Hokkaido
PADDLING

Hokkaido Paddling: A free resource

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

Hokkaido is Japan’s most rugged and wild island, with thousands of kilometers of remote waterways to be explored. The majority of the river and lakes sections on this page are between Class I and II, and infinitely accessible by canoe or packraft. This page is an ever-evolving database of Hokkaido’s waterway offerings, both daytrips, overnight trips, and multi-day expeditions.

NOTE: This resource is a work in progress. For a more thorough selection of Hokkaido paddling routes, check out HokkaiCamp.com (in Japanese), as well as a number of Japanese canoe touring books published in the late 1990’s (listed here).

Search by location


75km


7 days


10/10


5/5


12km


3.8mpk


1 days


Class II+


4/5


41km


1 days


8/10


5/5


7km


0.5 days


5/10


5/5


17km


5.5mpk


0.5 days


Class III


4/5


8km


0.5 days


4/10


5/5


11km


1 days


5/10


5/5


16km


1 days


6/10


2/5


17km


1 days


8/10


3/5


10km


0.5 days


5/10


3/5


12km


1 days


8/10


4/5


14km


0.5 days


5/10


2/5


12km


0.5 days


7.5/10


4/5


15km


6.1mpk


0.5 days


Class III


3/5


28km


6.7mpk


1 days


Class II


3/5


11.2km


9.1mpk


1 days


Class III


4/5

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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.

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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 Paddling 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.