Located towards Kolho, Jaakkoinsuo is a place where you can relax in the unique atmosphere and fragrance of a mire. The story has it that the name of this area, which is Finnish for “the mire of Jaakkos”, comes from it once being owned by a family in which the father and the son were both named Jaakko.
The 2.5-kilometre hiking trail in Jaakonsuo gives visitors the chance to see many different types of mires. The trail starts from the least nutrient-rich part of the mire and, for the most part, the mire gets richer in nutrients as you move along the trail. It takes from 90 minutes to 2 hours to complete the trail. It is also possible to shorten the route or take a longer hike around the mire. There is a break area with a fire pit along the trail where visitors can pause for a snack.
Jaakkoinsuo is the oldest mire research area in Europe and Finland’s first experimental ditching site. There are numbered research and presentation boards along the trail that provide a wide range of information regarding research on peatland forests and mires. There are 27 stops on the trail, with most of them featuring a board displaying the latest measurement data.
The gate of Jaakkoinsuo has an information board with general information on the area as well as maps on experiments and ditching. A second general map is located at the break area and fire pit at stop 17, known as the Anttila hotel.
It is possible to take a shortcut along a path from stop 10 directly to stop 17 and from there via stops 21 and 22 on the forest motor road and trail back to the start. The trail ends at the road at the southern edge of the mire. From there, you can go back to the starting point along a path that starts at stop 24 and follows the western edge of the mire. For more information on the hiking trail and the stops along it, please download the Jaakkoinsuo experimental ditching area hiking guide (in Finnish only).
