Finland's Duckboards and Bog Trails

What are duckboards

Duckboards are wooden planks or round logs laid on bog surfaces as walking paths. The structure distributes the walker's weight over a wider area, so feet do not sink into soft peat, and simultaneously the trail directs movement away from sensitive bog vegetation. Duckboards are built on open bogs, along the edges of aapa mires and raised bogs, and as access ways to bird towers and observation platforms, and some trails are also made for visitors with reduced mobility. The trails are maintained by the state, municipalities and associations alike, and many run through protected areas and national parks.

History of duckboards on Finnish bogs

Bogs have been traversed on duckboards long before modern hiking. At Paukaneva in Seinäjoki, the first duckboard trail was built already in the early 1700s next to the Nurmo preaching house, and the original duckboards were destroyed in a forest fire in 1752; the current trail was completed in 2000 with EU support. At Lakkasuo in Orivesi, approximately three kilometres of duckboard route were built in 1963 for research use, with a total of 24 bog-type study plots along it. Construction continues: in 2022, an accessible duckboard trail was completed at Keimola Isosuo in Vantaa, and at Linnaistensuo in Lahti the duckboards were renewed in 2022–2023.

Most interesting sites

Several national parks and smaller trails stand out across the country:

• Torronsuo National Park in Tammela: 17-metre nature tower and duckboard trails 1.5–10 kilometres.
• Patvinsuo National Park in Lieksa: 80 kilometres of trails, 20 of which run across duckboards.
• Paukaneva duckboard trail in Seinäjoki: trail history extending to the 1700s and a bird tower.
• Keimola Isosuo accessible duckboard trail in Vantaa: two-metre-wide duckboards fitted with railings.
• Martimoaapa hiking trail in Simo: several route options from 3 to 12.8 kilometres.
• Valkmusa National Park in Pyhtää: Munasuo, Finland's largest plateau bog.
• Kauhaneva–Pohjankangas National Park in Kauhajoki: the 1,630-hectare Kauhaneva and 173 vascular plant species.

Where duckboard trails are most common

Sites are concentrated in a few areas. In South Ostrobothnia, around Seinäjoki and Kauhajoki, there are several trails and even two national parks, since the Paukaneva area has several different duckboard and bird tower combinations. In North Ostrobothnia, around Oulu, bog trails and paths are abundant on the city's outskirts; in Lapland, bird towers are densely spaced on the aapa mires of Sodankylä and Pelkosenniemi, and in southwestern Finland, the Kuhankuono trail network of Rusko and Nousiainen crosses extensive raised bogs and bedrock through several separate route sections.

Before you go

Duckboards are slippery in rain and moisture, so sturdy footwear is essential. On the bog surface, you must not step off the duckboards, as the terrain can be soft and dangerously boggy. You can choose the season by what you are after: birds, berries or colours. Spring is the season of migration, cloudberries ripen in summer, and in autumn the bog vegetation changes colour. In winter, some duckboards lie under snow and ice, so trail-specific information should be checked in advance. Some trails, such as at Keimola Isosuo and Hangasneva, are built to be accessible for wheelchair or pushchair users.