Rovaniemi · Finland
Vikaköngäs car park · Arctic Circle Hiking Area
Car park at the northern entrance of the Arctic Circle Hiking Area (Napapiirin retkeilyalue), at the Vikaköngäs rapids and lean-tos. Visit Rovaniemi recommends this hiking area as a darker alternative to the city.
See tonight's live score and best time to go for Vikaköngäs car park in Aurora Atlas
Why it works for the aurora
- View
- North and north-west along the Raudanjoki river opening at the rapids; forest elsewhere..
- 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
- Near the edge of the auroral oval: aurora on most active nights, low in the northern sky on quiet ones.
Getting there
- Distance
- About 30 km by road from Rovaniemi (estimate), roughly 34 min by car.
- Parking
- Free car park; room for about 12 cars.
- Coordinates
- 66.6190, 26.1816 · Open in OpenStreetMap
Before you go
Do not go onto river or lake ice; the rapids stay open in winter. Bring a headlamp; the path is not lit.
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.