Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The paddling route
Put in at the canoe docks at Kirkkoranta, the park's water entrance, and paddle north-west along the main channel of Kolovesi, a maze of narrow sounds, rocky islands and steep, pine-clad shores in the Saimaa lake system. After about 1.5 km the channel passes under Ukonvuori, a cliff rising straight from the water, where red-ochre figures painted thousands of years ago can still be made out from a boat: look, but do not touch the rock. Carry on up the channel and turn where it widens, then come back the same way.
It is 6.1 km there and back; allow about 1¼ hours in a canoe or kayak and 1¾ on a paddleboard. The grade is Moderate only because it is all open lake: the channels are sheltered and there are no carries.
Kolovesi has been closed to motorboats since 1995 to protect the Saimaa ringed seal, one of the rarest seals in the world. From 1 January to 30 April all the park's islands are closed to landing, camping is allowed only at marked sites and fires only at marked fire sites, never in a forest-fire warning. If you see a seal, keep well away and leave it in peace. The water is cold outside midsummer and the lakes freeze in winter. Wear a buoyancy aid and check the conditions before you set off.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Along the main channel of Kolovesi National Park past the Ukonvuori cliff
- Prehistoric red-ochre rock paintings on the Ukonvuori cliff, seen from the water
- Motorboats have been banned in the park since 1995
- Home of the Saimaa ringed seal, one of the world's rarest seals
On the water
- Put in: Kirkkoranta canoe docks (canoe dock) 62.23665, 28.89109
- No locks or weirs on the way.
- About 6.1 km (3.8 mi) on open water, up to 163 m from the shore: wind and waves build quickly.
- Rules and licences: Metsähallitus. Check whether you need a licence before you go: on many inland waters in England and Wales you do, and Paddle UK membership includes one for many of them.
- Suits canoes, kayaks, paddleboards.
Getting there
Start: Kirkkoranta canoe docks. 62.23665, 28.89109
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Eastern Finland: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
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Water levels, flow and the weather decide the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; wear a buoyancy aid, check the river levels and the forecast, keep well clear of weirs and powered boats, and don't go out in flood.