Nuuksio National Park (visitespoo.fi) makes for a peaceful day's outing from Helsinki, with landscapes varying from ponds and lakes with clear waters to age-old forests, cliffs and gorges. 35km northwest of the city, this 4500-hectare national park gives an immersive introduction to Finnish nature. An equidistant 4.6km walk north of its nature center, Haltia (haltia.com), are two trailheads, Haukkalampi and Kattila (3km apart), offering easy walking or cross-country ski trails through wooded Ice–Age–chiseled valleys that are a habitat for elk, lynx and nocturnal flying squirrels. There are campsites, cottages and huts available, which can be booked through Haltia.
To get here, take bus 245 from Espoo Central train station to Suomen luontokeskus Haltia (Finnish Nature Centre Haltia), where you can get park maps. The bus ride takes about 20 minutes. You can also get off the bus in Kattila and walk along trails to the nature center.
