There’s no better time than September to visit a Finnish bog: Experience Punassuo in Teijo National Park

As autumn colors creep into the wetlands, they create a rich palette of red, orange, yellow, and ochre, with even a hint of violet. The dampness of the mornings and evenings brings out the sharp scents of the bog, while the occasional midday sun adds to the aromatic beauty. Most of the mosquitoes are gone, the heather is in bloom – the perfect conditions for a bog hike, no matter the time of day. One excellent early autumn destination for a bog adventure is Punassuo in Teijo.

Trail 2.1 km one way

No campfire site

Parking area on map (Piikanummi, Teijo, Salo)

A sunny August evening called us for a local hike. As we slowly drove along the narrow road, almost more suited for an ATV, that led to the Piikanummi parking area, the sun still shone brightly through the pine forest, making the heather glisten. The parking area was empty, which was perfect for us. It was lovely to have the place all to ourselves.

The Punassuo (Red bog) trail begins in a beautiful pine forest. The forest floor was carpeted with heather and blueberries, and we couldn’t resist tasting a few as we walked by. The pine needle path was soft underfoot, and the air was filled with the scents of the forest. The pine trunks stretched up toward the sky, their branches forming a protective canopy above us.

At some point, the colorful and beautiful pine forest gave way to a darker, almost eerie gray spruce forest, as if to create a contrast with the bright and vibrant bog waiting behind it. Through the spruce forest, Lohioja (Salmon stream) flowed like an emerald ribbon, with its lush green plants beneath the water gently combed by the dark, flowing current. We stopped at a bridge to take in the view – the sight of the stream in such a rugged gray forest was so striking it demanded attention.

As we stepped out of the shadows of the gray spruce forest onto Punassuo bog, it felt like we had entered another world. The bright energy of the bog surrounded us, and the boardwalk led us through the thin pines to the more open part of Punassuo. There’s something about walking on boardwalks – the steps always feel lighter, more expectant, don’t they?

We were astonished by the beauty of the bog landscape that opened up before us. I had visited this place once before in October, but a bog is truly at its finest as the autumn colors start to show and the heather blooms.

The bog was already well into its autumn transformation, and its vibrant colors were a delight. Various plants, grasses, and mosses shone in shades of red, orange, and yellow. The purple hue of the heather crowned the view, and its scent in the gentle evening breeze was like a sweet, honeyed breath of the bog. Cranberries spread out along both sides of the boardwalk, some already glistening like red beads, though still quite unripe.

We walked quietly along the trail, chatting, marveling at everything we saw, discussing the world, and enjoying the summer air and evening. We hadn’t come here to exercise or to check anything off a list, just to enjoy and relax without worrying about time or tracking anything.

We noticed a small lizard on the boardwalk, but its bright eyes had spotted us first, and it quickly darted away. We also spent some time inspecting the carnivorous plants growing beside the boardwalk. All these small wonders could be observed and photographed without stepping off the boardwalk, thus protecting the national park’s delicate nature from being trampled, and our shoes stayed dry.

A flock of geese flew overhead, honking as they formed a V against the clear blue sky. I imagined they were heading toward the harvested fields nearby, where I had seen hundreds of them gathered earlier on my way here.

The sun began to set, and the air grew cooler. The last light of the evening cast a golden glow over the bog. The moon started to rise, though its pale shape was barely discernible in the still bright evening sky.

We walked back along the same path, feeling happy and grateful for this beautiful moment and hike. Though the route had been relatively short, it had given us much more than the kilometers suggested: it had offered a piece of magical bog, its colors, scents, and vitality far beyond its size.

As we stepped back into the forest, I knew we would return to this place again, the next time we craved the calming energy of the quiet bog.

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