Juuma: Hiking and Whitewater

Juuma is a village best explored through its specific nature experiences: the Pieni-Karhunkierros hiking trail starts here, and Juuma serves year-round as a gateway to Oulanka National Park and the hiking trail. If you want to focus your trip on hiking and river landscapes, these options offer different ways to plan your days.

The Pieni-Karhunkierros in different seasons

The Pieni-Karhunkierros is about 12 kilometres long and is suitable for a day trip. The trail is considered suitable for families, for example as far as Myllykoski. In summer, the trailhead in Juuma can get very busy. During peak periods, you should also allow for waiting times when crossing the suspension bridges. These points make visiting conditions a useful part of your planning, without specifying a particular time to visit the route.

The trail also remains open in winter: hikers pack down the snow. At the same time, icy stairs and slopes can be very slippery. Appropriate anti-slip equipment is essential; even studded shoes are not enough. For longer day hikes such as the Pieni-Karhunkierros, you should also take the short winter daylight hours into account and bring a headlamp. Winter hiking therefore differs from a visit in another season in its specific equipment and daylight requirements.

River landscapes and whitewater

In nearby Oulanka National Park, rapids, steep river valleys, riverside forests, and suspension bridges shape the landscape. These features give the area a different focus from the hiking route itself: here, the rivers and their valleys take centre stage. Juuma serves year-round as a gateway to the national park.

A family rafting route runs from Käylä to Juuma along the upper reaches of the Kitkajoki. It offers a rafting experience suitable for the whole family and includes seven rapids, including a Class III waterfall. Details about the route and its rapids make clear what this route involves: a trip between Käylä and Juuma with several sections of whitewater.

Another whitewater route runs from Juuma to the border zone. Along this route, participants see Jyrävä waterfall, which is rated Class VI. Jyrävä is bypassed by land. This means the route described differs from the family rafting route from Käylä to Juuma both in its destination and in how it passes this waterfall.

Juuma’s tourism tradition

Juuma is considered the birthplace of tourism in Kuusamo. The village’s tourism traditions began as early as the late 19th century. At that time, Juuma residents provided meals and accommodation and transported tourists travelling to the so-called Finnish Switzerland, Paanajärvi. The connection to Paanajärvi belongs to this early history: it describes how residents looked after and transported visitors, not a present-day route or current offering.

If the Pieni-Karhunkierros is the reason for your trip, you can consider Juuma as a place to search for a hotel.

More places at the same navigation level: Karvia, Vieremä, Kruunupyy, Utajärvi, Lemmenjoki, Juupajoki, Kärsämäki, Laakkola.

For the broader travel overview: Northern Ostrobothnia.