Hiking Near Hetta
Trails and orienteering around Hetta village, from the Jyppyrä Nature Reserve's ancient seita rock and prehistoric reindeer hunting pits to a network of well-marked nature trails.
Some of the world's best hiking trails start here, most with state-maintained wilderness cabins. Hiking runs from mid June to the end of September. Keep to higher treks between c. 20th June and 20th August to escape the mosquitos, and the first three weeks of September bring the ruska colour.
- Trailheads at the Nature Centre Skierri and the centre school
- Jyppyrä seita site with a 2km circular summit trail
- 107 prehistoric reindeer hunting pits in a 1.5km chain
- Marked trails from 1.6km to 18km, plus fixed orienteering courses
Hiking and Orienteering in the Hetta Area
Trails on the north side of Hetta start from the Nature Centre Skierri and from behind the Enontekiö centre school. To reach Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park you first cross Lake Ounasjärvi, with private boat trips leaving from near the silver shop beside the municipality offices.
The area is ideal for orienteering, with a fixed beginners' course at Jyppyrä, testing terrain at Ounastunturi and a new training course at CAPE Lapland on the Hetta Huskies farm routes.
Jyppyrä Nature Reserve
Jyppyrä, at the eastern end of Hetta, combines nature, the Fell Lapland Nature Centre and the Downhill Ski Resort. It was once a place of worship centred on an ancient seita rock, which legend says missionaries rolled into Lake Ounasjärvi in the 1800s. The shortest trail (c. 2km) circles up a small forest path to the summit campfire shelter and its view over the fells, returning down a wooden staircase.
Prehistoric Hunting Pits
Jyppyrä also holds 107 remains of prehistoric hunting pits for wild reindeer, a chain 1.5km long. Group hunts at the turn of autumn and winter could take thousands of kilos of meat, later helped by wedge-like 'vuomen' fences. Legend holds that a man called Päiviö and his party caught 1,000 reindeer in one go, and the first deer guns arrived in the 1600s.
Marked trails from Skierri
From Skierri, the Jyppyrä Trail (1.6km) climbs to the Jyppyrävaara Hill lookout, marked with red-painted sun symbols. The Peurapolku Trail (2km) is the most accessible, a classic board-walk route with boards on wild forest reindeer hunting. The Kuntopolku Trail (4km), marked in green, joins the lit jogging track, the Palosenjärvi Trail (9.5km) circles the hilltop, and the Pahtajärvi Trail (18km) reaches the dramatic canyon Lake Pahtajärvi.
Good to know
- Hunting pits
- 107 remains over a 1.5 km chain
Ready when you are
Real wilderness, 200+ huskies, eighteen winters in.