Helvetinjärvi National Park
120 km from Jyväskylä
A couple hours’ drive from Jyväskylä, the rugged terrain of Helvetinjärvi National Park makes a show-stopping appearance. With its lush nature and deep gorges and valleys, this National Park is a sight to be seen for more adventurous travellers in the Central-Finland region.
This natural park is special because of its rift valleys, which were formed around 200 million years ago due to the movement of the earth’s tectonic plates.
Name of the park and its folk tale
The National Park’s name translates to “Hell’s Lake”, it is believed that the name comes from an old Finnish folklore tale where a nearby Lord had helped himself to a Pike fish from a witches’ lake without permission. This act infuriated the witch, and so she cursed the lake by saying: "There will be no Pikes coming from this Damned (Hell’s) Lake so long as my nails are soft". And for a long time that was the case, and no Pikes made it into any fishermen’s traps.
This story however, as any folk tale, is up to you to believe or not...
Canoeing and hiking for adventure lovers
During the visit to this National Park, we will paddle through lakes and walk through forest paths ultimately making our way from Lake Luoma to Lake Helvetinjärvi. This route will take us through the magnificent 40-meter-steep Helvetinkolu gorge allowing us to see the rock formations from a unique point of view.
Equipment
Group size
Max. 12p
Tour length
8-10 Hours
Physical demand
MEDIUM
Food
LUNCH