Helvetinjärvi National Park
Narrow gorges and lakes carved by Earth's ancient splits.Deep gorges and ancient rock formations mark this Finnish national park, where 38-meter cliffs rise above clear lakes and old-growth forests. Marked trails lead through storm-shaped woodlands.
At Helvetinjärvi National Park in Finland's Pirkanmaa region, you can walk through ancient gorges carved by tectonic movements millions of years ago. The 49.8-square-kilometer park includes the Helvetinkolu gorge - a narrow 38-meter-deep cleft where you can descend between rock walls just 2.5 meters apart. You'll find clear lakes with steep cliff faces, sandy beaches at Haukanhieta, and marked trails through old-growth forests.
Geological Formations
Tectonic forces split the bedrock 150-200 million years ago, creating deep rifts throughout the park. The resulting fault lines contain a chain of lakes - Kovero, Luomajärvi, Iso Helvetinjärvi, Pikku Helvetinjärvi, and Pitkä Helvetinjärvi. These lakes sit between cliff faces that rise up to 210 meters above sea level, with rock walls extending tens of meters straight up from the water.
Hiking Routes
The 4-kilometer Helvetistä Itään Nature Trail takes you from Kankimäki to Helvetinkolu through spruce forests, pine woods, and mire depressions. For a more challenging hike, take the 11-kilometer trail from Haukanhieta to Helvetinkolu, where you'll navigate steep hillsides and significant elevation changes. The Pirkan Taival trail network extends beyond the park, connecting to Seitseminen National Park through 300 kilometers of marked paths.
Helvetinkolu Gorge
The narrow Helvetinkolu cleft measures 38 meters deep and 40 meters long, with walls just 2-2.5 meters apart. Local residents once used it as a wolf trap, and later it became a meeting spot for young people from Ruovesi when dancing was prohibited. Near the gorge, you'll find a rest hut built in the 1920s by the Visuvesi youth club and a designated campfire site.
Facilities and Activities
In winter, explore the park on snowshoes or cross-country skis - the main road stays plowed throughout the season. At Haukanhieta beach area, you'll find cooking shelters, camping sites, and drinking water facilities. The park maintains multiple campfire sites and cooking shelters throughout its territory.
Natural Environment
The 2010 storms left their mark on the park's forests, creating areas of fallen trees that now support beetles and insects that thrive in decomposing wood. As you walk through the park, you'll pass through both dense forest sections and open mires, each supporting different types of local wildlife.
