Kilpisjärvi · Finland
Saarikoski rest area · E8
E8 rest area at the Saarikoski rapids on the Swedish border river, on the drive up the "arm" of Finland.
See tonight's live score and best time to go for Saarikoski rest area in Aurora Atlas
Why it works for the aurora
- View
- West and north over the Könkämäeno river valley towards Sweden; low fells..
- Darkness
- Very dark sky, grade 0 on a scale from 0 (darkest) to 5. No towns or road lights nearby; the faintest aurora shows.
- Aurora
- Under the auroral oval: aurora can be overhead even on quiet nights.
Getting there
- Distance
- About 40 km by road from Kilpisjärvi (estimate), roughly 46 min by car.
- Parking
- Rest area; no toilets.
- Coordinates
- 68.8074, 21.2503 · Open in OpenStreetMap
Before you go
Do not go onto river ice; the rapids stay open.
Dress for standing still in the cold, bring a head torch with a red light, and park only where parking is allowed. A forecast is guidance, not a promise: check the road and weather warnings for Finland before a night drive. See our winter safety note.
Spot information from openstreetmap.org.