Photo Series from Teijo National Park: This is the Nenusta Loop Trail
In Teijo National Park, located in Southwestern Finland in the city of Salo, diverse nature and traces of history intertwine charmingly. Besides the wilderness-like marshes and lake landscapes, Teijo offers stunning forests, rocky highlands, and even a coastline. The manor culture and human presence have shaped this versatile region into something truly unique.
- Nenusta Loop Trail 3.6 km (2.24 mi)
- Outdoor fireplace
- Starting point on the map
- Read more
In this small report, I focus on conveying the summer atmosphere of the trail, hoping the lush greenery and mid-summer scents come through. Nenusta Trail is one of Teijo’s official routes, but it is somewhat separate from the more famous parts of the national park, such as the Lake Matildanjärvi area. Read more about how to get to Teijo at the end of the article.
On a weekday evening, I set out to explore this trail, which I had never walked before, even though it is a spot in my hometown. The trail’s variety and lovely damp greenery surprised me, as I had initially expected mainly dry pine forest and rocky highlands. I dare say this trail is at its best in summer.
We walked the trail counterclockwise, only later realizing that clockwise was the recommended direction. Despite the beautiful summer evening, we saw no one else during our hike, so it was peaceful.
The trail began in a pine forest, making me doubt if I had somehow teleported from Teijo straight to the Rokua National Park further north in Finland. Soon after the fireplace, we climbed to the top of a rock, from where a lake peeked out from behind the forest. It was an enjoyable nature hike up to that point, but only after we descended from the rock and passed the fireplace again – the fireplace is at the center of this figure-8 loop – did the section that enchanted me the most begin, something I had not expected at all.
I exclaimed out loud when I saw the duckboards ahead. Duckboards mean there is a wetland or even water somewhere, and such terrain is my favorite. This section reminded me of Teijo’s Punassuo bog, which is also a beautiful place.
The duckboards led us through pines, heathers, and marsh tea to a more open marshland. The open area is small but incredibly beautiful. The colors of the marsh in August are at their richest and most vibrant. Green, orange, purple… And if there happens to be a sky filled with dark clouds above, with occasional rays of sunlight breaking through, the experience is at its peak. It is on such an August day that you should head to the marsh.
At the edge of the clearing stood a forest of silver deadwood. The sight was eerie and impressive, and its atmosphere couldn’t be captured in a photo. I highly recommend experiencing it in person.
Next, we dove into a jungle. Clear water flowed sweetly, having expanded its territory widely, sustaining the lushest life. A complete contrast to the dry coniferous forest and the barren rocky highland we had just been in a moment ago. The contrast and the surprise of the place added to its impact, but such a moist, shady, and vividly green jungle is also my favorite landscape.
At this point, I thought how fun it would be to live as a frog under those fronds…
…and a bit later, such a resident indeed appeared. It was beautiful and quite large. Staying still, it would have been unnoticed, but a leap to the water’s edge made a loud, splashing sound that revealed the frog.
The beauty and greenery of the moss and shrubs were captivating. The duckboards continued for a long way, occasionally pausing at an island, which seems to be planned for controlled burning, and then continuing again. Staying on the trail, sneakers were sufficient, and you didn’t want to stray off as all the beautiful spots were well visible from the path. A very successful route in my opinion.
I got to exclaim again in the last meters, as just before returning to the car, there was this beautiful forest stream. The stream was quite dry now, and it would be interesting to see it more abundant at some point. A beautiful sandy bottom had risen as islands from the water, and the fairy-tale moss framed the whole spectacle. In this place, one especially hopes that people stay on the duckboards and don’t trample the beautiful shoreline moss (as seen in the right side of the photo above, where the forest floor has worn ugly).
Pro tip: In a national park, dogs must be kept on a leash at all times, but if your dog loves mud and you don’t, I recommend being particularly careful here. In many places right next to the trail, there were black and deep-looking mud ponds, which surely are a dream come true for many dogs, and which appeared so suddenly that dogs would certainly rush into them quickly before the person on the other end of the leash could react. This is just a friendly tip, as there isn’t even a proper beach nearby where you could rinse your dog after a thorough mud bath 🙂
Regards, a former Labrador owner
Getting to Teijo National Park
Unfortunately, it’s not really possible to get to Nenusta by bus – the only option is to get off the bus at the small village of Teijo, but from there it’s a 3.7 km walk along the road to the start of this nature trail. So, arriving by car is the easiest way to reach this trail.
Among the routes in Teijo national park, for example, the Onnelannummi route and the Matildanjärvenkierros circuit are more accessible by bus. To get to Teijo/Mathildedal, you first arrive in Salo by train or bus from the direction of Helsinki or Turku, and from the bus station, a local bus (line 30, Mathildedal) takes you to the main entrance of Teijo National Park.
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