Rokua and its surroundings

The Rokua esker area and the surrounding landscape were created by a combination of geological processes and the resulting landforms. With its lichen-covered hillocks, the Rokua esker ridge was created from sand transported and deposited by the continental glacier and meltwater around 10,000 - 12,000 years ago. Rokua is characterised by its kettle holes, which are often filled with clear water. These were created when ice blocks buried in the sand melted, leaving large depressions in the terrain. The esker was also formed by the receding sea and strong winds, which provided their own touch to the landscape with its shoreline escarpments and hilltops decorated by dunes.

This unique natural environment can be explored on skis, by snowmobile, on foot or by bike. The area is well covered by its 70 km network of routes. The clear water in the kettle holes is perfect for a dip on a hot summer’s day, or for angling, trolling or ice fishing, depending on the time of year. Because the water filling the kettle holes is largely groundwater, it is very clean.

The Rokua National Park protects the area’s unique flora and landscape. You can reach the national park via Ruoka’s outstanding routes on cross-country skis, by hiking or by bicycle.

Discover the services of the area

Rokua National Park

Rokua National Park was established in 1956 to protect the untouched lichen-clad forest floor and the unique geological features. Rokua National Park is among the second oldest group of national parks in Finland. Finland’s first national parks were founded in 1938. The National Park is located on the southern edge of the esker formation. It features dunes, kettle holes with mires and crystal clear groundwater pools, and ancient shore banks and plateaus. The park is also a site of untouched old-growth pine forests, rare in this region, with plenty of ancient pine trees and massive old trees. Rokua National Park is also Finland’s most important site for protecting barren forest.

Rokua National Park offers excellent opportunities for walking. There are marked trails in the park, as well as campfire sites and overnight shelter in Pitkäjärvi campsite or the wilderness hut at Pookivaara.

Central booking service by Suomen keskusvaraamo Ltd

The central booking service has a wide range of cottages, hotel rooms and holiday apartments where you’re sure to find exactly the right holiday option for you in Rokua Geopark. The majority of the holiday accommodation is located in the Rokuanvaara Hill area in the heart of the rolling landscape of Rokua Geopark with its kettle holes and dunes.

The central booking centre also provides more information about meeting services in the Rokua area. If you want to book your own holiday yourself, it’s the ideal way to do it. You can also phone customer services: +358 8 554 5500. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

Kakaravaara

Kakaravaara holiday cottages are on the shore of the beautiful Lake Lianjärvi in Rokua Geopark. The area is about an hour’s drive from Oulu and Oulu airport.

Rokua Health & Spa Hotel

Rokua Health & Spa is the perfect spot to relax and recharge. In a unique area of Rokua Geopark, within the National Park, you get to luxuriate, relaxing soul and body surrounded by unhurried peace. Enjoy a fabulous night’s sleep in the hotel soothed by a sense of well-being.

The wide range of services at Rokua Health & Spa and the unique natural world on the doorstep offer experiences for everyone. There’s plenty to do all year round as the glorious countryside of Rokua isn’t short of options when it comes to activities to enjoy, summer and winter alike. The restaurant’s chefs conjure up marvels on the plate from local ingredients. Accommodation includes use of the spa and the well-equipped gym. Rokua Health & Spa is ideal for holidays, work awaydays and conferences, and welcomes children, adults, young people and older visitors.

Rokua Outdoors

Activities, experiences and accommodation in Rokua Geopark area. Online equipment rental and guided activities for groups. We offer mountain biking, fishing, canoeing, SUP boarding, snowshoeing, skiing and other activities surrounded by a stunning nature.

Rokuan lomahuvilat

Rokuan lomahuvilat is a tourism business in Rokua. We run Rokuan Tähti, a luxurious holiday cottage for 20 people, and the smoke sauna Rokuan Tähtisavu, which can be privately booked. We also rent kayaks and fatbikes.

Rokuan Unelma and Kirvesjärven Simpukka

Rokuan Unelma and Kirvesjärven Simpukka are holiday cabins for rent overlooking the beautiful, crystalline waters of Lake Kirvesjärvi in Rokua. The cabins are owned by Atteson fishing. Their surroundings are full of fantastic recreational opportunities: Rokua’s varied network of hiking routes and ski-trails begins just 300 metres away! You can opt to spend your time hiking, fishing, skiing, swimming, rowing, picking berries or even bicycling on Rokua’s mountain bike route. Rokua’s other tourist facilities, such as a spa hotel, are located within around five kilometres.

Rokuanhovi

The Rokuanhovi Wilderness Hotel offers accommodation and entertainment in the middle of Rokua Geopark, beside the clear waters of Lake Jaakonjärvi. Rokuanhovi’s sturdily built main building has 24 hotel rooms and the restaurant, Ravintola Krouvi, serves plenty of local produce. Krouvi is an ideal venue for weddings and Christmas parties and those looking for a more private space can also book Karukko, a versatile conference space, for their own use. In the grounds there is also the attractive little Väentupa, perfect for meetings and parties. Forget the outside world. On the lake shore the lakeside sauna and the little smoke sauna can also be booked for private use. Ten simple cottages open onto Jaakonjärvi Lake, perfect for an evening dip from your very own lakeside terrace.

Suppa Information point

On the yard of Suppa there is a shelter which has information about nature, culture and tourism services of River Oulujoki Valley, Rokua and Lake Oulujärvi regions.

Erratic boulders

Glacial erratic boulders are rocks that sheared off the bedrock and were carried by the glacial ice. The best-known erratic boulders in Rokua Geopark are Isokivi (literally “the big stone” in Rokua, and the erratic boulder at Väätäjänniemi. Isokivi first drifted on the surface of glacial lake called Ancylus Lake with a block of ice and sank to the bottom of the sea when the ice block melted. The boulder consists of Precambrian schists and granites which were crystallized and metamorphosed in ancient orogeny processes as a high mountain range was tilted up in Finland.

Isokivi is located beside the Emperor’s Road in the south-west corner of Rokua National Park on the border between Muhos and Vaala municipalities. It has served as a boundary stone for hundreds of years, marking the boundaries of municipalities, provinces and regions. The easiest way to find the stone is to take the Emperor’s Road in Neittävä and continue on the Emperor’s Road about two kilometres after the Pitkäjärvi car park in Rokua National Park.

Rokuanvaara Hill

Rokuanvaara Hill was born ca. 10 800 - 10 500 years ago in the end of the last Ice Age. Melt waters of the huge continental ice sheet accumulated sand on the edge of the ice to a glacial bay. Later the sand was exposed under the water. Bare sand was shaped by waves and wind during a period of over thousand years. Nowadays Rokuanvaara Hill is a unique formation whose specialties can be recognized in vegetation dominated by wide, white reindeer lichen heaths. Deep kettle holes with crystal clear lakes are typical features in Rokuanvaara region too.

Syvyydenkaivo

Literally “the Well of Deepness”, Syvyydenkaivo is Finland’s deepest kettle hole with a measured depth of more than 50 metres. A bog has formed at the bottom, about eight metres thick, which covers part of the actual depth of the kettle hole.

The Emperor’s Road

The southernmost boundary of Rokua National Park is bordered by the Emperor’s Road, part of the old route between the Cities of Oulu and Kajaani. It was first cleared and built as part of the construction of Kajaani Castle. The road was completed in the 1610s, when it was used by soldiers, officials and merchants. It was also the route for post from Vyborg to Oulu, both at the time being under Swedish rule. Heavier goods were transported down the Oulujoki river even once the road was completed.

An island in Lake Ancylus

With land uplift, Pookivaara was revealed as an island from Lake Ancylus. The beach ridges, dunes, and ditches were formed at the same time as the first plants took root in the ridge sand. In this time window, you are in Pookivaara, surrounded by Lake Ancylus, in a landscape that opened from the top of a ridge 10,000 years ago.

Glacial bay

The melt water of the continental ice sheet ran via tunnels and cracks into a glacial bay, and deposited sand to Rokua esker. The edge of the continental ice sheet was located in Rokua ca. 10,600 years ago. In this time window you are located on the edge of the continental ice sheet in the place, where meltwater bursts out into the glacial bay.

Ice Age

In the maximum phase of the last Ice Age ca. 18,000 years ago, Pookivaara was covered by a 2,6-kilometres thick continental ice sheet. The mass of the ice sheet depressed the earth crust. In this time window you are located on top of the thick ice sheet.

Mountain range

The ocean, created by the splitting of the ancient continent, closed when continental plates collided about 1,960 million years ago. Mountains rose to the point of collision. Deep under the mountain range the marine sediments metamorphosed to schists or melted and crystallized to granites. In the vicinity of Rokua, you can find schists and granites in boulders in the ground, like Rokua Isokivi boulder. In this time window, you are moving in a valley surrounded by peaks.

Present day

Pookivaara elevates almost 200 metres from the sea level, being the highest place in Rokuanvaara area. At the top of the hill there is a scenery tower, from which the landscape opens up almost to the current coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. Pookivaara is surrounded by alternating esker mounds, kettle holes and dune ridges embroidered by lichens. It is a cross-point for many hiking trails. In this time window, you are moving on top of Pookivaara, and you can also visit the scenery tower.