PYHÄ-LUOSTO NATIONAL
PARK MTB LOOP
LOCATED IN REINDEER HERDING LAND
DISTANCE
135 km
% UNPAVED
67 %
DAYS
2-3
days
% SINGLETRACK
27 %
TOTAL ASCENT
1519 m
DIFFICULTY (1-10)
6
HIGHEST POINT
365 m
% RIDEABLE
100 %
The Pyhä-Luosto National Park MTB Loop is a versatile 2-3 day and 135km mixed terrain route on mostly smooth single track and gravel backroads. The route traverses the line of fells of the Pyhä-Luosto National park on a roller coaster-like easy single from hut to hut and laavu to laavu, before diving into the arctic taiga and returning to the starting point on remote feeling back roads of the Pelkosenniemi area. It’s a versatile little stand-alone tour or can be added to the plan as a part of a longer all-terrain-bicycle tour in the arctic.
The Pyhä-Luosto National MTB Loop connects the holiday centers of the national park, local villages, and sights on mostly easy single-track and traffic-free gravel backroads. The national park’s old-growth forest on the sides of the line of fells is some of the prettiest anywhere and the wilderness shelters are numerous and of high quality. Though the Pyhä-Luosto National Park is one of the more visited ones in Finland and therefore the trail is always shared with other hikers and cyclists as well - except possibly very late in the season. This, however, is balanced out by empty, remote forest roads after the national park, which are rarely visited by anyone at all.
The route makes a great overnighter by spending the first night in the national park and then doubling the kilometers the next day on mostly smooth and fast gravel roads, and a section of asphalt on the way back to the starting point. The riding in the national park is mostly non-technical, as the single tracks are mostly gravel-covered, apart from the 6km of natural single track, which pushes the grading of the route into the mountain biking category. With some mountain biking skills, the route is doable with beefy tired gravel bike as well, at least if you don’t mind a little hike-a-bike when the single track gets too rooty and rocky. Though riding the route with a mountain bike makes the natural single-track sections faster and easier. If not technical, the roller coaster-like trails of the national park can be physically demanding.
Overall, the route offers a fantastic way to explore the Pyhä-Luosto National Park, with splendid camping and overnight options on the way, with a bonus of seeing a larger part of the area on gravel roads as well. Read more about what the route has to offer and suggested, a fairly relaxed-paced daily plan in the Trail notes below…
REINDEER HERDING & ROUTE OPENING TIME
Late June till first snow (late September to early October)
There are no limitations to the bikepacking season requested by the local reindeer herding community. As a rule of thumb mtb rules are dry enough to ride from early July and the season continuous till first snow, if not effected by the local reindeer herding work. Howevever, the single track sections of the Pyhä-Luosto National MTB Loop is usually dry enough to ride already in the second part of June, due gravelled, rised single tracks of the national park.
More about the annual rhythm of reindeer herding work here and general guidelines for trekking and camping in the reindeer herding area, check here.
Photos: Taneli Roininen
-
The rollercoaster-like gravel single tracks of the Pyhä-Luosto National Park.
-
Camping in the old-growth forest by one of the wilderness shelters of the national park.
-
Remote forest roads and gravel roads, leading back to Pelkosenniemi.
-
Keino-oja open wilderness hut, is a little off-route, but is one of the best-kept in the whole Lapland and has great camping in the area as well.
-
High-quality services in the holiday villages of Pyhä and Luosto.
-
Northern lights can be seen multiple times a week in autumn, if the sky is clear at night.
