Shin-etsu Trail

The Sections of the Trail

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

Place names in each section

Section01 approach
Madarao Kogen Yama no Ie
Tyrol Trailhead
Section01
Mt. Madarao
Manzaka Tōge pass
Hakama Shitsugen (wetland)
Mt. Hakama-dake
Aka Ike pond
Section02
Aka Ike pond
Numanohara wetland
Lake Nozomi
Mt. Kenashi
Wakui
Section03
Wakui
Tomikura Tōge pass
Sobu no Ike pond
Mt. Kuroiwa
Katsura Ike pond
Hotoke ga Mine Tozanguchi (trailhead)
Section04
Hotoke ga Mine Tozanguchi (trailhead)
Kozawa Tōge pass
Mt. Nabekura
Sekida Tōge pass
Section05
Sekida Tōge pass
Maki Tōge pass
Utsunomata Tōge pass
Maboroshi no Ike pond
Busuno Tōge pass
Section06
Busuno Tōge pass
Sugawa Tōge pass
Nonomi Tōge pass
Misaka Tōge pass
Mt. Amamizu
Section07
Mt. Amamizu
Satoyama Deai
Mori-Miyanohara Station
Section08
Mori-Miyanohara Station
Miyanohara Bridge
Nakago
Myōhō Pasture Office
Azuki Jizo
Kettō
Section09
Kettō
Mikura
Ōakasawa
Amazake Village ruins
Koakasawa
Section10
Koakasawa
Mt. Naeba trailhead, ichi gōme (first station)
San gōme (third station)
Mt. Naeba
Section10 approach
Haraigawa Tozanguchi trailhead

Trail Itinerary

  • ParkingParking
  • ToiletsToilets
  • WaterWater
  • Visitor CenterVisitor Center
  • Tent siteTent site
  • AccommodationsAccommodations

Click this icon to see a photo of the area

Section01
approach
Madarao Kogen Yama no Ie
  • Visitor Center
  • Parking
  • Toilets
  • Water
Tyrol Trailhead
  • Parking
  • Toilets
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)ParkingToilets
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
  • Parking
  • Toilets
  • Tent site
  • Water
Highway 97 to Yama no Ie, Tarumoto village
Beech forest
10.6km
97.7km
Numanohara wetland
  • Parking
  • Toilets
Highway 97 to Yama no Ie, Tarumoto village
Inochi no Mori forest; good viewpoint
12.6km
95.7km
Lake Nozomi
  • Parking
  • Toilets
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
  • Parking
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
  • Parking
  • Toilets
  • Tent site
Highway 411 to Iiyama City, Myoko City
Kitafuru Ike pond
  • Parking
Sugi (cryptomeria) forest
Section04
32.3km
76km
Hotoke ga Mine Tozanguchi (trailhead)
Walk across ski area
TondairaParkingToiletsTent site水
Walk across ski area
34.1km
74.2km
Hotake ga Mine <1146m>
34.6km
73.7km
Kozawa Tōge pass
TondairaParkingToiletsTent siteWater
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)
Parking
Yoshihachi Ike pondParkingToilets、Karayama trailheadParking
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
  • Parking
Chaya Ike pondParkingToilets
Rest area on the shoreline
Green Pal Kōgen-so
Nukui Village (Iiyama City), Itakura-ku (Jōetsu City)
Green Pal Kōgen-soInformationParkingToiletsAccommodationsTent siteWater
42.2km
66.1km
Nashidaira Tōge pass
Sugadaira Village, Kiyosato-ku, Jōetsu City
45km
63.3km
Maki Tōge pass
  • Parking
Fifteen minutes down on the Nagano sideWater
Nabekura Kōgen Mori no IeVisitor CenterParkingToiletsAccommodations
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 IeVisitor CenterParkingToiletsAccommodations
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
  • Parking
Highway 495, a 10-minute walk on the Niigata sideParking
Nabekura Kōgen Mori no IeVisitor CenterParkingToiletsAccommodations
Cupid Valley Center HouseVisitor CenterParkingToiletsAccommodations
54.7km
53.6km
Sugawa Tōge pass
Mt. Hishigatake, Hishigatake tent site (closed)
Mt. Hishigatake, Hishigatake tent site (closed)Tent siteWater
Nishi-Mado wetland
59.5km
48.8km
Nonomi Tōge pass
Nonomi wetland
Nonomi Kōgen tent siteTent site水Toilets
To Hirataki waterfall, Shōbu Kōgen
Northernmost point of Nagano Prefecture
61.6km
46.7km
Misaka Tōge pass
  • Parking
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
  • Parking
  • Toilets
Echigo-Tsumari Daigonji Kogen CampsiteVisitor CenterParkingToiletsTent siteWaterAccommodations
Views toward Tsunan and the Myōhō breeding ranch
69.3km
39km
Satoyama Deai <577m>
  • Parking
Walk along roads and narrow farm tracks
Section08
72.9km
35.4km
JR Mori-Miyanohara Station; Kizuna, the Sakae Village Reconstruction Memorial Hall <289m>
  • Visitor CenterParkingToilets
Shops, restaurants and accommodations can be found in the station area
73.4km
34.9km
Shinetsu Sakae Michi no Eki <275m>
  • ParkingToilets
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>
  • Visitor Center
  • Parking
  • Toilets
  • Tent site
  • 水
  • Accommodations
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>
  • Parking
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
  • Parking
  • Toilets
Walk along the old Bokushi no Michi road
98.5km
9.8km
Amazake Village ruins <795m>
Section10
99.8km
8.5km
Koakasawa <759m>
Tonenbo, the Akiyama-go Information Center
  • Parking
  • Toilets
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>
  • Parking
  • Toilets
  • Water
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)
  • Toilets
  • Water
  • Accommodations
Section10
approach
108.3km
0km
Mt. Naeba <2145m>
Akayu OnsenAccommodations
Motohashi Trailhead
Komatsubara wetland
Mikura
Wada Hut <1365m>
  • Accommodations
Haraigawa Tozanguchi trailhead
  • Parking(30)
  • Toilets