Kuopunki Falls

Kuopunki Falls is a small tiered, officially unnamed waterfall that is located west of the Juuma village in Northern Kuusamo. The waterfall flows in a small, unnamed river in the middle of a dense forest, only a few kilometers from the Oulanka National Park. The river flows down into the nearby Kuopunki Lake. The total height of the fall is about seven metres.

The waterfall is fed by the water of the nearby Myllylampi Pond, which is located north of the nearby Juumantie road. The water flows northeast of the pond for about 250 metres, after which it crosses a steep slope in steps. The river descends the cliff in 3–4 steps in a distance of about ten metres, in two separate streams. The southern stream has a higher flow rate, and it forms the most prominent part of the waterfall. The northern stream, in turn, remains largely hidden behind the trees, and it is clearly less steep and smaller than the southern one. At the bottom of the cliff, the water continues its babbling journey across the forest, blending then to the wetlands below the fall.

Because the waterfall is very little-known as a sight, there aren't any forest trails leading to the fall from the unnamed dirt road, where you can park your car. The hiking trip from the road to crest of the waterfall is, however, only about a hundred metres. If you want to see the waterfall from downstream, you must descend the steep slope and then be able to move in a thick forest and marshy terrain. As there are no paths in the area, it is advisable to reserve plenty of time for exploring or filming the waterfall. The forest at the base of the waterfall is rough, and there is an abundance of small birch and willow trees growing in the area. Because of these thickets, successfully photographing the waterfall is a difficult task, especially during summer when the trees have leaves. Moving in the area requires caution and good physical condition.

Visually, Kuopunki Falls could be described as a hybrid of the Varisköngäs waterfall in Suomussalmi, and Juveninkoski falls in Jämsä. If some of the thickets were cleared away, the waterfall could be a new, significant nature sight in Northern Kuusamo, an addition to the several, already well-known waterfalls. At the same time a nature trail to the falls could be built. If all this was done, the recreational value of the waterfall would be significantly increased.

Even though the waterfall is not very picturesque at the moment, its value as an independent nature site shouldn't be diminished. Currently, however, I would recommend the Kuopunki Falls only for waterfall enthusiasts that want to face a challenge to photograph the falls. For others it may be more sensible to hike to Jyrävä!