Repovesi National Park was founded in 2003. Its area is 15 km2. Together with UPM-owned Aarnikotkan metsä conservation area Repovesi forms almost 30 km2 wide spectacular protected area entity. Repovesi is the largest national park on South-Eastern Finland.
During ice age and long after that Repovesi was wilderness area. The names and rock painting in the area are from that era.
Later in the 17th century began the era of burn-clearing and tarring pits when Repovesi forests were logged for the very first time. Forested tarring pits can still be found mainly around Tervajärvi lake. As lumber industry developed further forests were cut for sawmills’ usage. Good timber rafting routes and in 1889 completed Savonrata enabled delivering timber to paper mills.
In 2001 UPM, the earlier owner od the area donated 560 hectares of forest for the upcoming national park. That is when the protection of the Repovesi forests took a turn for the better.
The park rules should be followed in the national park so that the growing visitor count wouldn’t strain nature too much.
More on the subject: Repoveden kansallispuisto (tervarumpu.fi)