Finland
Finland is one of Europe’s last great wilderness destinations, renowned for its vast forests, pristine lakes, remote tundra landscapes, and extraordinary opportunities to observe northern wildlife. With nearly three-quarters of the country covered by forest and thousands of lakes stretching across the landscape, Finland offers some of the continent’s most unspoiled natural environments.
The country is particularly famous for its large mammals. Finland is one of the best places in Europe to observe Brown Bears, Wolves, Eurasian Lynx, and Wolverines, often referred to as Europe’s “Big Four” predators. Specialized wildlife hides in eastern Finland attract photographers from around the world seeking close encounters with these iconic species in their natural habitat.
Finland is also a premier destination for birdwatching. Northern regions host sought-after Arctic species such as the Snowy Owl, Willow Ptarmigan, Siberian Jay, and various owls, while wetlands and lakes provide breeding grounds for Whooper Swans, cranes, geese, and numerous waterbirds. During migration seasons, vast numbers of birds pass through the country on their journeys between the Arctic and southern Europe.
In Lapland, visitors can experience the unique wildlife of the Arctic, including Reindeer and the elusive Arctic Fox. Finland’s extensive wilderness areas also offer excellent opportunities to witness the Northern Lights in spectacular natural settings.
Combining untouched landscapes, iconic predators, rich birdlife, and exceptional wildlife photography opportunities, Finland stands as one of Europe’s most rewarding destinations for nature travel and wilderness experiences.
Isojärvi National Park
Kuhmoinen, Finland
+81 birds+2 mammals
Across the forested landscape of central Finland, where the Pirkanmaa region rolls gently beneath boreal skies, lies a landscape of water and woodland that defines the…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKauhaneva–pohjankangas National Park
Kauhajoki, Finland
+72 birds+1 mammals
Across the boreal flatlands of South Ostrobothnia rises a landscape shaped by ice-age geology and millennia of ecological succession—Kauhaneva–pohjankangas National Park, spanning some 208 square kilometres…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKurjenrahka National Park
Nousiainen, Finland
+114 birds+3 mammals
Across the forests and wetlands of southwestern Finland, Kurjenrahka National Park spans 112 square kilometres of the kind of landscape that defines the boreal transition zone—a…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLemmenjoki National Park
Inari, Finland
+87 birds+1 mammals
Where granite gorges cut through pristine boreal forest and the Lemmenjoki River winds through one of Europe's last great wilderness corridors, Finland's Arctic heart reveals itself…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLiesjärven National Park
Tammela, Finland
+83 birds
Across the heart of Finland's lake-studded landscape, where boreal forest meets wetland and granite bedrock surfaces through thin glacial soils, Liesjärven National Park sprawls across roughly…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNuuksio National Park
Espoo, Finland
+135 birds+12 mammals
Across the forested plateaus and rocky shorelines of southern Finland, where granite bedrock pierces through boreal woodland just twenty kilometers northwest of Helsinki, lies a landscape…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPäijänne National Park
Padasjoki, Finland
+84 birds
Across the Päijät-Häme region of south-central Finland, where glacial action has carved a landscape of ridges, lakes, and mixed boreal forest, Päijänne National Park sprawls across…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPallas-Yllästunturi National Park
Muonio, Finland
+137 birds+19 mammals
Where boreal forest meets fell, across the Finnish Arctic frontier, nearly 3,650 square kilometres of pristine subarctic wilderness unfold in a landscape sculpted by glacial epochs…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPatvinsuo National Park
Lieksa, Finland
+134 birds+1 mammals
Across eastern Finland's borderlands, where boreal forest meets waterlogged terrain, Patvinsuo National Park sprawls across roughly 185 square kilometers of one of northern Europe's most intact…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPyhä-Luosto National Park
Pelkosenniemi, Finland
+113 birds+6 mammals
Where boreal forest meets fell landscape in Finnish Lapland, Pyhä-Luosto National Park sprawls across 616 square kilometres of terrain that embodies the raw essence of the…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKRepovesi National Park
Kouvola, Finland
+61 birds+1 mammals
Where glaciated ridges rise through boreal forest and pristine lakes mirror the Nordic sky, Repovesi National Park sprawls across 45 square kilometres of southwestern Finland's most…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKRokua National Park
Muhos, Finland
+36 birds
Across the boreal landscape of North Ostrobothnia, where glacial forces sculpted the terrain during the last ice age, Rokua National Park emerges as a 60-square-kilometre mosaic…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSipoonkorven National Park
Sipoo, Finland
+94 birds+6 mammals
Where boreal forest meets the Baltic coast, Sipoonkorven National Park sprawls across 70 square kilometres of south-western Finland, a landscape shaped by the slow retreat of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSyöte National Park
Taivalkoski, Finland
+80 birds+1 mammals
Across nearly two thousand square kilometres of North Ostrobothnian wilderness, Syöte National Park unfolds a landscape where boreal forest meets open fell, where swift rivers carve…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTeijo National Park
Salo, Finland
+121 birds+3 mammals
Across the low, forested plateaus of Southwest Finland, where gentle bedrock ridges emerge through dense coniferous and mixed woodland, lies a landscape sculpted by ice-age glaciation…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTorronsuon National Park
Tammela, Finland
+70 birds+1 mammals
Where boreal wetlands and ancient pine forests converge across central Finland, Torronsuon National Park unfolds across nearly 78 square kilometers of landscape shaped by ice age…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKUrho Kekkonen National Park
Sodankylä, Finland
+122 birds+11 mammals
Across nearly 2,700 square miles of boreal wilderness in Lapland, where the Arctic Circle's influence shapes every ecosystem, lies a landscape dominated by dense spruce and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKValkmusa National Park
Finland
+80 birds
Where boreal forest meets water across Finland's southeastern lake district, Valkmusa National Park unfolds across 72 square kilometers of terrain that speaks to the raw ecological…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNo community observations in this country yet — visit a hotspot and start an observation list.