GPS route maps, downloadable GPS route files, photos, and more. A repository of open-source Hokkaido cycle touring and bikepacking information in English.
Hokkaido is Japan’s northern-most island and largest prefecture. Far, far away from the madding crowds of more southern climes, Hokkaido lives up to it’s frontier roots. Wild forests, long, wide open roads. Capes and offshore islands that feel like the end of the world. Almost half of the year, Hokkaido slips into a beautiful, deep winter slumber (with its own joys). During the summer months, from around the end of May till the beginning of November, the island becomes a mecca for cycle tourists wanting to get off the beaten track in Japan.
510km | ↑ 4,600m | 7-13 days
Highlights: Rishiri and Rebun Islands, Wakkanai, Japan’s northern-most point.
350km | ↑ 4,110m | 5-7 days
Highlights: Shiretoko National Park (World Heritage Site), Five Lakes area, Shiretoko Pass, Lake Kussharo.
635km | ↑ 7,250m | 10-15 days
Highlights: Cape Kiritappu, Kushiro Wetlands, re-crested cranes, Tokachi Plains, Hidaka mountains.
400km | ↑ 3,500m | 5-10 days
Highlights: Okushiri Island (tsunami history), Matsumae (settlement history), Hakodate City.
330km | ↑ 4,300m | 4-8 days
Highlights: Ocean swimming, seaside campgrounds, Niseko hotsprings, Mt. Yotei, Lake Toya.
540km | ↑ 8,417m | 7-8 days
Highlights: Wilds rivers, Daisetsu mountain range, gravel roads, Shikaribetsu Gorge wild onsen.
1 days
61km
1200m
9/10
10%
1 days
63km
1177m
5/10
100%
0.5 days
19km
550m
7/10
5%
0.5 days
25km
800m
5/10
10%
0.5 days
36km
300m
1/10
100%
5 days
175km
1400m
3/10
100%
0.5 days
15km
100m
3/10
20%
4 days
140km
560m
2/10
100%
4 days
200km
1680m
4/10
90%
4 days
230km
3145m
3/10
90%
8 days
330km
4300m
5/10
100%
15 days
635km
7250m
5/10
98%
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Filter by location
REGION: The general mountain/geographical region the route is in.
BEST MONTH(S): Time of year a route is suited to visiting. Some pop all season, some are more limited.
DIFFICULTY: How strenuous a route is, and how technical it is. Full details here.
FREERIDE/SKITOUR: Very subjective, but is a route more-of-a-walk-than-a-ski or the other way around? Some routes are all about the screaming downhill (freeride), some are more about the hunt for a peak or nice forest (ski-tour). Some are in between.
MAIN ASPECT: Which cardinal direction the primary consequential slope is facing, that you might encounter on the route. More details here.
ROUTE TAGS: An eclectic picking of other categories that routes might belong to.
SEARCH BY LOCATION: You can find routes near your current location – just click on the crosshairs (). You may need to give permission to HokkaidoWilds.org to know your GPS location (don’t worry, we won’t track you). Or, type in a destination, such as Niseko or Sapporo or Asahikawa etc.
Please let us know how we can make it easier to narrow down your search. Contact Rob at rob@hokkaidowilds.org with your suggestions.
Category
Grade
Points
Strenuousness
Vertical Gain
25
Time ascending
0
Technicality
Altitude
0
Hazards
Navigation
Totals
25/100
GRADES range from A (very difficult) to D (easy). Hazards include exposure to avalanche and fall risk. More details here. Rating rubric adapted from Hokkaido Yukiyama Guidebook 北海道雪山ガイド.