The Kemijärvi area is genuine reindeer herding country. The local Paliskunta — the reindeer herding cooperative — manages herds that roam across a vast area of forest and fell. Several farms in the surrounding countryside welcome visitors, offering the chance to meet reindeer up close, learn about the herding culture, and in winter take a sleigh ride through the snow.
Keep your eyes open on the roads: reindeer wander freely and often appear unexpectedly on the tarmac, particularly at dawn and dusk. They are difficult to spot at night because their eyes don't reflect headlights the way deer eyes do. Locals take them in their stride; tourists sometimes don't.