The area around Lake Toya and Mount Usu is, in its entirety, a UNESCO Global Geopark—a “living, moving land.” A giant caldera lake formed by an eruption 110,000 years ago; Mount Usu, which erupts every few decades; Showa-Shinzan, a lava dome that rose out of a wheat field in just two years; and the raw remains left by the eruption of the year 2000. The greatest appeal of the Toya-Usu Geopark is that you can experience all of this on foot. Kamonoya, which runs whole-house rental lodgings around Lake Toya, has put together this guide to the geopark from a hiker’s point of view. Use it as your starting point, then move on to the detailed guides below.
What is the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark?
The Toya-Usu Geopark spans the towns of Toyako, Sobetsu, Toyoura and the city of Date in Hokkaido. It was certified as a Japanese Geopark in 2008 and joined the Global Geoparks Network in 2009; today it is recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark.
What makes this place internationally valued is that, rather than hiding the destruction of volcanic eruptions, it preserves the aftermath as heritage and turns it into a place of learning and travel. Mount Usu is an active volcano that has erupted repeatedly—in 1663, 1910, 1944–45 (creating Showa-Shinzan), 1977–78, and 2000. People are able to keep living here thanks to the wisdom of coexisting with the volcano and a system of early evacuation. Walk the land, and that story of “living with the earth” comes into view.
Four fields to explore on foot
Hiking in the geopark can be chosen to match your fitness and interests. We have prepared a detailed guide for each.
1. Mount Usu | crater-rim and crater-floor walks by ropeway
Take the Usuzan Ropeway straight up the mountain and walk the observation decks over the crater floor and outer rim. You can enjoy the rugged terrain carved by eruptions together with sweeping panoramas of Lake Toya and Uchiura Bay. Even if you are not confident about your stamina, it is an ideal introductory route for feeling the scale of a volcano up close.
→ Full guide to hiking Mount Usu
2. Walking the 2000 eruption | the Nishiyama and Konpira disaster-remains trails
These trails preserve, just as they were, the places where the 2000 eruption struck roads and neighborhoods. A pond that formed in the middle of a national highway, asphalt buckled into steps, buildings buried in hot mudflow—here you can have the globally rare experience of “walking through disaster remains.” Open roughly late April to mid-November.
→ Full guide to the 2000 eruption trails
3. Nakajima | trekking an uninhabited island in the lake
Nakajima, floating in Lake Toya, can only be reached by sightseeing boat. Walk its primeval forest and, with luck, meet wild Ezo deer. It is a quiet, genuine trek around an island in the middle of the lake.
→ Full guide to trekking Nakajima
4. Showa-Shinzan | up close to a mountain born from a field
The reddish-brown mountain rising at the foot of the ropeway is Showa-Shinzan, a lava dome created in 1944–45 when a wheat field was pushed upward—a formation rare even by world standards. Still venting steam today, it is a must-see. We cover it in detail, together with Mount Usu, in our Mount Usu & Showa-Shinzan guide.
What to know before you walk
The geopark trails lie in volcanic terrain, and conditions change with the season, the weather and volcanic activity. We have gathered the opening periods, gear, volcano and bear safety, and seasonal highlights in the practical hiking guide. If it is your first visit, please read that as well.
Use a lodging by Lake Toya as your base
The geopark’s fields are scattered, so covering everything in a single day is tough. Stay a few nights in a whole-house rental by the lake and you can walk at your own pace—”Mount Usu today, Nakajima tomorrow”—choosing by that day’s weather. With a full kitchen, you can set out after a proper breakfast and cook again after a soak in the onsen: this “living-as-you-travel” style of stay is popular with hikers. For where to buy ingredients and local food tips, see our Lake Toya food guide.
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