Winter in Helsinki: Navigating Luonnon Syli Nature Trail and Lammassaari Island with a Stroller

You know the feeling when you wish you had started preparing for something the night before?

This morning, we underestimated how much time it would take to pack our bags, take our dog Tyyne on her morning walk, get ourselves ready, feed our 10-month-old daughter Freya her lunch, prepare and pack our own lunch, and finally head out the door.

Suddenly, time was rushing by so quickly (my friend Outi calls this the quicksand effect, when she refers to trying to head out with the kids and time just melts away), while all our packing list items seemed to be scattered around our home, and Freya's next nap time was heading towards us with lightning speed.

This end-of-February weekend, we looked at the weather forecast and spotted heavy rain for the whole of Saturday. Sunday would be less rainy, but very grey. It's so difficult to know how to dress for the outdoors in the early spring 0°C degree weather (32°F).

This time of year is typically wet, with slushy snow everywhere, puddles of water (with slippery ice underneath!), and often it's foggy and grey outside. This particular Sunday was no exception.

Looking for a Stroller Accessible Nature Destination

Because our daughter Freya is in the stage between where she doesn't walk yet without support but is already too big for most baby carriers, we've tried to do some research to find nature destinations in and around Helsinki that would be accessible with a stroller.

This is a challenging task because most nature destinations are not well suited for strollers unless there is a path specifically built wide and level enough to proceed on wheels.

The Luonnon syli Nature Trail and Duckboards to Lammassaari Island in Helsinki

After doing some research, we found one location that could be potentially suitable for us to explore with our little toddler and stroller.

This was the Luonnon syli nature trail and duckboards to Lammassaari island. The area is situated in the eastern part of Helsinki, near the Vanhankaupunginkoski rapids. If you're starting from Helsinki city center, let's say the main railway station, you will be able to reach this destination by bus in about 25 minutes. The closest bus stop at the destination is Annalankatu.

Although this hiking trail and duckboards have specifically been created with accessibility factors in mind, we still had a few worries when planning our outing.

We had read about the trail and duckboards being accessible in pretty much every hiking trail guide out there. We were still unsure whether they would be visible enough to plow through with a stroller in wintertime February, or would our feet, together with our stroller, be sinking in water?

We had also heard there used to be a large parking area just outside the start of the trail but weren't sure if it was still there.

Arriving at the Beginning of the Trail

Luckily our worries were gone once we spotted the rather large parking area just outside the trail.

We were even happier to spot an outhouse (outdoor bathroom or dry toilet), which too was accessible. It's okay, mamas — we don't have to hold it!

The time was 2:30 PM as we decided to start our walk across the duckboards to Lammassaari island.

Because we started the day late, we chose to head to Lammassaari island first, as we had a clear goal of walking the duckboards and visiting the island today.

We were even more relieved to discover that we were indeed able to walk our stroller across the duckboards, which were sometimes covered in ice and sometimes slushy snow.

The slushy snow was a bit heavy to plow through, but with a bit of muscle and willpower, it was possible. There are some rest stops and bird watching platforms with benches along the duckboard trail, which makes the walk easier with little ones.

Reaching Lammassaari island and Rare Bird Sighting

Niko has gotten into birdwatching over the past few years and has bought binoculars and everything.

For his birthday a few years ago, I bought him a membership to our local bird watching organization and Birdlife Finland.

It's amusing to see how Finnish people, who are known for never engaging in small talk with anyone, especially strangers, suddenly start chatting with strangers, and even excitedly, if they happen to find others who share their niche interests.

A wonderful example of this occurred with a couple who passed us on our way to Lammassaari island.

They informed us that they had just spotted a long-eared owl on the island and even pointed out the specific spruce it was sitting in.

We were thrilled because neither of us had ever seen a long-eared owl (Asio otus) in nature before, only in the zoo.

We walked over to that specific tree, and sure enough, there it was, staring at us uncomfortably, probably wondering why we, and so many before us, had come to look at it in awe.

Late Lunch at Lammassaari Island Accessible Birdwatching Platform

It was around 3 PM when we arrived at our first stop, which was the accessible birdwatching platform at Lammassaari island.

Here, we opened our packed lunch and enjoyed Karelian pies with boiled eggs (a very traditional Finnish snack!) as well as a PB&J sandwich that I had cut into triangles.

This reminds me of my high school days as an exchange student in Wisconsin, US. It's funny how we adopt small habits like this, as simple as how we happen to cut our sandwiches, that just seem to stick with us throughout our lives.

This birdwatching platform is pretty neat because it is truly built with accessibility in mind.

There are even built-in glass windows to ensure that kids, or adults with limited mobility, can see the views equally.

At around 3:50 PM, we were ready to head back towards the start and see if we still had some energy left to check out the separate Luonnon syli ring trail which in English translates to 'the Nature's Lap'.

It took us about 30 minutes to walk the duckboards back to the mainland while pushing the stroller through the slushy snow.

Although pushing the stroller had become somewhat of a headache by now, we found ourselves once again discussing the idea of purchasing a child carrier hiking backpack.

Discovering the 1 Kilometer Long Luonnon Syli Nature Trail

The time was 4:25 PM as we decided we still had some energy and time left to check out the separate Luonnon syli ring trail.

It was time for Freya's afternoon nap, which gave us a good chunk of time to discover a bit more of this area.

This nature trail is a 1 kilometer long circle route (0,62 miles) which is perfect if you're looking for an easy nature walk with the kids.

The 'Nature's Lap' ring trail is equipped with 10 signs featuring poems referring to the area, as well as suggested activities to try.

Along the trail, you'll find a birdwatching tower as well as a separate hideout for watching birds. These are not accessible, as you have to climb stairs to reach the top. Nevertheless, it can still be a cool experience for kids to see the views from up there.

For those unable to climb the stairs, there is a mirror at the bottom of the tower that reflects the surrounding landscape. How cool is that! Unfortunately, this time it was covered in snow.

We were done with the ring trail just before 5 PM and were ready to call it a day.

Conclusion and Stats

What a fun day we had discovering our local nature destinations in Helsinki! Although getting outside with kids can be challenging (we know!), we never regret heading outside after enjoying a few hours of fresh air and a nice walk in our nearby green spaces.

• 2 hours and 50 minutes spent in the destination, including breaks
• 5.9 kilometers (3.6 miles) hiked
• 1 PB&J sandwich, 2 Karelian pies, and 2 boiled eggs eaten
• 2 cups of coffee consumed
• 1 long-eared owl sighted
• 2 out of 52 family outdoor adventures in 2024 completed.