Rovaniemi · Finland
Arctic Circle Hiking Area (Vaattunkiköngäs)
Metsähallitus hiking area along the Raudanjoki rapids about 25 km by road from Rovaniemi, with trails out to open mire where the sky is darker.
See tonight's live score and best time to go for Arctic Circle Hiking Area in Aurora Atlas
Why it works for the aurora
- View
- Limited by forest; open over the river and mires.
- Darkness
- Dark sky, grade 1 on a scale from 0 (darkest) to 5. Little artificial light; a good place for faint aurora and the Milky Way.
- Aurora
- Near the edge of the auroral oval: aurora on most active nights, low in the northern sky on quiet ones.
Getting there
- Distance
- About 25 km by road from Rovaniemi (estimate), roughly 29 min by car.
- Parking
- Vaattunkiköngäs car park, Vaattunkikönkääntie 219 (winter-maintained, about 40 cars).
- Coordinates
- 66.5955, 26.1193 · Open in OpenStreetMap
Before you go
The rapids do not freeze reliably: stay off the ice.
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 visitrovaniemi.fi.