Location, Maps and Description
Northern Lapland Region, Municipality of Enontekiö (enontekiolapland.com), Käsivarsi Wilderness Area
Saarijärvi, coordinates: ETR S89 (~ WGS84) lat: 69° 03.927' lon: 21° 05.211' ETRS-TM35FIN; P: 7672972m I: 264602m
The wilderness hut is situated by the Nordkalott Trail near the Norwegian border. It is to the north of the Salmivaara Fell on the north western side of the Lake Saarijärvi. The next reservable hut along the Nordkalott Trail is Guonjarjohka. There is a separate open wilderness hut for 16 persons on the north western side of the Saarijärvi Lake.
Nordkalott Trail map
Other maps of the area
Excursionmap.fi
Directions to Kilpisjärvi and Käsivarsi Wilderness Area.
Price and Keys
16,50 €/night/person incl. VAT 10%).
Keys for the hut can be picked up from the Kilpisjärvi Visitor Centre and when the visitor centre is closed from the customs station of Kilpisjärvi, tel. int +358 295 527 007 (customs open 24 hours).
Reservations for 2024 can be made from Tue 2.5.2023 at 12am.
Facilities
A stove and a gas cooker. Basic cookware (pot, frying pan, coffee pot). Bunk beds with mattresses, pillows and blankets. In the reservable hut, hikers sleep side-by-side in bunk beds, so hikers have to be comfortable with strangers.
There are two sides in the reservable hut: Naali and Kiiruna, both of which have bunk beds and bed places for 8 people. There are 16 bed places in total. There is a drying room between the two huts.
There is a separate open wilderness hut, dry toilet, wood shed and recycling point on the grounds. You can camp on the hut grounds.
Please note that it takes some time before the hut is properly warm.
Notices
Ski touring season runs from March to April. In the summer, the recommended time for hiking is from the beginning of July to the beginning of September.
It is recommended to boil water from natural sources before consumption. The hut is located approximately 200 metres south of the lake outlet.
Weather conditions should be taken into account when planning an outing. Weather conditions in the wilderness can be extremely challenging. Fog or storms can form in just a few hours. Make sure that you have proper wilderness survival skills for the trek. Visitors must have appropriate equipment: warm clothing, food, drink, maps, compass, orienteering skills and matches. Take also your own toilet paper.
The firewood should only be used for heating the huts. Making campfires outdoors is prohibited if the hut does not have an official campfire site.
Pets are not permitted in the hut.
Safety on hiking
Waste Management
Metsähallitus follows the principles of litter-free hiking. Visitors are adviced to bring their own waste out of the area. Recycling point can be found at Kilpisjärvi Visitor Centre. Read more about Hiking without Littering.
Maintenance and Management
Metsähallitus, Parks & Wildlife Finland. For more information contact Kilpisjärvi Visitor Centre, tel. int. +358 20 639 7990 and Fell Lapland Visitor Centre, tel. int. +358 20 639 7950.
