2018 and 2019–2023. The certificate is awarded by the European nature conservation association EUROPARC .
The goal of waste-free hiking is pursued in all of Finland's national parks. Hikers should take care of their own waste and its disposal and take it to the appropriate disposal points. This reduces the amount of waste that ends up in nature.
For proper waste separation, there are eco-stations for the disposal of paper , cardboard , glass , metal and batteries at the nature centers of Pallaastunturi, Tunturi-Lappi and Yllästunturi . Bio-waste can be disposed of in the humus toilets and small amounts of combustible waste can be burned at the fireplace.
In the Pallas Tunturi National Park, air purity is constantly measured at the Sammaltunturi weather station . According to information from the WHO , the Sammaltunturi measuring station is one of the places where the cleanest air in the world is measured. The fine dust content there is below 4 µg / m³.
Nature centers
There are three nature centers in the Pallas-Tunturi National Park: the Yllästunturi Nature Center Kellokas, the Nature Center Pallastunturi and the Nature Center Tunturi-Lappi in Heta. The advisers from the nature centers provide information about the national parks and hiking opportunities. The exhibitions of the nature centers “Meän elämää” (Our Life), “Metsästä paljakalle” (From the forest to Paljakka) and “Vuovjjuš-Kulkijat” (Vuovjjuš hikers) convey the nature and culture of the region. You can also see films and art exhibitions in the nature centers. In addition, visitors can purchase products that are close to nature.
history
As early as 1910, the idea of establishing national parks in Finland came up. At that time, the Forest Protection Committee proposed the establishment of national parks in Pallastunturi and Pelkosenniemi Pyhätunturi in a memorandum. The Finnish botanist Kaarlo Linkola had a strong influence on the establishment of a national park in the Pallastunturi area .
In 1928 the parliament passed the application for the establishment of a general nature reserve in Pallas-Ounastunturi, and after numerous memoranda and motions, the first national parks were finally established in Finland in 1938. Pallas Ounastunturi National Park was one of the first.
The history of tourism in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park goes back to the 1930s, when Fjell ski courses began to be offered on the Pyhäkero of Ounastunturi and in Pallastunturi. Tourism started in Äkäslompolo around the same time.
The Pallas Yllästunturi National Park was established in 2005. The new park now includes the old Pallas-Ounastunturi National Park as well as the nature reserves of Ylläs-Aakenustunturi and various other protected areas such as old forests and protected moorland. At the same time, the Pallas Ounastunturi National Park was dissolved. The area of the new national park covers 1022 km².
The highest peak of Yllästunturi and the ski center there are not part of the national park area, while the Laukukero ski center in Pallastunturi is in the national park.
Fjell Outtakka
Pallastunturi
One of the huts in the national park
