Metsähallitus to introduce paid parking at five nature sites in late summer trial
Metsähallitus will launch a trial of paid parking at four national parks and one protected area starting in late summer, as state funding for maintaining nature destinations declines. The initiative aims to cover costs related to parking areas, roads, and hiking infrastructure, with revenue reinvested into the upkeep of these sites.
The trial will run until 2027 and include Sipoonkorpi National Park in the capital region, Koli National Park in North Karelia, Riisitunturi National Park, Kiilopää in Urho Kekkonen National Park, and the Korouoma protected area in Lapland. Specific parking areas will be subject to fees, while others in the same regions will remain free.
In Sipoonkorpi, paid parking will apply at Tasakallio and Kalkkiuunintie. In Koli, the three parking areas along Ylä-Kolintie will require payment, while in Urho Kekkonen, only the Kiilopää parking area will be affected. Riisitunturi’s main parking area and Korouoma’s Saukkovaara parking area will also introduce fees (Ilta-Sanomat).
Parking will cost one euro per hour, with a maximum daily fee of five euros. The first 30 minutes will be free, and fees will apply between 9:00 and 18:00. Payments will be handled via a mobile application (Yle).
Elias Haapakorva, Customer Relations Manager at Metsähallitus Nature Services, stated that declining state funding has made new revenue models necessary. "In public discussion, it has often been noted that many would be willing to pay for services offered in national parks. We will now follow with interest what kind of experiences are gained from the parking fee trial," he said. Haapakorva emphasized that hiking trails, rest areas, and other services in national parks will remain free (Ilta-Sanomat).
