Korouoma is a gorge of a kind you do not expect in the rolling forests of southern Lapland: a fault in the bedrock some 30 kilometres long, a few hundred metres wide and in places more than 100 metres deep, with sheer granite walls. It lies in the municipality of Posio, about 100 kilometres east of Rovaniemi, and is protected as a nature reserve.
What draws visitors is the ice. Small streams and seeping groundwater spill over the cliffs, and from the first hard frosts they build up, layer on layer, into frozen waterfalls up to 60 metres high. Minerals and trapped air tint them yellow-brown, pale green and blue. It has become the highest-rated day trip from Rovaniemi, and guided tours with transport are by far the easiest way to do it.
What to see and do: Korouoma Canyon
Walk the Koronjää winter trail
A circular trail of about five kilometres starts at the Saukkovaara car park, drops steeply to the canyon floor on wooden steps, follows the foot of the cliffs past the icefalls and climbs back out. Allow two and a half to three hours with stops. The path is trodden firm in winter but is steep, uneven and slippery in places.
The three great icefalls
The trail passes the three best-known falls: Ruskea Virta (“Brown River”), the widest and most photographed; Jaska Jokunen (the Finnish name for Charlie Brown); and Mammuttiputous (“Mammoth Fall”), the largest. Viewing platforms face each across the valley.
Watch the ice climbers
Korouoma is the best-known ice-climbing venue in Finland, and on winter weekends you will often see roped parties working their way up the falls. Stay well back from the base of the ice: pieces break off.
Lunch at the campfire
Lean-to shelters with fire rings and firewood stand on the canyon floor. Guided tours stop here to grill sausages and make hot drinks; independent walkers should bring their own food and matches.
Korouoma without snow
From June to October the canyon is a fine and much quieter hike. The streams run as real waterfalls, the forest floor is thick with moss and berries, and longer trails follow the Korojoki river along the valley.
How to get to Korouoma Canyon
- By car it is about an hour and a half from Rovaniemi: take road 81 east towards Posio and Kuusamo, then follow the signs to Korouoma and the Saukkovaara car park. The last stretch is a minor road that can be snowy.
- There is no practical public transport. Tours from Rovaniemi include the return drive, a guide and usually a campfire lunch; some also stop at Auttiköngäs on the way.
Insider tips
- The icefalls are usually well formed from about December and last into April. February and March bring the best combination of big ice and daylight.
- Wear proper winter boots with grip. Ice cleats or spikes make the steps much easier, and many tours provide them.
- The climb out of the canyon is a real effort — around 100 metres of ascent on steps. You will warm up fast: dress in layers you can open.
- In December and early January daylight is short; tours time the walk for the middle of the day.
Best tours & tickets for Korouoma Canyon
These top-rated experiences pair well with a visit to Korouoma Canyon:
Day trip with guided hike from €70 Rovaniemi: Korouoma Canyon Frozen Waterfalls Hike & BBQ
The best-rated day trip from Rovaniemi and remarkable value. After a drive of about an hour and a half, you descend into a gorge where seeping water freezes into icefalls tens of metres high, and follow a circular trail of roughly five kilometres with a sausage-grilling stop. Expect steep steps on the way down and back up.
- Walk beneath towering walls of ice
- Barbecue lunch in the canyon
- Rated 4.9 by over 1,600 guests
Small-group day trip from €145 Rovaniemi: Korouoma Frozen Waterfalls Small-Group Tour
The same canyon with fewer people. A smaller vehicle and group make for a calmer walk and more flexibility over the pace and photo stops. Costs more than the bestseller, and is worth it if you dislike walking in a crowd.
- Smaller group, more time with the guide
- Winter gear for the trail (see listing)
- Campfire lunch
Guided day hike from €139 Rovaniemi: Auttiköngäs Waterfall Hike & Wilderness BBQ
A day in one of the finest patches of old forest near Rovaniemi. A circular trail of about three and a half kilometres climbs past the falls and the timber chute once used to float logs around them, to a lookout tower above the gorge.
- A 16-metre waterfall in old-growth forest
- Historic log flume
- Lunch over the campfire
Guided snowshoe walk from €105 Rovaniemi: Hiking and Snowshoeing Adventure in Lapland
A quiet, engine-free outing into the forest on snowshoes, which take a couple of minutes to learn. The guide reads the tracks of hare, fox and reindeer and stops for a hot drink. A good counterweight to a day on a snowmobile.
- Walk through untouched snow
- Look for animal tracks
- Snack by the fire
