Sivustoa päivitetään, pahoittelut häiriöistä. | The site is being updated, sorry for any inconvenience.

Palsa Mounds

Palsas are rare permafrost mounds of peat. They can be found on Arctic marshlands.

Permafrost can often reach down to dozens of metres. Palsa mounds are formed in the thickest parts where the ice starts to bulge up the peat.

Peat insulates heat, so the permafrost mounds won’t melt in the summer. Palsa mounds can be up to 2000 years old, seven metres high and 20 metres in width. When the mound gets large enough, the peat will tear. This allows heat into the core and the mound will collapse. A pond will take its place.

Location

You can see palsa mounds in Iitto, off Highway 21, 56 km north of Karesuvanto. A nature path with duckboards, will take you right up to the mounds. You can read more about them at starting point.

Read more

SHARE YOUR ADVENTURE

#enontekiolapland

Resources for planning your trip

Trails in Enontekiö

Trails in Enontekiö

Experience our Northern trails however you like – be it on foot, ski, canoe or mountain bike

Tourist Information

Is there snow on the Hetta-Pallas Trail? How high is the summit of Saana? Where can I rent fatbikes? Don’t worry, Tourist Information has all the answers.

Tourist Information

Sustainable Travel

Sustainable Travel

We have clean air, clear waters and room to breathe. When you're out and about in Enontekiö, do remember that while the environment may seem barren, it's actually full of life. You’re in someone’s home: the local people, animals and plants all co-exist here.