Relax in the Great Outdoors! Activities in Hokkaido's Kitahiroshima
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There are many places to enjoy Hokkaido's nature in Kitahiroshima, a city just east of Sapporo. Today we introduce the area's unique features, popular spots, and local companies offering a variety of activities including camping and cycling.
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Tokyo, Japan
MATCHA's promotional account for corporate and local government advertising. We aim to provide useful information to our readers in an enjoyable manner.
Feel Hokkaido's Nature in Kitahiroshima!
When you mention popular destinations offering delicious cuisine and western-style streetscapes, Hokkaido often comes to mind.
Kitahiroshima, located east of Hokkaido's capital city of Sapporo, offers many excellent places where visitors can enjoy the local nature.
In this article, we'll introduce some of Kitahiroshima's unique characteristics and recommended spots, and feature two companies offering a wide variety of fun activities and tours. All these places are spacious and not at all crowded, allowing you to enjoy sightseeing at your own pace.
For information on COVID-19 prevention measures, please check the link for each facility.
Kitahiroshima's Location in Hokkaido
Photo by Pixta
Kitahiroshima is located right between Chitose City (home to Shin Chitose Airport) and Hokkaido's proud metropolis, Sapporo City.
It takes twenty minutes to get from Shin Chitose Airport Station to Kitahiroshima Station via JR Hokkaido's Rapid Airport train. Using the same train, it's only sixteen minutes to Kitahiroshima Station from Sapporo Station!
If you're visiting Sapporo, there are many places in Kitahiroshima where you can fully experience Hokkaido's rich and plentiful nature. The local activities, which include camping and cycling, are also highly recommended.
As you take in Hokkaido's blue skies and the lush green forests, you're sure to feel relaxed and refreshed. While on your way to Shin Chitose Airport or Sapporo, be sure to visit Kitahiroshima!
Recommended Places to Visit in Kitahiroshima
Next, let's learn more about Kitahiroshima's best destinations.
1. Kitahiroshima Shizennomori Camping Ground
Picture courtesy of Kitahiroshima City
At the Kitahiroshima Shizennomori Camping Ground, visitors can enjoy camping and recreational activities while reconnecting with nature.
On the expansive camping grounds, there's a pond and hiking trail, and even a covered barbecue area.
How you spend your time here is entirely up to you. Go for a leisurely stroll, or play in the water of the pond! Many wild birds visit the camping ground, so we also recommend birdwatching as you relax on the lawn.
In the summertime, this facility is visited by many families. They enjoy the barbecue and also have fun playing with sparklers in the open spaces of the camp grounds.
▼Check the information below for more details!
2. Elfin Road Cycling Route
Picture courtesy of Kitahiroshima City
Elfin Road—a special route for cyclists and pedestrians only—joins Kitahiroshima with Sapporo. The road spans a total of 8.1 kilometers.
The route makes use of abandoned railroad tracks and has quickly become a cyclist's paradise. There are only minor differences in elevation along the route, so beginners and children alike can comfortably enjoy riding their bikes here.
The changing scenery of each season is also one of the highlights.
In the spring, there are beautiful cherry trees and azaleas in bloom, while fresh new foliage appears in summer. In the fall, visitors can enjoy the colorful autumn leaves and the cosmos flowers that brighten the roadside.
▼Check the information below for more details!
3. Former Shimamatsu Relay Station (National Historic Site)
Picture courtesy of Kitahiroshima City
The Former Shimamatsu Relay Station is a historic site that you definitely don't want to miss.
Relay stations (ekitei), serving as distribution bases for people and products, were built across the vast land mass of Hokkaido. People and horses were stationed at each relay station, serving as a stopover along the route to the next relay station.
The Former Shimamatsu Relay Station is the oldest remaining station in Hokkaido. It offers visitors a rare glimpse into their unique design and construction!
There is also a monument honoring William Smith Clark, the American educator who coined the famous saying "Boys, be ambitious!"
▼Check the information below for more details!
Companies Offering Fun Activities and Tours
Visitors who would like to try activities offered in Kitahiroshima and neighboring Sapporo are encouraged to contact two local companies: Amusement Hokkaido and Cycling Frontier.
Next, let's explore the area's amazing nature, led by a guide with a lot of experience and thorough knowledge of the local region!
1. Amusement Hokkaido
Photo by Pixta. For illustration purposes only.
Amusement Hokkaido is a company located in Sapporo, right next to the Hokkaido Government building.
In the summer, they offer canoe and rafting tours, and in the winter they have snowboard and ski rentals. There's a wide variety of canoeing and rafting courses suitable for beginners to experts.
You can also enjoy sightseeing by combining these activities with optional tours such as a day-trip hot spring visit or fruit picking.
For further information please see the Amusement Hokkaido official homepage.
▼Check the information below for more details!
2. Cycling Frontier
Photo by Pixta. For illustration purposes only.
Cycling Frontier is a company that offers cycling tours and events in Sapporo.
On these cycling tours, participants will be led by a professional guide. You'll be able to see a variety of places, including Sapporo's famous sights and unexplored areas in the neighboring town of Ishikari. You'll even be introduced to great sushi restaurants unknown to anyone but the locals!
Street and mountain bike rentals are available, so you can enjoy yourself without having to bring anything. All guides speak English.
For more information please see the Cycling Frontier official homepage.
▼Check the information below for more details!
Experience Nature in Kitahiroshima!
There are plenty of places in Kitahiroshima where you can experience nature.
For example, there's Nopporo Shinrin Koen Prefectural Natural Park, boasting a vast area covered with lush green forests; and Forest Adventure - Eniwa City, where you can glide through the forest along a 200 meter-long zip slide. These are places where children and adults alike can have a great time and refresh themselves.
On your next trip to Hokkaido, don't forget to schedule a visit to Kitahiroshima!
Please have a look at the articles below for information on recommended spots and activities in Sapporo.
Main image courtesy of Kitahiroshima City
Sponsored by Hokkaido Tourism Organization
MATCHA's promotional account for corporate and local government advertising. We aim to provide useful information to our readers in an enjoyable manner.
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