The lean-to's in Laipanmaa
Please note that there are no rubbish bins in Laipanmaa – neither at the lean-to's or anywhere else. Please act in such manner that as little rubbish as possible is created and take all rubbish with you when leaving Laipanmaa.
You can also stay the night at any of the lean-to's. If you would like to camp in a tent, please do so in the near of the lean-to to protect the terrain from wear and tear.
Lake Elamonjärvi lean-to
The lean-to is located right on the Elamonjärvi waterline. You can reach it on Elamonjärvi trail, a bit before the halfway mark of the trail (if you are hiking clockwise from Rajala's Hut.) There’s a camp fire place in front of the lean-to and frankly the view for a packed lunch could hardly get better than here. There’s room for a few people in the lean-to and room for a bigger party around the fire place. Close by there is a latrine and a wood storage where you’ll find dry firewood. There’s also an info post of the area and a map.
There’s a bucket to put out the fire at the fire place. You can make a fire at the fire place unless a fire warning is active. Use your own judgement at any other times to determine if making a fire is safe.
Lake Ruokojärvi lean-to
Ruokojärvi lean-to is a great pause spot for all Laipanmaa trails except the Sappee trail. On the Nature Path it is a bit after halfway through, on Elamo trail pretty close to the end and on Hirvijärvi trail it’s located perfectly at the halfway mark of the route (if you departed from Pihtilampi.) The lean-to is not straight on the waterfront but on a little hill just before lake Ruokojärvi.
There’s a camp fire place in front of the lean-to and plenty of sitting space for hikers on their lunchbreak. There’s also a wood storage closeby with dry wood for making a fire. You’ll also find a latrine and an info post in the near of the lean-to.
There’s a bucket to put out the fire at the fire place. You can make a fire at the fire place unless a fire warning is active. Use your own judgement at any other times to determine if making a fire is safe.
Lake Verkkojärvi lean-to
Verkkojärvi lean-to is located on Elamo trail, but it is only a short walk away from Rajala’s hut, so you can go there even just for a campfire coffee and lunch in nature. When following Elamo trail, the lean-to is a bit off the trail. Where the trail crosses a forest road, take the road left and you’ll soon see the lean-to in the forest.
The lean-to was named after the last inhabitant of the Verkkojärvi hut, Matti. It is not on the waterfront but somewhat hidden in the forest. This lean-to as well has a camp fire place, wood storage and a latrine.
There’s a bucket to put out the fire at the fire place. You can make a fire at the fire place unless a fire warning is active. Use your own judgement at any other times to determine if making a fire is safe.
Pond Pihtilampi lean-to
Pihtilampi is one of the starting spots to Laipanmaa trails with plenty of parking space for the hikers. You can start Hirvijärvi trail from there, or if you start your trail from Rajala’s hut, Pihtilampi and its lean-to are nicely at around halfway through the trail. The area around Pihtilampi is also very beautiful regardless of season so it’s also worth a visit for just having lunch in nature or a small walk, you don’t need to do the 12 kilometre Hirvijärvi trail to enjoy Pihtilampi!
The lean-to is located a bit farther from the waterline. There is a camp fire place near the pond, and a wood storage with dry firewood, a latrine and an info post with map closeby.
There’s a bucket to put out the fire at the fire place. You can make a fire at the fire place unless a fire warning is active. Use your own judgement at any other times to determine if making a fire is safe.
Lake Särkijärvi lean-to
The Sappee trail from Sappee travel center takes you to the Särkijärvi lean-to. It is located in a beautiful spot on a hill and you can hear the Särkikoski rapids roiling below. There’s a camp fire place just in front of the lean-to with plenty of room to sit and enjoy your lunch in the nature. There’s also a composting toilet and a wood storage nearby. It’s about 2,5 kilometres from Sappee travel centre to the lean-to which makes it a nice place to visit on an afternoon hike.
There is no water close to the lean-to and fire place, so please remember to bring water to put the fire out. You can make a fire at the fire place unless a fire warning is active. Use your own judgement at any other times to determine if making a fire is safe.