Nuuksion Pitkäjärvi: from Haltia down the lake and back

Put in from the small beach below Haltia, the Finnish Nature Centre, and paddle south down Nuuksion Pitkäjärvi, a narrow lake lying in a fault valley between rocky, pine-covered ridges. The national park fills the west shore, with cliffs and spruce forest running down to the water; the east side has scattered cottages. Follow the west shore past the inlet of Hankalahti and through the narrows by Poutlahti into the southern basin, then turn and come back the same way.

It is 6.9 km there and back; allow about 1½ hours in a canoe or kayak and 2 on a paddleboard. The grade is Moderate only because it is all open lake: the line stays close to the shore and there are no carries.

No permit is needed to paddle. Inside the national park you may land only at public sites, camp only at marked tent sites and light fires only at marked fire places, never during a forest-fire warning. Much of the east shore is private. Wind funnels along the valley and builds waves quickly, and there are few places to land, so turn back early if it rises. The water is cold outside midsummer and the lake is frozen from about December to April. 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.