- Campfire site
- Overnight stay possible
The Kotajärvi loop partly follows Peuran polku, which is waymarked with orange paint marks. Part of the route is also marked in blue. There are signposts at the junctions as well. The route is about 7 kilometres long.
Difficulty
The path is fairly demanding because of its rocky terrain. There are also duckboards along the route.
You can drive very close to the Kuivajärvi campfire site, so it is also a good outing for people with limited mobility or those using mobility aids.
Highlights
The Kotajärvi loop is a truly beautiful route. It runs along the isthmuses of Kuivajärvi and Iso-Kotajärvi, close to the lakes and through stunning scenery.
Starting point
To reach the trailhead, first drive about 8 km from Reisjärvi to Mäntyperä, then turn onto Kuivajärventie. Follow Kuivajärventie for about 7 km to reach the trailhead at the Kuivajärvi car park (Kuivajärventie 699).
Facilities
Next to the Kuivajärvi car park there is a reservable hut (bookable through Metsähallitus) and a sauna. In the yard of the reservable hut there is a campfire site that all hikers are welcome to use. Firewood is provided only for those who have rented the hut.
More information
From the Kuivajärvi car park it is about 1.5 km to the Kirves-Heikki canal. On the beautiful isthmus between Kuivajärvi and Iso-Kotajärvi you can see the handiwork of a Finnish pioneer settler.
In the last years of the 19th century, Kirves-Heikki took on an impossible task – draining Iso-Kotajärvi to turn the lake bed into farmland. And how did that go? The lake never emptied, but his efforts left behind a deep canal 65 metres long and over ten metres wide at its widest point.
Beyond Kuivajärvi, just before the Kirves-Heikki canal, there is a campfire site, a dry toilet and firewood.
From the Peuran polku junction the path continues on near the shores of Iso-Kotajärvi. On the isthmus between Poskeinen and Iso-Kotajärvi there is an open wilderness hut, a campfire site and firewood.