Ketunlenkki: Plan Repovesi’s Bridge-and-Ferry Circuit

Ketunlenkki links wooded lake shores with the Lapinsalmi bridge and the hand-operated Ketunlossi ferry. Choose the complete circuit only when the ferry is operating. Without it, the route does not close back to the start, and the swift strait must not be crossed on ice.

The current Metsähallitus route page lists 3.6 km. An older general park description still calls it 5 km. Use the current named route and signs, and do not silently add a nearby summit climb to make the figures match.

Start and finish at Lapinsalmi

Arrive at the Lapinsalmi parking area and follow the fox-marked route clockwise. The bridge and its rest area are about 600 m from the start, with two short stairways on the approach. After crossing, continue east through forest toward the Kapiavesi rest area, then along the shore. The rocky section at Terrilehti has a handrail.

Toward the end, use Ketunlossi to cross Kapiavesi. The final 600 m follows a broad, level shore route back to the parking area. Keep your return vehicle or arranged pickup at that same entrance. A train stop at Hillosensalmi is not the park entrance: the park gives 9 km to Lapinsalmi, with date-dependent onward transport.

Check the crossing before committing

The separate current-notices page carries a May 18, 2026 announcement that Ketunlossi is in use after renovation. The route page repeats it but also states that the ferry does not operate in winter. Recheck its operation for your day before starting the full circuit; a spring reopening notice does not promise an autumn closing date.

The route has stairs and uneven sections. It is not a wheelchair circuit despite the short distance. Katajavuori adds 1.5 km and more than 200steps, so leave that climb out if you want the bridge-and-ferry outing described here. The nearby Määkijä branch is also a separate detour.

Take a picnic that does not depend on lighting a fire, keep to the marked route and follow signs at the crossing. If the ferry is unavailable, choose another established walk or ask the park for an appropriate retraced shore section; do not improvise a water crossing to finish a loop. Our route-shape guide explains why that missing connection changes the whole return.