Hidakasanmyaku-Erimo-Tokachi National Park

Hidakasanmyaku-Erimo-Tokachi National Park is one of Japan’s largest national parks, covering 2,457 square kilometers of rugged mountains, rolling plains, and coastal lowlands. It is centered around the Hidaka Mountains, also known as the “backbone of Hokkaido.” The mountains extend 140 kilometers northwest to southeast from the towns of Shintoku in Hokkaido’s interior to Erimo on the Pacific coast. The national park includes the majority of this range across the Hidaka and Tokachi regions.

Encompassing environments from 2,000-meter peaks to coastal marine terraces, the park’s diverse ecosystems support a rich biodiversity, from meadows of flowering alpine species to mixed broadleaf forests to hardy coastal vegetation. Wildlife includes large Ezo brown bears and hamster-like Ezo pikas in the mountains, as well as seabirds and harbor seals along coastal cliffs and rocky shores.

About one-third of the Shinhidaka township is within the boundaries of the national park, including Mt. Petegari （1,736 m）. One of the Hidaka Mountains’ most prominent peaks, it is popular for its challenging multi-day climbs.