Routes and nature trails

Waterfront trails, nature trails, hiking routes and Central Park mountain bike trail in Helsinki.

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Retkeilijä kävelee pitkoksilla.
Photo: Raisa Ranta

Waterfront trails in Helsinki

Inner city waterfront trail

Explore the shores of the inner city by cycling or walking on the 15-kilometre seaside trail. The route is well signposted throughout. Services along the route are marked on the map – cafés, restaurants, public toilets, cultural sites, etc. Click on the map markers to find out more about the services.

Inner city waterfront trail - Open larger map(Link leads to external service)

Seurasaarenselkä waterfront trail

The Seurasaarenselkä waterfront trail starts from Ruoholahti and runs through the islands of Lauttasaari, Kaskisaari, Lehtisaari and Kuusisaari to Munkkiniemi. From there, the journey continues along the shores of Töölö to Hietaniemi and back to Ruoholahti. Along the way, you will find a diverse selection of natural and cultural sites and services, such as beaches, museums, sights and Seurasaari island itself.

Seurasaarenselkä waterfront trail. - Open larger map(Link leads to external service)

Eastern waterfront trail

You can explore the beautiful coastal areas of eastern Helsinki on the 23-kilometre eastern seaside trail. The signposted route starts from Kalasatama Park and runs along the shores of Mustikkamaa, Kulosaari and Herttoniemi all the way to Aurinkolahti and Uutela.

Nature trails and hiking routes

Helsinki has several nature trails and routes that are marked in the terrain that are easy to follow. The links to nature trails take you to the pages of outdoor recreation areas and islands. 

Kallahdenniemi nature trail, 1.5 km (Kallahti, Vuosaari) in Finnish 

  • The Kallahdenniemi nature trail is a ring trail with information boards.  

Uutela herptile trail, 1.4 km (Särkkäniemi, Vuosaari) , in Finnish 

  • The herptile trail is a ring trail with information boards on reptiles and amphibians.  

Uutela Forest Nature Trail 2km (Uutela, Vuosaari)

  • The Uutela Forest nature trail is a ring trail with information boards.  

Kivinokka accessible nature trail, 330 m (Herttoniemi)  

  • The Kivinokka tree species trail is a short accessible route with Braille on the information boards.  

Accessible Luonnon syli nature trail, 1 km (Pornaistenniemi) in Finnish 

  • The accessible nature trail of Pornaistenniemi is a ring trail. The information boards of the wellbeing-themed nature trail contain texts and exercises written in the form of quatrain poems.  

Maunula nature trail, 3.3 km (Maunula), location on map(Link leads to external service)

Korpipolku 1.2 km (Haltiala) in Finnish 

  • The Korpipolku trail is a connecting trail with information boards on forest restoration.  

Vartiosaari wellness nature trail 2.5 km, location on map  (Link leads to external service) 

  • The Vartiosaari nature trail is a ring trail that takes visitors to the attractions on the island. There are checkpoints along the trail. The nature trail is currently being renewed. 
  • Vartiosaari home page

Longinoja nature trail 2 km (Malmi)(Link leads to external service)

  • The Longinoja nature trail starts at the fork of the Vantaanjoki river and runs upstream to the Haaga-Helia parking lot. There are information boards along the nature trail.

Siimespolku 2.4 km (Haltiala) , in Finnish 

  • Siimespolku is an easy ring trail that is marked on the terrain. There are no information boards along the route.  

Uutela nature trail 4 km (Uutela, Vuosaari) , in Finnish 

  • The old nature trail of Uutela comprises two ring trails. There are numbered pine cone poles along the route, but no nature trail boards. Checkpoints for the nature trail can be found on the trail’s website.  

Pihlajasaari nature trail 2.8 km, location on map (Pihlajasaari) (Link leads to external service)

  • The Pihlajasaari nature trail is a ring trail that circles around the western island and visits the eastern island. There are numbered pine cone poles along the route, but no nature trail boards. The material is available online.  
  • Pihlajasaari home page

Kaunissaari nature trail 2.7 km, location on map (Kaunissaari, Sipoo) (Link leads to external service)

  • The Kaunissaari nature trail is a ring trail that circles around the island. There are numbered pine cone poles along the route, but no nature trail boards. The material is available online.  
  • Kaunissaari home page

Marked trails in Luukki (Espoo) 

  • There are several marked hiking trails in the Luukki area.  
  • Luukki home page

Marked trails in Salmi (Vihti) 

  • There are several marked hiking trails in the Salmi area.  
  • Salmi home page

Rhododendron park guided route (Haaga) (Link leads to external service)

  • The rhododendron park has a guided ring trail. There are information boards about the park along the route. The content of the guide boards is also available as an audio guide. The park is accessible. 

The Citynature website offers so-called mobile nature trails. You can follow the mobile nature trail routes and the checkpoints along the way through phone positioning. Some of the mobile guided routes are only available online. Not all routes are marked on the terrain. 

Citynature website(Link leads to external service)

Nature trails and routes on a map 

Nature trails and hiking trails in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area on the map. 

Nature trails and hiking trails in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area on the map.  - Open larger map(Link leads to external service)

Hiking trails and walking paths 

Helsinki has many walking paths that are suitable for outdoor activities. In addition to walking paths, jogging trails and nature trails are also popular among outdoor enthusiasts. You will find most of the routes on the service map. 

Central Park mountain bike trail 

The Central Park mountain bike trail is a 16-km long trail that is open to everyone and runs through Central Park. The route is marked on the trees with red waymarks and it is open from 1 May to 30 November. You can also walk or run along the trail, but cycling is only allowed on mountain bikes. 

Other cycling routes 

Cycling is allowed on the city’s hiking trails. Helsinki also has an extensive network of cycling routes that makes moving around the city easy. The city is currently also building new bike paths for even smoother cycling in the future.