THE MADARAO TRAILS BIG TEN
The Madarao Trails BIG Ten are the 10 best trails in Madarao.
These trails have been selected for variety of terrain and are mostly comprised of gravel forest roads or single track old trails that have been used by local people for hundreds of years to move in and around Mount Madarao. Minimal time is spent on the main roads. The trails are of varied difficulty so that there is something for people of all cycling abilities.
Use our self guided system and do the 10 trails yourself, or hire a guide to take you. Trails are classified for three types of riders: gravellers, climbers and downhillers and for three levels; beginner, intermediate and advanced.
Most courses have the up hill component of the ride excluded, except where designated as a climber type of course. For one way rides, you can catch a bus back from Iiyama station or grab an Ebike and come back up with electric power. If you`re staying the weekend, contact your accommodation provider for assistance with pick ups. Even better still, use some human power for the return trip up hill!
These trails have been selected for variety of terrain and are mostly comprised of gravel forest roads or single track old trails that have been used by local people for hundreds of years to move in and around Mount Madarao. Minimal time is spent on the main roads. The trails are of varied difficulty so that there is something for people of all cycling abilities.
Use our self guided system and do the 10 trails yourself, or hire a guide to take you. Trails are classified for three types of riders: gravellers, climbers and downhillers and for three levels; beginner, intermediate and advanced.
Most courses have the up hill component of the ride excluded, except where designated as a climber type of course. For one way rides, you can catch a bus back from Iiyama station or grab an Ebike and come back up with electric power. If you`re staying the weekend, contact your accommodation provider for assistance with pick ups. Even better still, use some human power for the return trip up hill!
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THE BIG TEN TRAIL GUIDE
#1 Lake Nojiri Back Door: Grade 3
Distance: 18km
Course Type: Graveller
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Hill Climb: 394m
Course Type: Graveller
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Hill Climb: 394m
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Lake Nojiri Back Door is a 18km mainly gravel road that winds around the back of Mount Madarao and finishes at the clear waters of Lake Nojiri. It is perfect for intermediate riders and, as an added bonus, it can also end with a swim, a SUP or canoe ride in the lake for those hot summer days.
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#2 Satoyama Road: Grade 3
Distance: 19km
Course Type: Graveller
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Hill Climb: 288m
Course Type: Graveller
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Hill Climb: 288m
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Satoyama Road is a 19km intermediate level trail that is mainly gravel and passes Oike Pond and Madarao No Yu hot springs through the 'satoyama' landscape of Wakui village down to Nagata Village. Wakui village has three great soba restaurants. Nagata Village is the birthplace of one of Japan's most famous song writers who wrote the song "Furusato" and the trail ends at a temple that is on the river that features in his song.
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#3 Bear Valley: Grade 3
Distance: 13km
Course Type: Graveller
Estimated Time: 1.5 hours
Hill Climb: 75m
Course Type: Graveller
Estimated Time: 1.5 hours
Hill Climb: 75m
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The Bear Valley Off-Road is a 13km intermediate level gravel downhill trail that goes through logging tracks and rice fields that are predominantly off road. You can take the old Gunpei Kaido trail down towards Madarao No Yu Hot Springs before crossing over to the gravel roads opposite the old Toyota Ski Resort. The trail ends in Iiyama City which is great for going to a local restaurant for lunch after the ride.
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#4 Yama No Kami Downhill: Grade 5
Distance: 9km
Course Type: Downhill
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Hill Climb: 450m
Course Type: Downhill
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Hill Climb: 450m
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Yama No Kami ( "God of the Mountain") Downhill follows a tight ridge down through a valley that was traditionally used for "sumiyaki" or charcoal making. It passes an ancient shrine locally known as "Yama no Kami". It is an advanced trail with extensive single track and steep sections. A guide is recommended and experienced riders only.
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#5 The Cow Trail: Grade 5
Distance: 3km
Course Type: Downhill
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Hill Climb: 200m
Course Type: Downhill
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Hill Climb: 200m
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The Cow Trail was the old road that people used to bring cows up to graze on the summer grass of Madarao Kogen. It has excellent natural berms formed by the movement of the cows up the hill. It is an advanced trail with extensive single track and steep sections. A guide is recommended and experienced riders only.
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#6 The Eight Monks Path: Grade 2
Distance: 11km
Course Type: Graveller
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Hill Climb: 19m
Course Type: Graveller
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Hill Climb: 19m
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Named after the legendary Eight Monks of Madarao or ‘Hachibozuka`, this is a beginner level ride that is an easy introduction to downhill mountain bikes and great for families. It follows the old Bundo road down the hill along the scenic Kiyo river valley. There is old bitumen roads and gravel for most of the way down and it finishes in Iiyama.
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#7 The Nozomi Grinder: Grade 4
Distance: 10km
Course Type: Climber/Graveller
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Hill Climb: 400m
Course Type: Climber/Graveller
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Hill Climb: 400m
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This is a tough advanced gravel and designed for hill climbers or an ebike that visits beautiful Nozomi Lake before going down towards the village of Okawa and straight back up the hill again. There is some tough single track going down and lots of gravel coming back up again. A guide is recommended and experienced riders only.
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#8 Okawa Shrine Run: Grade 3
Distance: 20km
Course Type: Graveller
Estimated Time: 2.5 hours
Hill Climb: 180m
Course Type: Graveller
Estimated Time: 2.5 hours
Hill Climb: 180m
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This ride starts at Yama No Ie information Centre and goes out past Lake Nozomi and Mount Kenashi before dropping down to the beautiful little village of Okawa and its shrine. From Okawa Shrine you go back up the hill to the main Iiyama road before going down again into the Kiyo River valley to IIyama. This is an intermediate gravel ride, that is mostly down hill and is good for intermediate to beginners.
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#9 Tarumoto Circle: Grade 4
Distance: 23km
Course Type: Climber
Estimated Time: 3 hours
Hill Climb: 643m
Course Type: Climber
Estimated Time: 3 hours
Hill Climb: 643m
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This ride starts at Yama No Ie information centre and goes out to the Numanohara wetlands and down to the village of Tarumoto and back up to Yama No Ie via Akaike Pond. Tarumoto was an old onsen village on Mount Madarao but is now largely abandoned. This is a combination of gravel as well as largely unused bitumen back roads. It is a fun ride down and a long grind back up. This is a solid workout for advanced hillclimbers or ebikers.
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#10 Furusato Forest: Grade 3
"Furusato no mori' or 'Furusato Forest" is a bike riding and hiking area that is on the edge of the ski resort in Madarao. The area was designed for hiking but provides wide trails that allow beginner riders to experience single track riding. It is managed by the Madarao Tourist Association. Rent one of their ebikes for a really easy and safe way to begin to enjoy off-road riding. Ebike rentals are done through "Yama no Ie' information centre.
Guided Mountain Bike Tours in Madarao
Click below to find more information on local guides and tours.
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