Many visitors use mobile and car navigation apps to reach hiking destinations. While these apps work well in urban settings, they don’t always guide visitors correctly when heading to rural or remote outdoor destinations. Incorrect directions may lead drivers along forest roads that are unsuitable or impassable.
Metsähallitus does not define the addresses of starting points or parking areas for navigation applications.
“We often receive feedback from visitors saying that a navigation app gave incorrect driving instructions when heading to national parks. For some destinations, certain apps almost always direct visitors to the wrong approach route. In summer, this may not be a major issue, but in winter, short daylight, snow, and cold can turn a longer detour into a safety risk. Getting lost or being misdirected to poor roads can result in a broken car—or a ruined trip”, says Tiina Huotari, Outdoor Recreation Specialist at Metsähallitus Customer Service.
Always ensure you have accurate and up-to-date arrival instructions before heading out. Note that not all parking areas have an official street address.
How to make sure you arrive without surprises:
- Make sure you have the correct address or coordinates for your destination.
- Check that your navigation app directs you to an official parking area, not a maintenance road, forest road, or private property.
- Always compare the map and the app’s location suggestion.
- Try using multiple navigation apps to compare directions—if they agree, the route is more likely to be correct.
Up-to-date arrival instructions can be found on each destination’s Arrival page on Luontoon.fi. The map application Excursionmap.fi allows you to check coordinates and follow your location both in terrain and on the road.
If you notice errors in navigation instructions, please contact the app’s customer service. That helps improve navigation apps—and benefits other outdoor visitors too.