Mount Racey

Mount Racey sits in the quiet town of Yubari, an hour northeast of New Chitose Airport and an easy day trip from Sapporo. The resort draws steady school groups but otherwise feels like your own private mountain—slopes are genuinely uncrowded, and the trees are yours to ride. Snow quality is typical central Hokkaido powder, and the northwest-facing aspects hold it reasonably well. The low elevation (702m peak) means it can be a smart play on stormy days when higher resorts are getting hammered by wind.

The riding is mellow overall. Beginner terrain is wide and forgiving, intermediate runs are long and confidence-building, and the black diamonds are more moderate than their rating suggests—one hits 45 degrees for a moment, but most are manageable. The real draw is off-piste: trees either side of the marked runs offer varying spacing and pitch, and there's minimal fencing, so you can explore freely. Steeper short lines and rocky outcroppings exist near the top, though they demand good snow coverage.

Infrastructure is basic but functional. The gondola was closed for the 2025-2026 season due to mechanical issues, leaving two quads and one pair lift to service the terrain. The base has a small cafeteria (vending-machine ordering, Japanese-only), rental gear, and lessons in Japanese. Accommodation options are limited—the ski-in hotel closed years ago, and backpacker bunks in a converted school are the main option. Most riders treat Mount Racey as a day trip or a stop on a multi-resort tour rather than a destination in itself.