Hokkaido Wild Gravel Loop

Hokkaido's rindo — the forest roads maintained by local forestry companies — are some of the most challenging and most beautiful gravel riding in Asia. They are also not public roads. Access is technically at the discretion of each forestry company, most of which turn a blind eye to cyclists. That situation could change; check before you go.

The loop skirts the perimeter of several national parks — Daisetsuzan, Shiretoko, and Akan among them — and cuts through interior forest on roads that range from well-maintained hardpack to active logging routes that will test your adventure tires seriously. The Shiretoko Peninsula section is legitimate wilderness; the brown bear population is dense and you will see signs.

Onsen are the saving grace of the route. After a day on rindo, even a roadside rotenburo (outdoor bath) fixes most problems. The Japanese bikepacking community has mapped several routes through Hokkaido, and local cyclists are extraordinarily helpful if you can find them — many speak enough English to point you at the right dirt roads.

Water is usually plentiful but requires filtering on the rindo sections (animal activity upstream). The towns on the main circuit — Asahikawa, Abashiri, Kushiro, Obihiro — provide proper resupply. Between them, convenience stores (konbini) appear regularly enough that starvation is not a real risk.

The bear situation deserves attention: carry a bear bell and bear spray. Attacks are rare but Hokkaido is not Honshu — the Hokkaido brown bear (Ussuri brown bear) is large and its territory overlaps entirely with the most interesting riding.