Pallastunturi Gate is a new combination of outdoor and indoor facilities which is always open and in which Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland offers information for hikers. Metsähallitus opened the indoor areas of the Gate for hikers on Monday 16 February 2026.
“As the Gate is open round the clock, it is a great way of exposing a large number of visitors to information about responsible hiking on their way to the National Park, whatever the time of the day. Practical considerations were prioritised in the design of the Gate. For example, you can wash the dishes after your hike there, use the toilet and find hiking tips on the Luontoon service,” says Timo Karinen, Senior Specialist, Recreational Amenities from Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland.
The shape of the building was also designed to guide visitors to the starting points of the trails to Pallastunturit Fells. Watch an introductory video about the Gate in Finnishparks Instagram.com.
The following are some of the features at the Gate that support visitors:
- Digital displays that provide information on the National Park’s trails and the condition of its service infrastructure. The gate directs visitors to the web service Luontoon, where they can find the latest information
- The digital displays also have information about weather conditions and warnings related to them, including forest fire warnings in summer
- Information about snow safety to help hikers make smart decisions:
- avalanche forecasts on the digital displays in winter
- gradient map to help visitors identify avalanche terrain
- checkpoint for testing your personal avalanche beacon
- The warm indoor facilities of the Gate protect visitors from the elements of the fell environment, for example while waiting for a lift back or in case of equipment failure
The previous building on this site was Pallastunturi Visitor Centre, which was demolished due to indoor air problems. The Visitor Centre recorded around 50,000 visits each year. In 2025, the trails in the nearby area were used by approx. 65,000 visitors. The popular Hetta-Pallas trail, which sees around 12,000 hikers during the summer season, either ends or starts at Pallas.
The Gate is a better way for Metsähallitus to reach visitors, also outside office hours. Metsähallitus trusts hikers to be smart and take care of the Gate, even if there is no staff present.
“The Gate has CCTV surveillance. If vandalism becomes a problem, we will make the necessary changes. We can edit the content on the three digital displays at a short notice,” says Karinen.
The Government granted Pallastunturi Gate separate funding amounting to EUR 1.6 million in 2023.
Further information:
- Practical implementation of the gate: Timo Karinen, Senior Specialist, Recreational Amenities, tel. +358 40 648 6380
- Luontoon web service and customer service development: Katja Heikkinen, Service Owner, tel. +358 40 658 7092
- Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park (luontoon.fi)