Makkari trail

Makkari trail (真狩コース) is the long-distance hiking route up Mt. Yōtei in Shikotsu-Tōya National Park, built as a loop around the crater rim after a forested ascent from the Makkari trailhead. It’s mapped as a hard route and is approached as a demanding, stamina-heavy day hike despite being described as the gentler of the main Mt. Yōtei routes.

From the start, the trail runs under conifer forest first, then the character shifts to broad-leaf trees, shrubs, and later pines as you gain altitude. The climb is via zigzags/switchbacks that steadily raise you from low elevation to the crater area.

Higher up, you pass the station sequence toward the summit zone: the Makkari-specific route reaches the Sixth Station at roughly 2.5 hours from the trailhead, then pushes on to the Ninth Station around another hour-plus later. After that, the route climbs steeply through a stone pine belt toward the crater wall at the peak area.

On reaching the crater rim, the route turns into crater-circuit hiking around the outer edge (Chichigama), described as about a 700 m circumference with a plunge around 200 m deep. The highest point on the eastern side is listed at 1,898 m; you then continue along the rim and pass the junction back toward other trail connections before completing the loop.

Time expectations for a full round trip are commonly given around 1 day / ~9 hours, with elevation gain listed around 1,470 m (about 1,477 m on route descriptions) and the route generally managed as a full-day outing rather than a short summit hop.

Lodging/huts are part of the route options: the Yōtei-zan-hinan-goya (mountain hut) is referenced as a place to stop in the highlands if weather forces you to hold up or shorten the plan.

Seasonally, hiking is typically done in summer when snow has cleared on the mountain; winter activity is handled differently (backcountry skiing context exists), so this route is best treated as a snow-dependent outing.

Logistics and safety planning emphasize preparation for a long, steep day: route writeups repeatedly frame it as muddy and steep enough that waterproof footwear and sufficient water/food matter, and that turnaround decisions may be needed in bad weather or when snow/ice remain on upper sections.

More information: Round Trip Hike of Mt. Yotei via the Makkari Trail, Mount Yotei Makkari trail head, Niseko-cho, Japan, Mt. Yotei, Hokkaido