Skiing and cross-country trails
Winter is coming to invite residents outside, and in snowy winters, Helsinki features a 200-kilometre network of skiing trails. On this page, we have collected the most frequently asked questions about skiing.
Cross-country trails and trail condition in Helsinki
Keep up with the trail condition at Ulkoliikunta.fi, a map service that tells you the following for each trail:
- date of last maintenance or check-up,
- trail length,
- recommended skiing style
- trail lighting, if any.
The service colours the routes according to trail condition:
- green=good
- yellow=adequate
- black=poor or closed
- grey=unknown, trail information not updated for ten days
Find your neighbourhood trail – on the map
Detailed trail information is available on the page for each specific trail.
Paloheinä outdoor recreation area
Paloheinä is the most popular skiing area in Helsinki, with a trail network of dozens of kilometres in the heart of nature. Paloheinä trails are all lit, with the exception of the field trails. The first-snow trail in Paloheinä is also generally the first trail to be in skiing condition, as the snowmaking system near the trail allows the city to make snow there as soon as the temperature drop below zero for a long enough time.
Paloheinä outdoor recreation area
Frequently asked questions
We receive questions and feedback through the City of Helsinki feedback channel.
Where and in what order are skiing trails made?
The City of Helsinki operates 7–8 snow groomers as well as a roughly equivalent amount of personnel for trail maintenance. Trails are also made on the weekends, depending on the weather and snow conditions. After it has snowed, we are able to start work very early in the morning or late at night, but generally, we make the trails during the day’s working hours. Depending on the weather, snow groomers operate at 5–10 km/h. Some routes have to begroomed twice, or more often depending on the width, to achieve good results.
Trail maintenance resources are divided between the west and east sides of Helsinki. Maintenance in these areas follows a priority. In the west, the primary targets are Paloheinä, its field and woodchip trails, as well as the Central Park. Paloheinä also features a snowmaking system that lets us blow snow on first-snow trails when the temperature is below zero. The Paloheinä sledding hill also uses a similar system. In addition to the snowmaking system, the rails and sledding hill require a longer period of cold weather to be fully usable.
In the east, the first trails to be groomed and maintained are in Vuosaari’s Mustavuori area and Herttoniemi. In winter 2024–2025, the trails at Kivikko and the Malmi Airport area will be impacted by the construction works taking place in the area, with reductions in length and maintenance.
Loop trails will be groomed and maintained first. After them, we prepare the connecting trails with snow groomers as they are driven from one location to another. The shape and length of trails may differ from winter to winter based on snow conditions, other natural phenomena or environmental factors (e.g. field ploughing).
All trails shows on the Ulkoliikunta.fi map (200 km in length) are maintained. In addition to them, other, partly established trails are made in different parts of the city, insofar as we have the resources. These trails are not displayed on Ulkoliikunta.fi, as they are maintained on a situational basis. They are often located close to schools, such as in Myllypuro, Latokartano and Ala-Malmi.
In addition to these trails, we have made new ones upon request in Kaivopuisto, Lauttasaari, Eugen Schauman Park in Kulosaari, as well as the beaches of Hietaniemi and Aurinkolahti, among others, on very snowy winters if the snow conditions have so allowed and the priority network is in good condition. Maintaining the trails in these park and beach locations is difficult, as we need to transport a snow groomer there specifically, which makes the equipment unavailable for other use.
Snow groomers require at least 20 centimetres of snow to groom a trail, preferably more. The trail base also has an effect on how much snow is needed for a trail. Snow groomer blades are 7cm deep, and at least as much snow is required under the groove for one to form.
Why are there no new areas for trails?
The trail network, at 200 kilometres in length, covers a lot of ground, and our current resources do not allow to grow the network any further without a decrease in trail quality. Additionally, we also want there to be routes for people who want to walk or ride bicycles.
Is there a difficulty grade map for the Paloheinä trails online?
A difficulty grade map is currently not available.
What are the rules – is walking or cycling allowed on the trails?
Consumer safety laws require that city-built and maintained cross-country skiing trails remain in a safe condition. People on foot do not contribute to maintaining a safe condition on the trails, as they may damage them, not to mention the risk of collision between people on foot and people on skis. To prevent this risk is to the benefit of both walkers and skiers.
Helsinki City Sports Services considers that a skiing trail that has been made with a snow groomer is a constructed sports ground, upon which access can be limited without violating the right to roam. Therefore, walking and cycling are both prohibited on skiing trails.
Can I walk my dog on the trails?
The Public Order Act prohibits walking dogs and riding horses on skiing trails. Paloheinä does have a skiing trail that you can ski on with a dog.
Can signage be used to indicate which routes are for skiers and which are for other sports (e.g. walking, cycling)?
There are 200 kilometres of skiing trails in Helsinki, and they cross with a variety of routes at many locations. It would be difficult to prepare signage with current resources for the summer and winter seasons, as the routes change regularly and are maintained at different times. Signage at Paloheinä states that outdoor trails that are marked as skiing trails are reserved for skiers only from 1 December to 30 April. The northern parts of Central Park features guideposts, and the signs for the southern parts of Central Park are likely to be completed in late 2024.
Who has the right of way between a skier, pedestrian and cyclist?
Generally, we can say that machine-maintained trails are intended for skiing use. However, there are situations where the trails and other routes cross and in which encounters between skiers, pedestrians and cyclists are possible.
Outdoor trails generally have a large number of users. Generally, good manners also apply when you spend time outdoors, whether you’re on skis, on foot, or on rubber tyres. Outdoor areas are public spaces, maintained with the taxes that you pay. It is everyone’s responsibility to keep skiing trails and outdoor areas safe for everybody else. On the trails, skiers should be considerate of children, people that are still learning to ski, and older people, as they are often slower. It should be obvious that you should be considerate and kind to your fellow sportsperson.
Rights of way highly depend on the situation. Generally, we could say that the right of way is on the person in front or the person that is slower, that is, faster and heavier people are the ones that should yield. However, yielding the way while skiing is not always easy and can in itself be dangerous. That is why, our general guideline is to pay attention while you’re on the trails and apply your common sense: the person that can give way should be the one to give way. All users are asked to pay particular attention at crossings and travel slower on connecting routes.
Check out the The Finnish Outdoor Association (in Finnish)
Where should I report an issue with the lighting of skiing trails?
If you discover lighting-related issues on a skiing trail, report it through the “Fault reporting for public outdoor lighting” service. Reports made through this system are directly transferred to Helsingin Energia’s system.
Open the Fault reporting for public outdoor lighting service
Where are the appropriate walking, running and cycling routes?
There is a walking and cycling winter route through Central Park that is not converted into a skiing trail. The route begins at the traffic school on Nordenskiöldinkatu and passes through Ruskeasuo, Maunula and Pirkkola, passing by the Paloheinä infill on its west side, and ends at Kuninkaantammentie in Hakuninmaa. New routes for winter 2023 include maintained outdoor trails from Pitkäkoski to Niskala along Kuninkaantammentie, and from Niskala to Torpparinmäki. Bicycle and pedestrian routes to the main passage through Central Park is also available during winter from the Paloheinä Ski Lodge. This route runs along the sledding hill’s edge and goes around the infill on its north side. In addition to the winter maintenance of walking and cycling routes in the Central Park and Paloheinä, the City of Helsinki also maintains its network of pedestrian and cycling routes with snowploughs, anti-slip grit and salt. The enhanced winter maintenance network includes cycling paths around Helsinki.
See further information about winter maintenance