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Discover Nuuksio National Park, just a small hop away from downtown Helsinki. The nature in Nuuksio is breathtakingly beautiful. Visit Natura Viva in Nuuksio Hawk Nest resort!

Nuuksio is a forest district located some 35 kilometers from Downtown Helsinki. The actual district is spread out on four counties: Vihti and the neighboring cities of Helsinki, Espoo & Vantaa, which are a part of the Helsinki metropolitan area. The Nuuksio National Park lies within the larger Nuuksio district and has an area of 53 square kilometers. 

The Nuuksio National park received its status in the 1990s, when an initiative of the local scout clubs was started. There was a concern that the Nuuksio area would at some point have become the destination of new housing projects, as the Helsinki metropolitan area was growing significantly. Read more about the history of Nuuksio. 

Nuuksio nature features

The Nuuksio district and the Nuuksio National Park are forest areas, which contain a lot of small bodies of water, such as lakes, ponds and river streams. The area is located on a somewhat elevated ground and the terrain has an uneven, hilly and rocky characteristic. There are a lot of steep cliffs and uphills, some of which have been turned into small skiing resorts and rock climbing cites. 

Flora and fauna in Nuuksio

The National Park offers shelter to various wide animals, which otherwise could not thrive so close to the metropolitan area. The biggest Finnish land herbivore moose is common in Nuuksio, whereas the biggest land predator, bear only infrequently dwells in the area. Smaller predators such as foxes are plentiful and also the uncommon lynx inhabits the Nuuksio forests. 

The emblem animal of the National Park is the uncommon and in Europe vulnerable Siberian flying squirrel. This shy and nocturnal mammal has one of its densest European populations in Nuuksio. 

There are also a lot of uncommon birds inhabiting the forest, such as the woodlark and the European nightjar. These birds face the threat of habitat loss in mainland Europe and reservoirs such as The Nuuksio National Park are an important factor in the reservation processes of these animals. 

There are also numerous uncommon or threatened species of plants and fungi in the National Park. 

Outdoors in Nuuksio

The outdoor trails and tracks around The Nuuksio National Park as well as the greater Nuuksio are plentiful. There are three forest trails leading from the Hawk Nest resort, which are marked with diamond-shaped markings on the trees and along the trail. The Punarinnankierros (2,4 km, red diamonds), the Haukankierros (3,7 km, blue diamonds) and the Korpinkierros (7,2 km, yellow diamonds). Also the 2 km Nahkiaispolku trail has it starting point at the Hawk Nest. These trails are for hiking only. The wider forest tracks are also suitable for biking.

It is also allowed to camp in Nuuksio, but only on areas marked for camping. There are numerous campfire sites, public saunas and resting zones along the trails and tracks. 

Lakes and ponds of Nuuksio 

There are some 80 lakes and ponds inside the National Park. The Hawk Nest is located on the shore of Hawk Lake, and within a short walk is the artificial Mustalampi lake with its famous floating turf rafts. The biggest lake is the beautiful Lake Pitkäjärvi, which stretches from the southern border of the National Park throughout the whole district.

Hawk Nest - your starting point

The Hawk Nest is the perfect starting point for a splendid day in Nuuksio. Rent a bike or grab a coffee to go and head out to the forest or rent a canoe, a SUP board or a rowing boat and head out to the Hawk Lake. Scheduled guided canoe and SUP tours are arranged weekly as well as Fatbike tours.