November hike from Nature Centre Haltia around Lake Orajärvi in Nuuksio National Park, Espoo
From the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia it is easy not only to set off on short local trails, but also to head towards the more wilderness-like parts of Nuuksio National Park, such as the areas around Lake Urja and Lake Orajärvi. There are no marked trails in this part of the park, so you need both map-reading skills and a calm, unhurried approach (or a wilderness guide!). On a Wednesday morning we first made our way from Haltia to the Solvalla Rundan loop, from where we continued along a smaller, ever-narrowing forest path towards Lake Orajärvi.
- Starting point (Haltia) on the map;
- Unmarked loop in the terrain, approx. 9 km
- Campfire site: public kota shelter at Haltia Events Field, no campfire sites along the loop
- Accessible: no
- Arriving by car: spacious car park in front of the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, Address: Nuuksiontie 84, Espoo
- Arriving by public transport: bus 245 from Espoo Centre, stop Haltia/Solvalla
That Wednesday morning in November dawned mild and grey. On the way to Haltia, our car’s windscreen had been battered by such thick fog that at times it had turned into real rain. I was travelling with my husband, and at Haltia we were going to meet my friend and Finland, Naturally Experiences colleague Kirsi, with whom the three of us would head out into Nuuksio’s nature.
There was plenty of space in the Haltia car park, and just as we had parked our car, the bus from Espoo Centre pulled in at the Haltia stop. A school group heading to the nature centre and a few of my colleagues stepped off the bus, among them Kirsi and our colleague responsible for international clients, Laura, who exchanged a few words with us and assured us that Orajärvi is a wonderful place well worth a visit – as long as you know how to read a map and remember to use it, since there are no signposts or waymarkings along the area’s small paths. We took a short break at Haltia before setting off into the forest.
Once we were all ready, we first climbed the steep hill opposite Haltia up to the yard of the Solvalla Sports Institute. In the corner of the yard we found the starting point of the routes with their information boards. I had taken screenshots of the topographic map on my phone in case the mobile network did not work in every corner of the forest, but as the day went on we found that our real-time location was shown on the map at least fairly accurately for the whole route in this area. The mobile network certainly does not work everywhere in Nuuksio, so you need to take map-reading seriously if you intend to walk anywhere other than on the national park’s extensive network of marked trails.
In winter, only skiers glide along Solvalla Rundan, the Solvalla loop. During the snow-free season, the route is wide, hard-surfaced, and dry – and although we only followed part of it, we still had to push ourselves up many hills and descend just as many. There were bends and climbs all the way! Fortunately, we had enough drinking water with us. We did not meet anyone coming the other way at this time, but we stopped for a moment to admire the shrilly calling coal tits that had come very close.
Quick Tips for Visiting Nuuksio National Park
- Ask for route advice at Haltia’s customer service before you set off.
- If you are not confident reading a map in the forest, book a guided tour from Haltia or choose one of Nuuksio’s marked trails.
- Wear waterproof footwear and weather-appropriate clothing.
- Bring enough drinking water — the terrain is hilly.
- Rent any hiking equipment you may need directly from Haltia.
When it was time to leave Solvalla Rundan and turn towards Lake Orajärvi, a wide and in places muddy forest path appeared under our feet. At times we were walking over bare, clean rock, but perfectly waterproof footwear proved truly indispensable on this hike. We took great care not to step on tree roots, which, thanks to the wet conditions, were extremely slippery.
Our route led us quickly through the forest until we reached Orajärvi just a short while later.
We decided to walk around the lake clockwise so that, after completing almost the entire loop, we could leave the lakeshore in the direction of a small pond called Karjakaivo and from there make our way back to Haltia. This way we would be able to hike a circular route for practically the whole distance, without having to walk the same stretches back and forth.
The forests around Lake Orajärvi were dripping with moisture. The mosses growing on rocks and cliffs glowed in deep shades of green and reddish tones and seemed to be oozing the water brought by fog and rain. The path circling the lake, on the other hand, was mostly dry. There was perfect silence on the lake; only a common goldeneye was swimming on the open water.
It was delightful to walk around a completely undeveloped forest lake. I have often wondered what the entire Helsinki area would look like if there were no people at all – perhaps this place gives a small hint of that.
Along the path we found several rocky spots on the lakeshore from which it would be easy to go for a swim. In other places, the shoreline was dominated by soft hummocks of moss and Labrador tea. I took note of a small bay with water lilies where I could come to snorkel in summer. The water of the lake is clear enough for snorkelling, and small coves with water lilies are my favourite places to experience the world beneath the surface. Water lilies always make the underwater scenery beautiful and fascinating, and often you see fish moving among them as well.
We knew there would be no campfire site along the route, and we had brought protein drinks and other snacks that could be eaten as they were. By this point, however, we had already been hiking for quite a while, and the thought of Restaurant Haltia’s buffet began to take root in our minds. I decided that I, at least, would go to the buffet after the hike and eat until I was completely full.
When we had already walked most of the way around the lake, it was time to leave the open water behind and head into the shelter of the forest. From the southernmost bay of Lake Orajärvi, four different paths branched off according to the topographic map, but we had to puzzle over them for quite some time before we felt we might be on the right one. The paths on the map did not seem to match what we saw on the ground, and the location shown on the map was no help either. Perhaps we should have brought along our wilderness guide colleague Joel, for whom guiding people in the terrain of Nuuksio is everyday work!
After a bit of hesitation we chose one of the middle paths, and it turned out to be a good choice in the end. A mossy, protected spruce forest straight out of a fairy tale welcomed us into a majestic woodland where high cliffs and fallen trees ruled the scene. Silence rested on the ripples of Karjakaivo pond and the small, slightly separate bay of Lehmänämpäri, but what drew our attention above all was the impressive rock wall.
By the way, the names of the bodies of water are amusing in Finnish. The larger one translates literally as “cattle well”, while the smaller one is simply “cow’s bucket.”
From Karjakaivo we wound our way towards Meerlampi pond and back to Solvalla Rundan, where walking felt almost festive after all the muddy stretches of path and the squeezing over and under fallen trees. Only now did I realise that the terrain had felt much more even along the small paths – it was only on the wide route that we once again found ourselves tackling substantial uphills and downhills.
Once back at Haltia, we changed into dry clothes and dashed to the buffet. I could not have imagined a better way to end a lovely, peaceful, fairly long and decidedly wet excursion in Nuuksio than a proper feast.
Read next
Come visit us in Nuuksio! Finland, Naturally Experiences Nuuksio
This Is Why Haltia Is the Best Gateway to Nuuksio National Park
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