Customer Service and Guidance

Yllästunturi Visitor Centre Kellokas

  • Provides information on northern natural features, the Ylläs-Aakenus fell area and the diverse hiking opportunities there.
  • A nature exhibition, a logging museum, AV presentations, organised events, tours of the visitor centre and of Varkaankuru Ravine for a fee.
  • Information on hiking, souvenirs, permits and a cafe.

Pallastunturi Visitor Centre

  • An exhibition on the area, AV presentations, changing exhibitions and events.
  • Reservations for reservable wilderness huts on the Hetta - Pallas Trail and for the rental cabin at Lake Keimiöjärvi.
  • Fishing permits for Lake Pallasjärvi.
  • Local products, books and maps.  

Fell Lapland Visitor Centre

  • An exhibition on the area, AV presentations, changing exhibitions and events.
  • Information on services in Käsivarsi Wilderness Area. Permits and reservations for wilderness huts.
  • Maps, books local souvenirs and a cafe.
  • Tours of the nature centre's exhibition for a fee.

A girl pouring drink into her cup in Fell Lapland visitor centre.

Services Offered by Enterprises and Other Organisations in the National Park

Services offered by enterprises and other organisations in the Pallas-Yllästunturi national park. They have a cooperation agreement with Metsähallitus and they follow the principles of sustainable nature tourism when operating in the national park.

Meals, Where to Buy and Prepare

Cafes and Restaurants

  • Cafes, restaurants and shops can be found in the villages and holiday resorts surrounding the National Park. Yllästunturi Visitor Centre Kellokas and Fell Lapland Visitor Centre has a cafe and restaurant. The Lapland Hotel Pallas is located next to Pallastunturi Visitor Centre.

  • There are also services along the trails in the National Park.

Campfire Sites, Huts and Campfire Shelters

  • Within the National Park and just outside of its boundaries, there are campfire sites, lean-to shelters and campfire huts, which can be used to shelter from bad weather. Campfire huts are not ment for overnight stays. In the recreation zone of the National Park campfires are only permitted at sites designated for this purpose. In the wilderness zones of the National Park, campfires are permitted also elsewhere and fallen twigs and dead branches can be used as firewood. Lighting campfires is forbidden everywhere, even in spots designated for them, if the wildfire warning is in effect. During extremely dry weather visitors are advised not to light fires in the fireplaces of the open huts.

A campfire shelter on the slope of Kesänkitunturi Fell.

  • Campfire sites are located:
    • At the foot of Pahtavaara Hill
    • On the shore of Lake Rautujärvi, outside the National Park on the northwest side of the Ounastunturi Fells
    • At the point where the Rivers Onnasjoki and Ounasjoki meet, on the northeast side of the National Park on the canoe route
    • On the bank of the River Ounasjoki, about 1 km south of Ketomella by road
  • Campfire huts are only for daytime use, not for overnight stays. They are located:
    • At Lake Savilampi
    • At Hietajärvi
    • At Lake Varkaanjärvi
    • In Suaskuru Ravine
    • In Rihmakuru Ravine
    • At the foot of Pallaskero Fell. There is also the Pallaskota rental campfire hut.
    • In Mustavaara 
    • On the western shore of Lake Vuontisjärvi in Muonio
    • In the Lake Pyhäjärvi, there is an accessible campfire hut
    • In Haavepalo at Totovaara Fell
    • At Lake Aakenusjärvi
    • At Hangaskuru
    • At Kesänkijärvi, an accessible campfire hut
    • At Tahkokuru
    • At Tuomikuru
    • At Varkaankuru
    • At Tunturijärvi
    • At Lainiotunturi Fell; Karhukota campfire hut
    • At Kotamaja
    • At Äkässaivo
  • Lean-to shelters, which can be used as day trip shelters are located:
    • At Lake Sarvijärvi
  • Day-use huts are intended for brief stops, for lighting campfires and enjoying packed lunches. They are:

Drinking Water

  • When in the vicinity of wilderness huts it is best to get drinking water from a well or other marked water spot or at a considerable distance from the building. During warm weather, water is best to boil before drinking.

A person dipping a kuksa in a creek with clear water.

Waste Management

  • Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is a Hiking without Littering -area.  Avoid taking unnecessary waste into the area. Take all waste out of the area. Recycling points can be found at Yllästunturi Visitor Centre Kellokas, Pallastunturi Visitor Centre and Fell Lapland Visitor Centre.

Toilets

  • Dry toilets can be found at open and reservable wilderness huts, day-use huts, lean-to shelters and at most campfire sites.

Overnight Stays

Camping

  • In the recreation zone of the National Park camping is permitted only in the vicinity of wilderness huts and campfire sites. In the wilderness zones camping is permitted everywhere.

Open Wilderness Huts

There are 22 open wilderness huts in the National Park and nearby. They are intended for one to two night stays. There is no charge for using them.

An open wilderness hut on the slope of a fell.

Reservable Wilderness Huts

  • There are three reservable wilderness huts in the Pallas area. Beds must be reserved in advance. Reservations for the Pallas huts can be made at Pallastunturi Visitor Centre. Keys can be picked up from Pallastunturi Visitor Centre or Fell Lapland Visitor Centre. Bed places cost 16,50 euros a person/night:

Rental Huts and Cabins

  • There is two rental huts and one rental campfire hut, which are rented to one group at a time. Reservations for them can be made at Visitor Centres.

Caravans

  • There is no actual camping ground with services in the National Park. There is a parking area for caravans 500 metres south from Pallastunturi Visitor Centre. There are, however, no services for caravan tourists there. Hotels Pallas, Vuontispirtti, Hetta, Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi all have services for caravan tourists.

Lodging in the Surrounding Area

Sauna

  • There is an open sauna in Hannukuru area. Sauna fee is 10 e / adult, 5 e / child (under 7 years) or for a member of a group (a group is  more than 10 persons). Payment in advance in the Eräluvat webshop (verkkokauppa.eraluvat.fi) or in the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park's visitor centres.
  • We suggest the following arrangement; women use the sauna during even-numbered hours and men during odd-numbered hours. This way everyone will get a chance to go.

Equipment Rental

  • Local enterprises rent out boats, canoes, cross-country and slalom skis, hiking boots and mountain bikes.

Services for the Disabled

  • The exhibition areas in Yllästunturi Visitor Centre Kellokas, Pallastunturi Visitor Centre and Fell Lapland Visitor Centre are accessible by wheelchair.

A woman in a wheelchair and a child are studying the exhibit of a visitor centre.

  • Pallastunturi Visitor Centre, Yllästunturi Visitor Centre Kellokas and Fell Lapland Visitor Centre have toilets for the disabled.
  • From Pallastunturi Visitor Centre there is a 1 km trail to the ruins of an old hotel and Pallaskota Rental campfire hut. The trail is wheelchair accessible if assisted.
  • The beginning of Pyhäjoki Nature Trail is accessible by wheelchair.
  • There is a short wheelchair trail from Yllästunturi Visitor Centre Kellokas to a nearby mire. There is a wheelchair trail to the campfire hut, but to move around on the visitor centres grounds an assistant is needed. The logging museum by Yllästunturi Visitor Centre Kellokas is wheelchair accessible if assisted. Other easily accessible locations are Pakasaivo, and the Ylläsjärvi bird watching tower.

Services for Boaters

  • There are two harbours in Lake Pallasjärvi, with concrete boat launch ramps. Both harbours have a campfire hut for eating picnics and lighting campfires.

Other Services in the Surrounding Area

  • There are shops in the villages of Äkäslompolo, Ylläsjärvi, Kittilä, Kolari, Muonio, Hetta and Raattama.
  • Cafés and restaurants can be found in the villages and tourist resorts of Äkäslompolo, Ylläsjärvi, Pallas, Raattama, Kyrö, Kutuniva, Jeris, Olos, Muonio and Hetta.
  • The closest banks and ATMs are in Äkäslompolo, Kittilä, Kolari, Muonio and Hetta. Credit cards are accepted in most places.
  • Kittilä, Kolari, Muonio and Hetta also each have a post office, pharmacy, medical centre, and other services common to municipality centres.
  • Almost every village has a taxi service.
  • Services for lodging, crossing the Lake Ounasjärvi and transport of Your car in the Pallas-Ounastunturi area.
  • There are galleries, museums and other tourist sights in many of the area's villages.
  • Hikers can shower and use the sauna for a fee at many tourist lodges in the villages There are several resorts offering lodging and bathing possibilities in the villages of Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi.
  • More information on services can be found on the Ylläs (yllas.fi) and Levi (levi.fi) resort area and Enontekiö (tosilappi.fi) websites.
  • Find out more about visiting Lapland (lapland.fi).

Guidelines for Using Wilderness Huts in Summer


Youtube.com

Guidelines for Using Wilderness Huts in Winter


Youtube.com