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The Finnish Forest Administration tells: "In Vätsäri you can experience the astonishing silence of a wilderness in its natural state. The remote location of Vätsäri, [...], in roadless backwoods, means that mass tourism would never disturb the peace of the area." The extremely rugged mosaic of pine forests, mires, lakes and creeks is difficult to navigate, so experience is truly needed to go independently. The area is considered the most difficult to hike in the whole of Finland. There are no marked trails through the Vätsäri area but the 35-km Piilola Trail going through the southern part, ending up in Norway, and the Saami Trail, which climbs up to the fell called Semekurtta about 6 km after leaving Sevettijärvi. From Semekurtta one can have a view of this notorious landscape.
The Vätsäri Wilderness Area is located along the northeastern shore of Lake Inari in Inari, northern Finland, stretching all the way to the Finland–Norway border. The landscape is dominated by taiga forests of Scots pine, bog and bodies of water. The northeastern part rises as a treeless fell ridge. Vätsäri is one of twelve wilderness areas in Lapland and covers an area of 1,550 square kilometers (600 sq mi). The wilderness has one marked trail and a few cabins. The reserve is under the management of Metsähallitus and was established with the other wilderness reserves in 1991. It is part of Pasvik–Inari Trilateral Park along with Øvre Pasvik National Park and Øvre Pasvik Landscape Protection Area in Norway, and the joint Norwegian–Russian Pasvik Nature Reserve.
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Pyhittäjä Trifon Petsamolaisen kirkko
Unlike most Samis, the Skolt Sami are orthodox. Designed by Ole Albert Gottleben and finished in 1951, this simple wooden church is an example of functionalist architecture. It was first an orthodox prayer room (chasovnya) and after a renovation in 1992 it was designated a church.
An almost 10 km long rift valley in the Vätsäri Wilderness Area. No road connection. Hiking from the road to the nearest end of the gorge takes about a day. There is no official trail to the gorge but it is still a relatively popular destination. Lomarengas rents the old Pakanajoki wilderness estate, which is located 6 km (by trail) from the gorge. Vätsäri can be recommended only for experienced hikers.
Nuõrttsaaʹmi äʹrbbvuõttpõrtt
Small museum and community centre in a standard-type house built for resettled Skolt Saami, with outhouses. The adjacent outdoor museum features a reconstructed Skolt Saami village, modeled after the Suonijoki (Suõ'nnjel) village. Museum shop with literature and Skolt Saami handicraft.
Small fell just some 4 km south from Näätämö village at the Norwegian border. Guided hiking trips from Näätämö. The original Inari Sami name Juovlâlâhtuodâr means a fell with rugged grounds but as word for Christmas, juovlah, is so similar, the name has been mistranslated into Finnish as Joulutunturi, the Christmas Fell.
The Näätämöjoki river flows through wilderness for 40 km before ending in the Arctic Sea in Norway. The river has a naturally breeding Arctic Sea salmon population and is subject to fishing trips from the Näätämö village. The river cannot be reached by car anywhere in Finland. There is a lean-to shelter by the river some 8 km from Näätämö. For fishing salmon you need to buy a permit online or otherwise.
Kaldoaivi is the largest of the Finnish wilderness areas, and the wilderness continues on the Norwegian side of the border. The area is mostly highland with gentle fells and treeless fell heath alternating with sparse mountain birch forest, with the odd deep and steep river valley. In the south-west there is a large protected mire area: Sammuttijänkä-Vaijoenjänkä. There is a 77-km marked hiking trail through the area from the Sevettijärvi village to the lake Pulmankijärvi near Nuorgam and another following the old Anárašmáđe/Inarinpolku trade route from Sevettijärvi to Karlebotn by the Barents Sea.