Mountain Bike
|Joensuu
Utra Trail, Harju Trails
The Utra Trail is the easiest route in the Harju Trails and is excellently suited for beginner mountain bikers. The 4 km loop runs through dry heath forests. Along the route, there is the Utra technical track.
Description
The Utra Trail is the easiest route of the Harju Trails and is excellent for beginner mountain bikers. On the 4 km path, you ride through the calm heath forests at the eastern end of the Utra Ridge. For experienced mountain bikers, the Utra Trail is a pleasant addition to cycling the area's trail network.
At the eastern edge of the Utra Trail, at the foot of Jynkänaho, there is the Utra technical track, which consists of six short riding lines. Four of the technical track loops are easy, two are moderately difficult. The easy lines of the technical track combined with the needle trails of the Utra Trail provide a perfect terrain for both beginners learning the basics of mountain biking and those honing fundamental skills.
The smoothest access to the route is from the Utra Island parking, where orange Jaama Trail signs guide you to the green-marked Utra Trail, avoiding the more challenging sections of the ridge's trail system.
The Harju Trails running on the Utra Ridge offer four routes of different difficulty levels and a technical track for mountain bikers. The area has nearly 20 km of clearly marked trails that consider the needs of mountain bikers. Jaama Trail connects the Harju Trails to the extensive trail network over 200 km long in the Joensuu region: to Lykynlammi's Lykyn trails, Liperin Kinttupolut, and Kontiolahti's Kontionpolut trail system. From the routes in Kontiolahti, you can continue along Kolinpolku all the way to Koli.
Location & Parking
Lehmo Sports Field parking area (Urheilukentäntie 10, Lehmo)
Utra Islands parking area (Utrantie 86, Joensuu)
Both offer free parking.
Directions
You can reach the Utra Trail via the Harju Trails, and there are several parking areas along the route. The nearest parking is located at Utra Islands (Utrantie 86, Joensuu), from where you can follow the Jaama Trail (orange sign color) for about 2 km to reach the Utra Trail.
By following the green signs of the Utra Trail, you can easily navigate through the route. The trail is bidirectional, but the easier direction to go is counterclockwise. The Utra Trail includes many turns marked with arrows on posts. The route also contains some intersections with poor visibility, which have warning signs for the crossing. It is advisable to cross intersections cautiously, taking other forest traffic into account.