The Incredible Soomaa National Park Guide
In June 2022 we made a 2-week road trip in the Baltic States. We started in Vilnius (Lithuania), rented a car, and explored as much as we could on the way to Tallinn (Estonia) while stopping by Latvia.
Soomaa National Park was our 2nd stop in Estonia during our 11th day of travel in the Baltic states.
In Estonian, the word ‘Soomaa’ literally means ‘land of mires.’ Soomaa National Park was founded in 1993 in the core area of Soomaa landscape region. It is an extensive wilderness area, containing large peat-bogs and thick forests interwoven by numerous rivers and the floodplains that border them.
Soomaa is best known for having five unique seasons with the fifth season being the high-water season. The waters there are extraordinary. Several local rivers from surrounding uplands, meet in a relatively small area between the bogs and swamp forests. Once or twice a year, when snows melt across the country, they fill with meltwater and break their banks.
The largest four bogs situated within Soomaa include Kuresoo (10843 ha), Valgeraba (3379 ha), Ordi (7135 ha) and Kikerpera (8775 ha). The bogs are separated from each other by the Pärnu, Halliste, Navesti, Raudna, Lemmjõgi, and Kõpu rivers. Alongside these rivers, floodplain meadows and floodplain forests occur.
If you too are planning a trip to the Baltic states, then Soomaa should be in it, then let ‘s dive in this Ultimate Soomaa National Park Guide
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
Get our full Baltic States Map
Why pin one by one when you can get them all at once?
Getting to Soomaa National Park
The easiest way to get to Soomaa National Park is by car. There are main roads going to the national park from Tartu and Parnu (two of Estonia’s main cities). Once in the national park, the road become a dirt road limited to 30km/h. Which was really fine for our rented car.
You can also travel to Soomaa National Park via bus, although this option requires a bit of patience and walking. The best way to do so, is from Parnu. Buses do not travel throughout the day between Pärnu and Soomaa, doing so only in the morning and in the afternoon, which means you definitely need to plan ahead for the trip. You can check out more there.
But be aware that the main trails are not one from another.
Moving Around Soomaa
The best way again is by car, this will give you lost of flexibility. Alternatively, you can catch the buses when they pass, but that’s required planning.
Or you can walk around to the main places but it will take much more time. And therefor more complicated to get most of the park in 1-day
Good to know
- During the fifth season (Flooding season during spring after the snow melted), some roads and nature and study trails may be underwater. Keep track of news on the page Soomaa.com, at RMK Soomaa, or ask about the status of the water from the Pärnu Visitor Centre.
- The only place to get water is in the information center.
- All camping spots have DC power and WC.
- At the moment, there isn’t many visitors. Up to 30 a day compared to over 100 before Covid-19.
When to Visit Soomaa
You can visit Soomaa all year round but be aware that temperature varies from the extreme 30°C in summer to freezing -25°C in winter. Also, the length of the day varies a lot from 4h in winter to almost 18h in summer. Plus, you will have to be aware of the 5th season.
During the so-called 5th season some trails and road will be floaded but there are then other things to do in the park.
The touristic season is mostly July and August and is made of local tourism. Riga and generally the Baltic states are not the most touristic countries in the world nor in EU.
Where to Stay
If you want to stay in Soomaa national park, there are amazing camping spot, free of charge. Water can be found for free at the information center.
The information center also offers map and basic utilities that you may require during your stay.
You can also stay in huts there, if you want more information about that option, you have to contact the national park here. There are super friendly people.
What to Eat
We would recommend that you bring your own food while visiting the park.
Best trail to do Soomaa national Park
Riisa study trail
The trail is 4.8 km in total. A Part of the trail has wheelchair accessibility for 1,22 km. The trail starts on the bog and then the forests by the Navesti River. Later on, you can back out on the marshland where pools can be seen. In some of them it is even possible to swim. The water is fresh and amazing. A bit further, you can a observation tower. Before heading back.
Ingatsi study trail
The first half of the trail goes through marsh forest. At the end of it and before the bog, there is an observation tower followed by a rise along the high bog ridge to the Kuresoo bog.
At the end of the wooden path, you can find platofrms where you can enter the water, swim or just put your foot in it.
On the way back and out, you pass again in the forest and then have to walk on the main road to loop the trail back to the trailhead.
The complete trail is 4.3km + the road back. There are lots of mosquitoes in the forest and some huge flies on the road back to the car.
Beaver trail (Koprarada)
Known as the beaver trail. This 1.8 km trail with wheelchair accessibility for 0,67 km is located behind the information center.
During the winter and spring floods, most of the boardwalk is under water. The beaver trail guides you through different types of forest – dark spruce forest, light fern birch forest, wet marshy forest to the Mardu stream, in which beavers live. Traces of beaver activity can be observed more closely. There are information boards on the study trail, drawing your attention to interesting objects of nature and the results of beavers’ construction works.
Other trails
There are 5 more other trail in Soomaa national park. But we didn’t do them. The information center advises us that the 3 above are the best to see in the parc. Plus, that the road to Hüpassaare is not in food shape and it is hard to access with a regular car.
Best things to do Soomaa national Park (Paid)
Wilderness Trips
Canoeing is probably the best way to explore the wilderness of Soomaa National Park. This one day self-guided wilderness canoe trip gives you possibilies to explore several walking trails alonge the river, and experience typical landscapes of Soomaa – alluvial forest (Lemmjõe keelemetsa Nature Trail), floodplain meadows and Estonian biggest peat-bog (Ingatsi Nature Trail).
Distance: 12 km on the river + if you wish so, 4 km forest trail (Lemmjõe) or/ and 3 km peat-bog trail (Ingatsi).
This trip can be done self-guided: Read more here
Or guided : Read more here
Wilderness Day Trip
Guided wilderness experience day-trip combines bog shoeing (or bog walking on wooden path) and canoeing. It starts by walking through Riisa village and the forest to reach the largest peat-bog in Estonia – Kuresoo. Then, put on some bogshoes and walk on the wild landscape, followed by wilderness lunch. The trip ends with a relaxing canoe trip along Soomaa meandering rivers.
Night-Trip
Things in the dark seem different, all can not be seen or heard, only some parts can be easily imagined. Night trips are lead by experienced local guides. A peaceful canoe trip leads along the river lasts ca 2-3 hours. There is a chance to view beavers and other wildlife.
Multi Day Canoe Trip
You can also extend you canoe trip to multiple days
Paddle Trip
Stand Up Paddling is a lot of fun! Rivers of Soomaa are really slow and recommended also for beginners
Our SUP guide Jane will teach you the skill and take you to 3 hours paddle trip on the Rivers of Raudna and Halliste
Bog Shoeing
Walking on the bogs has been suggested by Lonely Planet as one of the greatest activity in Estonia. Bogshoes have been used to walk on wetlands throughout the times. These footwear allow us access to the places where it is hard or even impossible to reach by foot.
Kicksledding (in autumn)
Sometimes Soomaa meadows are flooded before winter because of rain or even in midwinter beacause of snow-melt. If then weather turns suddenly back to minus degrees, all flood water freezes and it is best time to go kicksledding.
Snowshoeing (in winter)
You can go on a guided snowshoe hikes that takes you to frozen bogs, forests and floodplains. The bogs and rivers of Soomaa become covered by ice and snow in winter. This is the time when the marginal bog areas inaccessible in summer can be visited.
An amazing 1-day Soomaa national Park Itinerary
The itinerary we did was as follow. We were coming from Tartu and going to Parnu.
- Stop at the information center
- Trail the beaver trail
- Drive to the Ingatsi trail
- Ingatsi trail and swim in the pound
- Drive to Riisa trail
- Risa trail
- Drive to Parnu
“Söögiajal ei räägita!” – No talking while eating!
You may also like
Get our full Baltic States Map
Why pin one by one when you can get them all at once?
