The Piilola Trail is demanding because of its wilderness-like character. Hikers must have prior hiking experience as well as good wilderness and navigation skills. There are only few duckboards and bridges along the trail, and the rivers are mainly crossed by wading or by walking on the stones. On the Finnish side of the border, the trail has been marked with wooden poles and on the Norwegian side with paint marks on the sides of trees and stones, in addition to safety reflectors hanging from trees.

Getting over the Sorstijoki-river. Photo: Pasi Nivasalo

There is relatively little variation in altitude but the rocky ground makes walking slow. The estimated hiking time for the Piilola Trail is 3–4 days. The best time for walking the trail is between mid-June and the end of September, i.e. the period after the spring floods and before the first snowfall. It is advisable to ask about terrain conditions in advance at Ivalo Customer Service or the Siida Nature Centre. The trail is not suitable for the disabled.