How to visit the Korouoma Canyon Frozen Waterfalls in Finland

Last updated on September 12th, 2024

Looking for a fun day trip in Finnish Lapland? Look no further than the Korouoma Canyon frozen waterfalls! 

This 30 km (18.6 mile) long canyon was formed during the ice age, when ice fractured bedrock that was millions of years old. And in the winter it turns into a magical, icy wonderland, with numerous frozen waterfalls forming on the canyon walls!

In our opinion, it’s one of the best day trips from Rovaniemi! Not only do you get to see some of Finnish Lapland’s beautiful nature, but it’s FREE to visit and there is a charming little cafe to warm up at. It feels like a more authentic experience than many of the best things to do in Finnish Lapland, which can be a bit touristy!

And in this guide we’re sharing everything you need to know to visit safely on your own. Including how to get there, the trail itself, what to bring, and so much more!

How to get to Korouoma Canyon

Korouoma Canyon is located just under 1.5 hours southeast of Rovaniemi, along Route 81. You can either drive your own rental car to get there or visit the nature reserve through a guided tour that provides transportation. 

We chose to rent a car and visit on our own. Rental cars in Finland come standard with snow tires that have studs in them to help with traction. So despite having zero winter driving experience, we felt extremely safe and comfortable driving on the road. It felt no different than warmer weather driving!

One thing to be aware of though are snow drifts on the highway. When we were driving back to Rovaniemi there were lots of large trucks on the road. Every time one passed us, it kicked up a huge cloud of powdery snow that would completely blind us for 1-2 seconds. Our tip for managing this is to slow down a bit when you see them coming. And don’t panic!

When is the best time to visit Korouoma Canyon?

While Korouoma Canyon is accessible year-round, to see the canyon’s frozen waterfalls, we suggest visiting between December and March. We personally visited the Korouoma Canyon frozen waterfalls in early January and the waterfalls were frozen solid!

Keep in mind that the daylight hours in December and January can be VERY short. So you will need to arrive right at sunrise to have enough time to hike before it gets dark again.

Once the late spring rolls around, the snow melts and it can make the trail very wet. Plus cause some areas to be impassable due to high water. 

Ways to visit Korouoma Canyon’s frozen waterfalls

To visit the Korouoma Canyon frozen waterfalls you can either book a tour or go on your own, which is what we did. 

There are multiple types of tours, which we will cover below, and from what we saw, these looked like a good experience. You’ll not only learn more on the guided tour, but they’ll also handle the transportation.

Hiking tours

Guided hiking tours through Korouoma Canyon include pick up from your lodging and transportation to the canyon. Once there, you will hike through the canyon, learning more about Finnish Lapland and the flora and fauna. Then at the end of the hike, your guide will make a campfire in the forest and serve you snacks!

Ice climbing tours

If you want an even more adventurous experience, you can add on a full day of ice climbing! We didn’t ice climb here, but we did in Alaska and it is an exhilarating and fun experience! Besides the tour listed above, both Wild About Lapland and Nordic Odyssey offer ice climbing tours. 

Going on your own

If you’re like us and want to save the money, visiting the Korouoma Canyon frozen waterfalls on your own is totally doable! The total price of our rental car (for 5 days) was cheaper than what it would’ve cost for the two of us to do a guided tour. So you can save quite a bit of money going on your own, plus having the flexibility to travel when you want. 

If you’re worried about visiting without a guide, we’re here to help! For the rest of this guide, we’ll be sharing what to expect along the way, so you feel confident to tackle this on your own.

What to expect along the Korouoma Canyon trail

Distance (roundtrip): 5.1 kilometers (3.2 miles)
Elevation gain: 193 meters (633 feet)
Reviews & Current Conditions

Parking & restrooms

After making the drive to Korouoma Canyon, the road will end with a large parking area on the right. During our visit the trail was not very busy and there was ample parking!

This parking area is also where you’ll find restrooms. During our visit, the restrooms were pretty disgusting. Make sure to bring some toilet paper, just in case they are out. And a headlamp! The bathrooms were dark for us, so having a lightsource was helpful.

Koronjään trail

To get onto the trail, head back to where the parking lot and road meet and go to the right. Shortly after, you’ll take a left onto the trail. You’ll go past a wooden cabin (which is a cafe!), before crossing under a pavilion. Make sure to stop in the pavilion and read the signs about the canyon! 

Soon you’ll begin descending into the canyon. It is a little steep, but from our experience, it wasn’t too icy. The terrain was mostly snow, which was not difficult to walk on.

After about 0.5 km (0.3 miles), you’ll come to a fork. While you can go either way, we suggest going to the left. This way, you will see the waterfalls in order of impressiveness (in our opinion) and reach the fire pits at the end.

The hike will continue to take you through the trees as you make your way down into the canyon. About 1.45 km (0.9 miles) in, you’ll go down your first steeper, icy section. This is where microspikes will come in handy! Make sure to hold onto the wooden rope as you hike down. And we suggest walking sideways, with your body facing the rope, to prevent slipping.

Once you get down this section, you’ll reach your first viewpoint of the frozen waterfalls and canyon! 

As you continue along the trail, you will keep going downhill along icy, steep sections. We slipped and fell a couple times, so be careful!

Once you get to the bottom of the canyon, you will cross a bridge and turn right. This is where the best part begins! As you hike along this canyon wall, which is now on your left side, you will come across three major frozen waterfalls (plus, smaller ones). These falls can be up to 60 meters (197 feet) tall!

The first frozen waterfall you’ll reach is Jaska Jokunen (Charlie Brown). It’s important to know that unless you are on an ice climbing tour, you should not get up close to these falls. Not only is there not a clear path to them, which could make it dangerous, but there is a risk of falling ice. You are able to see them from viewing areas, which aren’t super close, but still offer great views.

Between the falls you will continue along the trail, which despite being in the canyon, does still have some small downhill sections. Along the way, you will have some nice views of the canyon walls and the snow covered trees.

The next frozen waterfall you will reach is Mammuttiputous (the Mammoth Fall). This is the most popular one for ice climbing, so make sure to look for ice climbers here!

The final frozen waterfall in Korouoma Canyon is Ruskea Virta (the Brown River). And you’ll know instantly why it is named that when you see it! The frozen waterfall has a brown color, which really pops against the white snow. This waterfall was the most impressive, in our opinion!

After visiting all three waterfalls, the trail will begin to climb out of the canyon. As the trail curves to the right, you’ll come across an area with several fire pits. These are communal fire pits, with some being reserved for tour groups and others being available to the public. It’s the perfect spot to make a fire (see our tips below for what to bring!) and warm up after an icy hike.

From the fire pit area, continue following the trail back up to the top of the canyon to return to the trailhead. 

Grab a treat at Korouoman Eräkahvila

After finishing your hike to the Korouoma Canyon frozen waterfalls, make a stop at Korouoman Eräkahvila. This small cafe is located in a charming wooden cabin, with a teepee (and fire) in the backyard. The ambiance is amazing!

Inside they serve pastries and hot drinks, plus you can pre-order savory meals. It’s the perfect end to a cold day spent on the trail!

What to bring to visit the Korouoma Canyon frozen waterfalls

Lighter & firewood

This one will require you to carry a little extra weight, but it’ll be worth it! As we mentioned, there are firepits at the end of the trail, where you can have a fire and take a break. 

We foolishly thought there would be firewood provided, but we did not see any. So you will want to bring some wood with you! Thankfully, we lucked out and a group that finished before us left their fire mostly still burning. We were able to bring it back to life and use it to roast sausages.

Don’t forget to bring a lighter or matches as well!

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