Trails for cross-country skiing and hiking

Oulu has an extensive network of jogging tracks and cross-country skiing trails. In the summer, the jogging tracks throughout the city are used by joggers and walkers alike. In the winter, cross-country trails are laid for skiers.

Information on cross-country skiing trail maintenance is available via the maintenance monitoring system (in Finnish). When the box next to the name of the trail is grey, the trail is not suitable for skiing. A blue box indicates that the trail is in good condition.

Tar Trail in the Oulu River Valley

The Tar Trail is a trail featuring different types of landscape suitable for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter.

The trail starts in Sankivaara in Oulu, runs through Muhos and Utajärvi, and ends in the hills of Rokua. Total length of the skiing trail is 94 km and that of the hiking trail 100 km.

There are lean-tos and places where you can build a fire on the way. There is also an overnight cabin for hikers in Kallioselkä. The trail is marked with orange guideposts. The municipalities along the trail are responsible for upkeep and maintenance.

Tar Trail info map

Snowmobile trails

Trails in the Oulu region

The network of snowmobile trails in the Oulu River Valley covers the municipalities of Oulu, Utajärvi, Muhos Tyrnävä and Kempele. A group of local snowmobile associations has been responsible for winter maintenance since the year 2000. The group members comprise five Oulu River Valley municipalities. They also collaborate with the local group in Pudasjärvi.

Total length of the trail network is about 278 km.

Snowmobile trails (retkikartta.fi, In Finnish)

retkikartta web service is maintained by Metsähallitus, Natural Heritage Services