Exploring Finland off-road: one track after another

Mass tourism is not your thing and your off-road vehicle is getting impatient? Then take a look at what Finland has to offer in terms of off-road tracks. The small country in the Arctic Circle has only 16 inhabitants per square kilometer. Most of them live in Helsinki and the rest of the Southern Finland region. The further north you go, the more isolated the landscape becomes. And the more often there are only simple gravel roads instead of paved country roads - apart from the many farm roads that have no road surface at all. 

Finland has the best chance of a top ranking as an off-road paradise. Not only because of its countless tracks, but also because of its unique natural landscapes. At around 358 square kilometers, it is only slightly smaller than Germany, but has almost 190,000 lakes, more than 50,000 of which have at least one hectare of water surface. It is also the most densely forested country in Europe. No wonder that you can still encounter animals such as moose, brown bears and eagles when overlanding in Finland.

Here you will find all legal off-road routes in Finland - clearly listed, with practical filters and map view.

The north, east and southwest offer the most exciting off-road highlights for off-roaders in Finland. In addition to the easy gravel roads, most of which are also suitable for 4x4 trucks, there are also challenging off-road routes with slippery roots, deep sand and muddy passages. As an ambitious off-road driver, you can put your driving technique to the test here and fill up on adrenaline without end.

You don't just test your off-road skills on tracks like the one from Lokke to Niekka. You also get a unique view as a reward after completing the challenge. Almost all borderland trails along the Russian border are actually pretty exciting.

For holidaymakers with less sporting ambitions who simply want to enjoy Finnish nature, the local cuisine and a bit of wellness, an off-road tour through Finland is also a must. With two million saunas in the country, a relaxing end to an off-road adventure is guaranteed.

For a country so far north, Finland has a fairly temperate climate. The many lakes, the Baltic Sea and above all the Gulf Stream ensure that it doesn't get as cold in winter as in Russia. The least rainfall occurs in March, although the temperatures are still not particularly inviting. July and August are the months when it rains the most in Finland.

When planning an off-road tour through Finland, you should take into account the differences in climate between the south and north of Finland / Lapland. After all, the country stretches about a thousand kilometers from south to north. In the archipelago region in the south, for example, winter lasts "only" a hundred days - in Lapland, on the other hand, you can expect around two hundred days of winter. The coldest months are January and February, when the average temperature is between -4 ºC and -14 ºC, depending on the region. The whole of Finland is covered in snow in winter, which offers interesting challenges for hardcore off-roaders.

Most overlanders, however, prefer the beautiful season with the bright midsummer nights for an off-road trip through Finland. There are only six weeks of summer in Lapland: from the end of June to mid-August. In southern Finland, the good weather season lasts from the end of May to mid-September. In summer, the temperatures in the north and south are fairly similar: in July, for example, the average daily temperatures in both southern Finland and Lapland are around twelve to seventeen degrees Celsius.

Insider tip from our scouts: start your off-road trip through Finland in the south at the beginning of June and slowly work your way north, one track at a time.

The endless land in the Arctic Circle has not only been ranked first on the World Happyness Index for years. It also has very social legislation. For example, all traffic routes in Finland are toll-free. There are even ferries that take you from here to there for free. 

Whether you are traveling with an enduro, an off-road camper or a 4x4 truck, there are no tolls for either the Finnish highways or the public off-road tracks. As long as there are no prohibition signs at the entrance to a trail, you can drive on it legally and free of charge. 

Some traffic rules in Finland differ slightly from those that apply in many other European countries, however. Therefore, pay particular attention to the following regulations:


- Switch on dipped headlights even during the day
- No phone calls while driving
- Blood alcohol limit for all drivers: 0.5 per mille
- Winter tires mandatory in Finland: beginning of December to end of February
- Winter tires mandatory in Lapland: mid-October to end of April


Finland is one of the few countries in Europe where the use of spikes is permitted on all public roads.

As in most Scandinavian countries, everyman's right applies in Finland. This means that, in principle, anyone can go hiking, cycling or camping in the great outdoors. Restrictions only apply to motorized vehicles - and quite rightly so, for nature conservation reasons. A loud, smoking vehicle simply disturbs the natural processes of a biosphere more than a few pedestrians or cyclists. 

Motorized campers tend to stay at a site longer than migratory birds. And they can have a much greater impact on the surrounding nature with waste water, light or music than hikers with their lightweight two-man tents. But if you have just discovered a paradise in the middle of nowhere on your Finnish off-road trail and want to spend the night there, nobody will object. There are no people for miles around.

Are there actually dishes up there in the north that Central Europeans find delicious? Or can you expect to be served seal fins in whale oil as the dish of the day in village inns? Don't worry: Finland has an excellent regional cuisine.

Of course, the area around the Arctic Circle with its short summer season is not necessarily suitable for growing vegetables. In addition to meat and fish, traditional Finnish cuisine used to rely mainly on garden vegetables such as potatoes, onions and turnips. The Finns also obtained additional vitamins from nuts, mushrooms and berries. 

Today, however, supermarkets also sell a lot of imported vegetables. Vegetarians don't have to worry that they won't find suitable food on an off-road trail through Finland. An omelette with mushrooms is always included, even if the restaurant menu officially only offers meat dishes.

Here are five Finnish dishes and snacks that we particularly like:

- Poronkäristys - roasted reindeer meat, reminiscent of venison in taste
- Leipäjuusto - bread cheese, "squeaky cheese", often served with cloudberry jam
- Merimiespata - stew made from braised beef, potatoes and onions
- Korvapuusti - the Finnish version of cinnamon buns, goes well with coffee
- Karjalanpiirakka - baked yeast dough with savory fillings

For us, Finland is the top off-road destination in northern Europe. Why? 
Here are our arguments:


1. all public dirt and forest roads in Finland are legally passable
2. there are no road or trail tolls throughout Finland
3. wild nature and yet top infrastructure
4. possibility of spotting rare animals
5. off-road routes for every level