Petkeljärvi National Park
Under Finnish Forest and Park Service management
Petkeljärvi, one of Finland's smallest national parks, is located on a series of lovely eskers starting at Putkela (Ilomantsi) and continuing over the eastern frontier. The vegetation is dominated by Scots pine forests on sandy soil . Narrow eskers surrounded by water are also a prominent landscape feature.
Around two-thirds of the park's surface area consists of water. A clearwater lake, Kuikkalampi, lies in the centre of the reserve. In places large sedge beds fringe the lakes; they include Petraluhta on the island of Ruununsaari. In the past sedges used to be gathered from such habitats as cattle fodder. The small bogs in the park are infertile sphagnum bogs with a tree cover of Scots pines.
The beaver is one of the common mammals in the park and its lodges can be seen on most of the lakes, pools and even small streams. Due to the large proportion of leafy trees and the abundance of suitable nest holes, many species of birds can be found in the forests covering the eskers; cavity nesters are very common. The cry of the blackthroated diver is an inseparable part of this national park.
Excavations made during the Continuation War have partly been renovated as a tourist attraction; these are located on the eskers and among the Scots pine forests.