People have toured Koli for over 100 years. The first tourist cottage was built on the slopes of Koli in the summer of 1896. The landscapes of Koli have become known as a Finnish national landmark due to the influences of such Finnish artists as Juhani Aho, Eero Järnefelt, I.K. Inha and Pekka Halonen.

The landscape of Koli is grand and unique, and will remain so even for future generations because of its status as a National Park. Meandering through the Koli National Park are marked trails which provide hikers and backpackers, both amateur and professional alike, excellent opportunies for wandering about through a natural landscape that is diverse enough that everyone is sure to find something to their liking.

Today the Koli National Park is a diversifield winter tourist centre. It is a unique and interesting hiking location and an attraction for cultural tourist, following the footsteps of the adherents of Karelianism at the turn of the century.