Our First Hike Using a Child Carrier Backpack: Visiting Helsinki's Kruunuvuorenlampi Pond and Kruunuvuori Hill
You know how you had planned for a quick and easy nature outing with your kids, and it doesn't exactly go as you had thought?
We tried our child carrier backpack for the first time today, and the plan was to take a quick and easy stroll at a fairly simple nature destination to get our 11-month-old baby, Freya, used to sitting in the backpack.
Due to some surprises along the trail, we ended up deviating from our route, and in the end, we had to go through a hole in a construction fence to get back to the main road. How on earth did this happen?
Kruunuvuorenlampi Pond Nature Reserve is Located in a Quietly Growing New Neighborhood in Helsinki
It has been beautiful spring weather here in Helsinki this week, and this Sunday the sun shone beautifully all day, and the icy roads are slowly melting, revealing dry ground.
The Kruunuvuorenlampi pond nature reserve is situated in Kruunuvuorenranta, which is a neighborhood in Southeast Helsinki. Kruunuvuorenranta was formerly used as an oil harbor and was filled with large round oil tanks.
Today, new housing and recreational areas are being built here. There is still at least two oil tanks left at the seashore as a reminder of the area's history. The larger tank is now used for cultural events, such as a year-round light art display.
Kruunuvuorenranta is a truly unique destination to visit in Helsinki because it's possible to reach there by ferry from Helsinki city center in about 15 minutes. The ferry is part of the greater Helsinki public transportation system, HSL, which means riding the ferry is very affordable.
Another way to reach Kruunuvuorenranta is by taking the metro to Herttoniemi and an additional bus ride, which takes a total of around 45 minutes. The closest bus stop to the Kruunuvuorenlampi pond nature reserve is Hopealaakso.
Our plan was to try our child carrier hiking backpack for the first time today, and we were excited to leave our stroller and car at home!
Arriving at the Trail Start Leading Up to Kruunuvuorenlampi Pond and Kruunuvuori Hill
There is some street-side parking available at the trail start because it's located in a quiet residential area of detached houses. Additionally, there is room for 1-2 cars just by the trail start.
We had heard tales about a new duckboard trail being built around the Kruunuvuorenlampi pond and were curious to see how the construction was going. The new duckboard trail is a great addition because, in the future, it will protect the natural surroundings of the sensitive pond, which is the home of many protected species. In addition to the duckboard trail, two separate viewing platforms are being built where it will be possible to rest and enjoy the pond surroundings.
Our trail to Kruunuvuorenlampi pond started with a rather long uphill climb followed by a steep downhill. Because we were geared up with our hiking backpack today, climbing and descending the steep hill did not pose a problem per se. The issue was how incredibly icy the hill was.
Niko had left his shoe spikes at home, but fortunately, I was wearing my studded shoes. This was definitely the most challenging part of the trail. After this, the pond lay ahead of us, and we could see the start of the new duckboard trail. The new duckboard trail is wide and level enough for strollers and will be such a joy when it's finally done.
Enjoying the Quiet at Kruunuvuorenlampi Pond New Viewing Platform
We reached one of the new viewing platforms at the pond and were amazed by its robust appearance. The platform was constructed with respect for the surrounding nature, with a huge tree even growing out of the middle of it. We unpacked the baby, our PB&J sandwich, and coffee, then sat down to take in the view around the frozen pond.
Scenic Views of Helsinki Skyline from the Top of Rocky Kruunuvuori Hill
An unofficial hiking trail continues north towards the rocky hill of Kruunuvuori, which roughly translates to "crown mountain." This is a spectacular place to take in the scenic views of Helsinki's skyline, which lies on the opposite side of the seaside bay.
As we started heading back, we realized that the official route, which would take us back to our original starting point, was still very steep and terribly icy. Because we were carrying our baby in a backpack for the first time, we felt lucky not to have fallen over the first time we climbed this icy hill. We tried to look for ways to deviate from the route and decided to walk a bit through the forest, which was mostly covered in snow.
The path we chose took us closer to the western part of the nature area, which closes in on the new build houses being constructed on the seashore of Kruunuvuorenranta. Here we found a small gap in the construction gate, where we were able to slip through and make it to the other side without having to slide down the icy downhill trail. A little disclaimer: I would not recommend deviating from any route unless you're familiar with your surroundings.
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Conclusion and Stats
We are eager to see how the Kruunuvuorenlampi pond nature reserve, as well as the trail up to Kruunuvuori Hill, take shape as the new duckboard trail and viewing platforms are being built around the area. The pond surroundings are very sensitive and home to many protected species. Hopefully, the area will be kept in good condition for our future little ones to explore.
- 2 hours spent in the destination
- 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) hiked
- 1 PB&J sandwich eaten
- 2 cups of coffee consumed
- 4 out of 52 family outdoor adventures in 2024 completed.
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