Tiilikankierto Trail

You can start the trail from either Pohjoisniemi or Sammakkotammi. You can also choose to hike only the northern part (11 km) or the southern part (see Uiton kierto 7 km) of the trail. There are two camping areas on the trail, Venäjänhiekka and Koseva, so daily distances should be planned accordingly. This trail description starts from Sammakkotammi and goes clockwise.

At Sammakkotammi, there is a parking area, campfire site, dry toilet, and information shelter. First, you cross Sammakkotammi, an old log driving dam with a footbridge built on top. The first half of the trail goes up and down along ridges. Lakes Sammakkojärvi and Autiojärvi can be glimpsed through the trees. It is about four kilometers to Venäjänhiekka. At Venäjänhiekka, there is a campfire site and a dry toilet. The nearest drinking water well is at Uiton Kämppä, about 400 meters away. You can also camp at Venäjänhiekka.

From Venäjänhiekka, continue north. Soon you will enter the restricted area of Kalmo- and Pohjoisniemi, where walking is only allowed on marked trails during the snow-free season. The markings are round paint marks on trees. The restrictions protect the ancient relics of the ridges, such as old graves.

At the end of Kalmoniemi, you will encounter the rowing section of the trail, the crossing of Selkäsalmi. Although the distance is relatively short, the strait is sensitive to winds, and crossing may not be possible in bad weather. Pictorial instructions for using the crossing boats can be found next to the boats, on the sides of the storage boxes. The storage boxes also contain life jackets for boat users.

Note that after the crossing, there must be a boat left on both shores. For this reason, the strait must be rowed across three times. First, row to fetch the boat from the opposite shore and tow it to the starting shore. Only then row to the opposite shore and continue your journey.

The trail continues through the magnificent ridge landscapes of Pohjoisniemi to Koseva, where there is a small wilderness hut and a campfire site. You can also camp at Koseva.

From Koseva, the trail continues to the Pohjoisniemi parking area, from where it turns back, following the eastern shore of Lake Tiilikkajärvi towards the Koirakivi campfire site. It is about 8 km from Koseva to Koirakivi. The lakeside forests are lush, and along the way, you pass by a beaver meadow. Immediately after the Koirakivi campfire site, you arrive at the Tiilikanautio farm. This site was one of the first houses in the village of Tiilikka in the early decades of the 1700s.

From Tiilikanautio, you can either continue directly to Uitonkämppä Hut (about 1 km) or choose an additional loop (about 2.2 km) along Autionkierto. Both route options lead to Uitonkämppä, where there is a campfire site, toilet, and drinking water well. From Uiton Kämppä, continue over the Itkonjoki bridge and then along the eastern side of Lake Autiojärvi towards Sammakkotammi.

The last section, just over three kilometers, is on flat terrain, alternating between duckboarded mire sections and dry pine forest islands. In spring and particularly rainy summers, there may be sections where water rises onto the trail or duckboards.