The Shin-etsu Trail is made up of 10 sections, for a total length of 110 kilometers

• Official Trail map
• GPX data file, for use with mapping/GPS apps

Place names in each section

Trail Itinerary

※Click this icon to see a photo of the area

Section01
approach

Madarao Kogen Yama no Ie

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Tyrol Trailhead

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Note: Steep slopes at ski area. Good overlook of Sekida Mountains.

Section01

0km
108.3km

Mt. Madarao ＜1382m＞

Daimyojin-dake

Good view

Oike (Madarao no Yu)
Sugakawa trailhead
Furumi trailhead

Walk across ski area

2.9km
105.4km

Manzaka Tōge pass

Highway 97 to Yama no Ie, Hotel Tangram

3.5km
104.8km

Hakama Shitsugen (wetland)

Winding route in beautiful forest

5.2km
103.1km

Mt. Hakama-dake ＜1135m＞

Wide space on summit

Section02

8.5km
99.8km

Aka Ike pond

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Highway 97 to Yama no Ie, Tarumoto village

Beech forest

10.6km
97.7km

Numanohara wetland

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Highway 97 to Yama no Ie, Tarumoto village

Inochi no Mori forest; good viewpoint

12.6km
95.7km

Lake Nozomi

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To Yama no Ie, Wakui village

Gentle slope

14.1km
94.2km

Mt. Kenashi ＜1022m＞

Sub-route to observation point; seats available

Larch forest

16.1km
92.2km

Wakui Shin Ike pond

Farm road

Spring water is available just below the farm road

Section03

19.7km
88.6km

Wakui

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Highway 292 to Iiyama City, Myoko City

22.1km
86.2km

Tomikura Tōge pass

Taishojin Ato ruins

23.6km
84.7km

Sobu no Ike pond

Beautiful autumn colors

Nakajo village, Sekiya village

Long forest trail

27.1km
81.2km

Mt. Kuroiwa ＜911m＞

Covered pavilion, good lunch spot. Overview of Iiyama Basin

Taro Shimizu spring (note that this may go dry in summer)

29.1km
79.2km

Katsura Ike pond

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Highway 411 to Iiyama City, Myoko City

Kitafuru Ike pond

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Sugi (cryptomeria) forest

Section04

32.3km
76km

Hotoke ga Mine Tozanguchi (trailhead)

Walk across ski area

Tondaira

Walk across ski area

34.1km
74.2km

Hotake ga Mine ＜1146m＞

34.6km
73.7km

Kozawa Tōge pass

Tondaira

Walk through beautiful beech forest

Beech forest; good lunch spot

Long narrow ridgeline; be careful when passing others

37.7km
70.6km

Mt. Nabekura ＜1288m＞

Excellent views of Mt. Myoko and Mt. Hiuchi from summit

38.1km
70.2km

Kuguno Tōge pass

Kyoboku no Tani (“Valley of Giant Trees)

Yoshihachi Ike pond、Karayama trailhead

38.3km
70km

Mt. Kurokura ＜1242m＞

Views of the distant Sea of Japan

39.6km
68.7km

Dōgata Tōge pass

Section05

40.5km
67.8km

Sekida Tōge pass

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Chaya Ike pond

Rest area on the shoreline

Green Pal Kōgen-so

Nukui Village (Iiyama City), Itakura-ku (Jōetsu City)

Green Pal Kōgen-so

42.2km
66.1km

Nashidaira Tōge pass

Sugadaira Village, Kiyosato-ku, Jōetsu City

45km
63.3km

Maki Tōge pass

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Fifteen minutes down on the Nagano side

Nabekura Kōgen Mori no Ie

Maki-ku, Jōetsu City

Utsunomata Trailhead (Niigata side; may be in poor condition in some places)

46.7km
61.6km

Mt. Hanadate ＜1069m＞

48.4km
59.9km

Utsunomata Tōge pass

Utsunomata trailhead (Nagano side)

Nabekura Kōgen Mori no Ie

49.8km
58.5km

Maboroshi no Ike pond

Pond with a circumference of about 300 meters, surrounded by natural beech forest

Enjoy the mountain scenery of Mt. Hishigatake

Section06

52.9km
55.4km

Busuno Tōge pass

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Highway 495, a 10-minute walk on the Niigata side

Nabekura Kōgen Mori no Ie

Cupid Valley Center House

54.7km
53.6km

Sugawa Tōge pass

Mt. Hishigatake, Hishigatake tent site (closed)

Mt. Hishigatake, Hishigatake tent site (closed)

Nishi-Mado wetland

59.5km
48.8km

Nonomi Tōge pass

Nonomi wetland
Nonomi Kōgen tent site

To Hirataki waterfall, Shōbu Kōgen

Northernmost point of Nagano Prefecture

61.6km
46.7km

Misaka Tōge pass

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Expansive views of the Niigata side

To Hirataki waterfall

Steep slopes on the Niigata side; be especially careful on rainy days

63.3km
45km

Mt. Sanpodake ＜1138m＞

Section07

65.7km
42.6km

Mt. Amamizu ＜1088m＞

Matsunoyama Trailhead

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Echigo-Tsumari Daigonji Kogen Campsite

Views toward Tsunan and the Myōhō breeding ranch

69.3km
39km

Satoyama Deai ＜577m＞

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Walk along roads and narrow farm tracks

Section08

72.9km
35.4km

JR Mori-Miyanohara Station; Kizuna, the Sakae Village Reconstruction Memorial Hall ＜289m＞

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Shops, restaurants and accommodations can be found in the station area

73.4km
34.9km

Shinetsu Sakae Michi no Eki ＜275m＞

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Walk along highway 117

73.9km
34.4km

Miyanohara Bridge ＜252m＞

Convenience store and post office in area

74.1km
34.2km

Kamigō Elementary School

Walk on a gravel road alongside terraced rice fields. View spreads out over a vast area.

78.6km
29.7km

Nakago ＜474m＞

Nakago no Sakura (cherry trees)＜474m＞

To Ryūgakubo, Tsunan Station

Overview of Nakago Village and river terraces

View of Sekida Mountains

82.8km
25.5km

Myōhō Pasture Office ＜705m＞

Walk on a paved road along the pastureland. Be careful of trucks and tractors on the road.

88.6km
19.7km

Azuki Jizo ＜935m＞

Traverse of beech forest; walk carefully

Section09

90.1km
18.2km

Kettō ＜572m＞

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Kettō no Ishigakida (stone-walled rice fields)

90.6km
17.7km

Mikura Bridge ＜502m＞

Suspension bridge; no more than seven people can cross at one time

91.8km
16.5km

Mikura ＜695m＞

Pass through village

92.9km
15.4km

Ōtochinoki (giant tochi tree)/Fūketsu (wind cave) parking area ＜774m＞

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Primeval tochi (horse chestnut) forest

Mt. Naeba trail (via Komatsubara marsh)

Walk on the old Kusatsu Highway above the Mikura tunnel. The path may collapse easily, so be careful of slipping.

95.6km
12.7km

Matsuzawa Bridge ＜690m＞

Walk along the road; be careful, as there are many large vehicles

Maekura Bridge

Beautiful views of autumn colors and Nakatsu River

Jabuchi waterfall

97.4km
10.9km

Ōakasawa ＜699m＞

Yamagen Woodwork

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Walk along the old Bokushi no Michi road

98.5km
9.8km

Amazake Village ruins ＜795m＞

Section10

99.8km
8.5km

Koakazawa ＜759m＞

Tonenbo, the Akiyama-go Information Center

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Accommodations, onsen and shops available in Koakasawa Village

101.3km
7km

Mt. Naeba trailhead, ichi gōme (first station) ＜933m＞

Ōse no Taki waterfall

103.8km
4.5km

San gōme (third station) ＜1319m＞

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Steep rocky areas from the sixth to the ninth stations; slippery, so be careful.

The area from the eighth station to the summit is an Alpine wetland

Mt. Akakura, Mt. Saburyū

Mt. Naeba Nature Experience Exchange Center (Naeba summit hut)

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Section10
approach

108.3km
0km

Mt. Naeba ＜2145m＞

Akayu Onsen

Motohashi Trailhead

Komatsubara wetland

Mikura

Wada Hut ＜1365m＞

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Haraigawa Tozanguchi trailhead

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