Hiyamizu-sawa (冷水沢) trail to Hoheikyo Dam Loop.

   (6.2kms) This forest hike is for those who want to experience some of the Hokkaido wilderness close to Sapporo but may feel a hike up to a mountain peak is a bit too much for their experience or fitness level. This is a perfect half day experience and is best completed with a visit to one of the hot springs to get the full Dosanko vibe.   

This route starts at the same trailhead as Sapporo-dake at the Hoheikyo Dam road, just before the carpark.

The first 30 minutes leads up along the river until we reach the forestry trail that will eventually lead back down to the far shore of the dam. We take a right at the forestry trail and enjoy a leisurely pace through the forest enjoying a wide variety of flora and fauna.

On this forest hike which is in the Shikotsu‑Toya National Park, you move through rich mixed woodland dominated by Sakhalin fir, Yezo spruce, and Erman’s birch, with pockets of Japanese oak and maple on warmer slopes. The understory is dense in places, often lined with Sasa bamboo that forms bright green corridors along the trail. In spring and early summer, the forest floor comes alive with dogtooth violets, white anemones, may lilies, and clusters of mizubashō (Asian skunk cabbage) in wetter hollows. Higher on the ridges, the vegetation shifts to alpine shrubs, dwarf stone pine, and hardy species like lingonberry and crowberry, while mosses and lichens cover fallen logs and volcanic rock. Throughout the season, hikers can spot rowan, mountain ash, and wild viburnum, along with seasonal highlights such as Ezo azalea and chishima tsutsuji (alpine rhododendron) in bloom. Together, these layers create the lush, cool, and distinctly Hokkaido forest atmosphere that defines the Shikotsu‑Toya landscape. This trail follows the contour lines for the most part for a further 4 kms before we reach the dam lake.

  Passing the museum that showcases the dam's construction, we then walk back through a series of tunnels to the trailhead starting point. If you are so inclined, for a small fee there is an electric shuttle bus that can be taken form the dam to the starting point.

Difficulty-3/10