Northern Lapland Region
Municipality of Inari (www.inari.fi, in Finnish)
Area: 1215
sq.km. Proposed as a state hiking area.
The area is managed by Metsähallitus.
The landscape of Inari Hiking Area, with the impressive
Lake Inarijärvi, the hills and fells, the rivers in between, and the shining
lakes, offers nature and Lapland enthusiasts something new to see and to do on
every visit.
The large Lake Inarijärvi and its surroundings are a good place to explore
the wilderness-like nature of northern Lapland. For the local people, the area
also serves the needs for recreation, and fishing for household use. Tourism
companies bring their customers to Inari all year round. In total, about 200 000
visits are made every year to the area.
Metsähallitus has proposed the establishment of Inari Hiking Area as a state
hiking area in the municipality of Inari. It would include the areas of Juutua
and Myössäjärvi, the recreational forests on state-owned lands, and the water
areas on the western part of Lake Inarijärvi. Also commercial forestry may be
practiced in the hiking area, but in such a way that the recreational needs and
landscape management are emphatically taken into account. To of the southwest of
Inari Hiking Area is Hammastunturi Wilderness
Area and to its northeast Vätsäri Wilderness
Area, which is part of the Finnish-Norwegian-Russian protected area entity
called Pasvik-Inari Trilateral Park
(www.pasvik-inari.net).