Saana
1,029 m
Finland
Also known as Сана, Saana fell, +2Also known as
Сана · Saana fell · Саана (фьельд) · Sáná
- Elevation
- 1,029 m
- Prominence
- 348 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Path closedReported 24 Jun 2025
Metsähallitus has closed the summer hiking route along Saana's south side through the herb-rich forest reserve, as the springs and wet habitats cannot withstand the wear. Walking round Saana in summer is now only possible on the north side; the Kalottireitti and the route from the Kilpisjärvi hiking centre to Saanajärvi have been rerouted north of the fell. The summit trail is not affected.
epressi.com
Routes
1The only marked summer route to the top: 4.2 km and about 550 m of ascent from the Malla and Saana car park on the Käsivarrentie highway, through fell birch woods to the Saanan kota day shelter, up a granite staircase to a viewpoint, then across the stony summit plateau to the 1,029 m top. Return the same way; 4–6 hours for the round trip of about 8.6 km.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 4.4 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +544 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,029 m
- Time Up
- 2h 22m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 38m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the Malla and Saana car park (Mallan ja Saanan pysäköintialue) on the Käsivarrentie (E8/highway 21) about 1.8 km north-west of the Kilpisjärvi hiking centre (Kilpisjärven retkeilykeskus), at roughly 500 m. Cross the highway and follow the brown 'Saana' signposts. A gravelled path winds up through fell birch forest, crosses a small ditch on a footbridge and reaches a junction after about 800 m, where it meets the path from the Kilpisjärvi hiking centre; keep following the Saana signs. The trail is marked with 40 cm posts with orange tops. The Saanan kota day shelter (1.1 km from the car park) has a fire pit, woodshed and dry toilets; overnight stays are not allowed. Above it the gravelled path heads for the slope and the long Saana stairs, rebuilt in granite in 2019 after the old wooden staircase was removed in 2017. Over 800 m and more than 150 steps (sources count up to about 215 in total) it climbs to a stone bench and viewpoint at the top of the steep section, where the classic view over Lake Kilpisjärvi opens up; many visitors turn round here. The last 2.4 km run across the open, rocky and stony summit plateau on the 'nature trail' section. Stay on the marked line: the area is a nature reserve and the vegetation is recovering from decades of trampling. The path passes about 100 m from the telecom mast and weather station on the southern edge of the plateau and ends at the summit cairns, where a postbox holds a visitor book. Descend by the same route. The summit is often in cloud and colder and windier than the village, and snow can lie on the plateau even in summer.
Start
Malla ja Saana pysäköintialue482 m
- Daily coach from Rovaniemi (via Kittilä airport and Muonio) to Kilpisjärvi, about 6 hours; in summer the service continues to Tromsø. From the Kilpisjärvi hiking centre stop, either take the older path directly from the hiking centre (it joins the main trail after about 1 km) or walk about 1.8 km along the highway to the Malla car park.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malla ja Saana pysäköintialue → Saana | 4.4 | 544 | 0 | 2h 22m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Malla ja Saana pysäköintialue482 m
Free car park on Käsivarrentie, no overnight parking; trailhead 'Saana kesäreitti' just across the road
- Trailhead: Saana kesäreitti483 m
- Waypoint: Saanan kota584 m
Day shelter with fire pit and dry toilets, 1.1 km from the car park; no overnight stays
- Feature: Saana 747 näköalatasanne722 m
Stone bench and viewpoint at the top of the granite stairs, about 1.9 km from the car park
- Summit: Saana1,029 m
Key Passages
- Saana stairs (granite staircase, 2019)
- Viewpoint and stone bench at the top of the stairs
- Stony summit plateau (2.4 km, cloud-prone)
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
A flat-topped Arctic fell rising 556 m straight out of Lake Kilpisjärvi in Finland's far north-west, where the borders of Finland, Sweden and Norway meet. A marked 4.2 km trail with a granite staircase leads to the 1,029 m summit plateau.
Saana stands at the tip of the 'arm' of Finnish Lapland, in the only part of Finland that reaches into the Scandinavian Mountains. Its steep, cliff-banded south-western face drops to Kilpisjärvi village and the lake, and its outline is one of the best-known landscapes in Finland. It is not Finland's highest point (that is a shoulder of Halti on the Norwegian border), but it is the most visited high fell, with tens of thousands of walkers a year.
The ascent is a walk, not a climb: a well-built path through fell birch woods, a long granite staircase up the steep north-western end, and a stony plateau to the summit cairns. The reward is a view over the lake, the Malla Strict Nature Reserve and the fells of Sweden and Norway. The summit carries a telecom mast and a weather station, and a postbox with a visitor book.
The fell's limestone-rich rock supports unusual Arctic-alpine plants, and its south-western slopes are protected as a nature reserve and herb-rich forest reserve. Leaving the marked trail is prohibited. The weather on top is often much colder, windier and cloudier than in the village, and snow can lie on the plateau even in summer.
Climbing Notes
Any reasonably fit walker can do it in a day: about 550 m of ascent and 8.6 km return from the Malla and Saana car park, 3–6 hours depending on pace and stops. No technical skills are needed in the snow-free season. Wear boots or sturdy shoes with good grip, and carry windproof, waterproof and warm layers, hat and gloves even in midsummer. Under the midnight sun (roughly late May to mid-July) you can walk at any hour, which helps avoid the crowds and the afternoon wind. Bring food and water; there is nothing on the route except the Saanan kota day shelter.
The official summer trail is maintained and marked only when the ground is free of snow. In winter the markers are buried and the plateau is exposed to storms in near-darkness around the polar night; experienced visitors do go up on snowshoes or skis in spring, but this needs winter navigation skills and avalanche awareness on the steeper slopes. Stay on the marked path at all times: the area is protected, and the summer route along Saana's south side has been closed since 2025 to protect the herb-rich forest reserve.
History
Saana (Northern Sámi: Sáná) is part of Sámi homeland; Kilpisjärvi was developed for tourism after the Second World War, when Finland lost Petsamo and needed a new 'Arctic Ocean road', and the village centre was laid out with Saana as its focal point. Remains of German wartime positions survive on the slopes. Wooden stairs built in the early 2000s were removed for safety in 2017 and replaced by granite steps on a new, gentler line in 2019. On 4–5 December 2017, for Finland's centenary, the fell was lit with blue light over about 2.5 km², billed as the world's largest light-art installation.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Polar night into January; summer trail not marked or maintained in snow
- Feb
- Winter conditions; snowshoe ascents only for experienced parties
- Mar
- Long spring days and stable snow; winter navigation skills needed, markers buried
- Apr
- Spring winter season; snowshoes or skis, not the summer trail
- May
- Thaw; snow and meltwater on the slopes
- Jun
- Midnight sun; snow can linger on the plateau into June
- Jul
- Main season under the midnight sun; mosquitoes in the birch woods
- Aug
- Snow-free; nights darken from mid-August
- Sep
- Autumn colours (ruska) in early to mid September; first snow possible late in the month
- Oct
- Early snow and short days; check whether the summer trail is still snow-free
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Polar night
Access & Permits
- Fees
- No fee for the trail; the Malla and Saana car park is free with no time limit, but overnight parking is not permitted
- Rules
- Saana nature reserve and herb-rich forest reserve: stay on the marked trail
- The summer route along Saana's south side through the herb-rich forest reserve has been closed since June 2025; walk round the fell on the north side instead (in winter it can be skied)
- Campfires only at designated sites such as Saanan kota, and only when no wildfire warning is in force
- Pets must be kept on a lead
- No bins on the route: carry all rubbish out
- In the neighbouring Malla Strict Nature Reserve, stricter rules apply: marked paths only, no picking of berries or plants, camping only at the huts
- Getting There
Kilpisjärvi (village); Enontekiö municipality
Kittilä (KTT), about 4 hours by coach; Tromsø (TOS) in Norway is the closest airport by distance, but coach connections are limited
- Coach: daily service from Rovaniemi via Kittilä airport and Muonio to Kilpisjärvi (about 6 hours), continuing to Tromsø in summer; check matkahuolto.fi and eskelisen.fi, as some off-season departures can be suspended
- Car: Käsivarrentie (E8/highway 21) from Muonio or from Skibotn in Norway; free car park for Malla and Saana about 1.8 km north-west of the Kilpisjärvi hiking centre
- On foot: the older path starts at the Kilpisjärvi hiking centre and joins the main trail after about 1 km
Hazards
- Weather
- Remoteness