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In the surrounding areas of Tampere, there are some bigger outdoors areas and even two national parks with many huts and campfire sites suitable also for one day’s outings. But if you’re only planning a little day trip to take the kids to the forest and cook some sausages over an open fire, here are some tips on where to go.

Campfire sites in Tampere

Not far from the centre of Tampere, there’s the Niihama hut with a café open all year round. In the wintertime there are skiing tracks and other activities to enjoy and in the summer it’s a great place to start a walk in the Kauppi-Niihama forest area. There is a barbecue hut (rented for bigger groups and free of charge for groups of 5 or under) and two campfire pits.

Viikinsaari is a real summer paradise for the locals and visitors alike, and to get there all you need to enjoy is a 20-minute boat ride from Laukontori harbor. In addition to activities and services, there’s also nice grass area for picnics, small swimming beaches and a barbecue and cooking shelter in free use. Check out the boat connections to Viikinsaari from the Finnish Silverline’s website.

A bit further from the city centre, about 25 minutes by bus and a small walk, there’s Lamminpää hut, next to some lovely outdoor trails and outdoor gym equipment. There’s also a campfire site there, free for anyone to use.

In the district of Teisko, in Tampere, outdoor area Kintulammi has 15 km of marked trails and lean-to’s, as well as other campfire sites available.

There’s also fire pits near the centre at Eteläpuisto and at Santalahti park. Eteläpuisto is by the lake Pyhäjärvi and Santalahti is by the lake Näsijärvi.

Fire pits near Tampere

In Tampere’s neighbouring town, Pirkkala, there’s a place where you can cooks sausages or melt marshmallows over an open fire, next to a hut, enjoying the lovely view over the vast lake. The Pappila hut is popular with especially families with kids, since the campfire site is easily reached even with a pram or a buggy, and the parking area is very close by.

In Lempäälä, a city close to Tampere, there’s the bigger outdoor area Birgitta Trail with many huts and campfire sites, and some of them are easy to reach even for just a short barbecue picnic: the magnificent Kirskaanniemi between Tampere and Lempäälä and Hääkivi, close to Lempäälä centre. There are four fire pits in Kirskaanniemi, along with tables and seats, and a lovely view over the lake Höytämöjärvi. Hääkivi on the other hand is located along the bend of the Ahtialanjärvi lake, and there’s a pier to fish from as well as a sheltered fire pit.

There are also marked campfire sites and huts along the Kaarinanpolku trail in Kangasala and Pukala forest area in Orivesi, and the Laipanmaa forest area aroung Kangasala and Pälkäne. You can find out more about these areas in our article below.

Other tips

You can explore more campfire sites at Tulikartta.fi website. Tulikartta.fi shows campfire sites, lean-to’s, tipi-like huts and much more places where you can have an open fire! It’s in Finnish, but here are few important words translated:

Nuotiopaikka = Campfire site

Laavu = Lean-to

Kota = Tipi-like hut

Lintutorni = Tower built for birdwatchers

Nähtävyys = Attraction

Here you can find lean-to’s in Tampere Region: laavu.org

Please note: if there’s a forest fire warning marked to be in effect in your area, it is forbidden to have an open fire or use the firepits. You can check the current warnings in here.

Remember to respect nature while hiking! Everyman’s right can be read here and you can read about litter-free hiking here.