National parks

in the surrounding areas

The heart of Central Finland offers a great setting for day trips. Here are five stunning national parks that are easily accessible by car.

Keurusselkä Resort offers a great base in a central location, allowing you to visit several national parks even from a long distance.

Helvetinjärvi National Park (Ruovesi)

Lake Helvetinjärvi is known for its dramatic scenery and steep gorges. The park’s main attraction is Helvetinkolu, a narrow rock crevice that opens up to a stunning lake landscape.

  • Distance: approx. 65 km | Driving time: approx. 1 h
  • Especially suitable for: Photography and lovers of altitude differences.
  • Highlight: Helvetinkolu viewpoint and campfire coffees by the gorge.

Seitseminen National Park (Ylöjärvi)

In Seitseminen you can experience the magic and historical atmosphere of an old forest. The park offers excellent and clear routes for both walking and mountain biking.

  • Distance: approx. 105 km | Driving time: approx. 1 h 30 min
  • Especially suitable for: Families and those who appreciate a taste of history.
  • Highlight: Kovero traditional farm, where you can experience the life of a forest crofter in the early 20th century.

Isojärvi National Park (Kuhmoinen)

Isojärvi enchants with its clear waters and rugged rocky landscapes. The park is known for its beavers, whose dam marks can be seen on several routes.

  • Distance: approx. 85 km | Driving time: approx. 1 h 15 min
  • Especially suitable for: Active hikers and kayakers.
  • Highlight: The historical milieu and steep rock walls of the Lortikka cabin.

Pyhä-Häkki National Park (Saarijärvi)

In Pyhä-Häkki National Park, you can walk through the finest old-growth forest in Southern Finland. The average age of the trees in the sturdy pine woods of Mastomäki is 250 years. The best-known and certainly best-loved old tree in the park, now standing deadwood, started growing in 1518.

  • Distance: approx. 100 km | Driving time: approx. 1 h 25 min
  • Particularly suitable for: Those seeking peace and quiet in the primeval forest.
  • Highlight: The “Old Big Tree”, which has witnessed the changes of the centuries.

Leivonmäki National Park (Joutsa)

Leivonmäki National Park is a microcosm of Central Finland. The whole family will enjoy the park’s safe and easy trails and duckboards. Here, nature is made up of forests and mires, lakes, white-water rapids and stunning serpentine eskers.

  • Distance: approx. 115 km | Driving time: approx. 1 h 35 min
  • Particularly suitable for: Families with children and those who enjoy easy accessibility.
  • Highlight: The narrow and beautiful sand ridge of Joutniemi in the middle of Lake Rutajärvi.