Hokkaido Hiking

Hokkaido Hiking: A free Resource (BETA)

GPS route maps, downloadable GPS route files, photos, and more. A repository of open-source Hokkaido hiking route information in English. 

Hokkaido is home to some of Japan’s most remote and rugged outdoor playgrounds. Things are big here. Mountains. Valleys. Plains. Capes and coasts. They’re grand and endless. Summer is most popular for hiking, but don’t shun winter either if you are well-prepared (see the winter offerings here). What Hokkaido’s mountains lack in altitude, they make up for with an off-the-beaten-track atmosphere.

NOTE: This resource is a work in progress. For a more thorough selection of Hokkaido hiking route inspiration (both summer and winter), check out Mountains of HokkaidoLeon Roode’s reports hereHokkaido Hiking Logs here and Hiking in Japan’s posts here.

Search by location


435m


7hrs


8/10


885m


880m


4.5hrs


6/10


1893m


800m


5hrs


5/10


1748m


625m


7hrs


6/10


958m


1448m


9hrs


7.5/10


1661m


1170m


6hrs


6/10


1754m


5178m


54hrs


9/10


2291m


935m


6.5hrs


5/10


1134m


1370m


8hrs


7/10


1792m

Daytrip

Rakko-dake


1053m


6hrs


6/10


1472m

Download may take some time

Hokkaido Wilds Foundation

We’ve got affiliate links on HokkaidoWilds.org to help fund the Hokkaido Wilds foundation.

The Foundation gets a small commission on sales from affiliate links, but we only link to stuff we think is worth checking out for people keen on the outdoors in Hokkaido and Japan.

The Hokkaido Wilds Foundation is a fund where 100% of funds are donated to Hokkaido volunteer groups involved in sustainable, safe, and responsible access to the Hokkaido outdoors.

Learn more here

ADVANCED FILTERS

Filter by location

About Filters

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.

Hokkaido Hiking Routes Difficulty Rating

Category

Grade

Points

Strenuousness

Vertical Gain

D

25

Time ascending

D

0

Technicality

Altitude

D

0

Hazards

D

Navigation

D

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.