Hokkaido Autumn Leaves by Car: Where a Local Goes for Fall Colors Near Sapporo

Autumn comes early to Hokkaido, and the best of it is within an hour or two of Sapporo: a dam wrapped in red and gold, a river gorge, islands in a caldera lake and a hot spring town in the hills. I live in Sapporo and drive to these places in October; here is where I go for autumn leaves, when they peak, and what to know about crowds and closures, with the route for each.

1Autumn in Hokkaido at a glance

The season is short. The leaves around Sapporo usually peak in October, and by early November the mountain roads begin to close for winter.

2Jozankei: Hoheikyo Dam in October

Hoheikyo Dam, beyond the Jozankei hot spring town, is the autumn sight I send everyone to. You leave the car at the dam car park and ride an electric bus up the gorge to the dam, where the cliffs on both sides are covered in color and the water is released below you. The bus runs from early May to November 3, and the leaves usually peak in October, when the car park can have long waits; go early. On the way back, the four viewpoints over Lake Sapporo, a winery café below a jagged mountain and two day-use baths, Hoheikyo Onsen (1,300 yen, famous for its Indian curry) and Koganeyu Onsen (1,270 yen, with an outdoor bath among the autumn trees), round off the day. At Hoheikyo's restaurant I waited about 30 minutes for lunch in the autumn-leaf season.

Jozankei Onsen Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: A Local's RouteA local's day trip from Sapporo to Jozankei by car: Hoheikyo Dam in autumn colors, two day-use onsen, Lake Sapporo's viewpoints and a winery café, with bus, parking and seasonal tips. Jozankei Onsen Day-Use Baths Compared: Prices, Hours, Tattoos and ParkingFive day-use baths in Jozankei Onsen, an hour from Sapporo, compared by a local: Hotel Shikanoyu, Yunohana Jozankeiden, Jozankei Shoten, Koganeyu and Hoheikyo Onsen, with prices (1,180 to 1,500 yen), hours, saunas, tattoo rules, parking and how to get there by car or the Kappa Liner bus.

3Kamui Kotan: the Ishikari River gorge

Kamui Kotan, on the edge of Asahikawa, is where the Ishikari River cuts through a gorge of strange rocks and rapids below a footbridge, with old steam locomotives on the bank. In late October the gorge turns red and yellow around the water. It is just under two hours from Sapporo on the expressway and about 20 minutes from Fukagawa IC, and it pairs with a rice-pot lunch at Riceland Fukagawa, the catbus at Totoro Pass and a 500-yen forest hot spring on the way home.

Fukagawa, Hokkaido: Things to Do on a Day Trip from Sapporo by CarA local's day trip from Sapporo to Fukagawa in central Hokkaido: the Kamui Kotan rapids, a rice-pot lunch at Riceland Fukagawa, the Totoro Pass catbus, local cider, and a forest hot spring for 500 yen.

4Lake Toya: the cruise to Nakajima

Lake Toya is good in every season, but in autumn the cruise from the hot spring town to Nakajima, the island in the middle of the lake, lands you at a pier backed by hills in full color (you can land on the island from late April to October only), and the meadow in the middle of the island opens to a view of Mt. Yotei. Back on shore, the ninth-floor bath at Toya Kohantei looks over the whole lake, and the quiet viewpoints on the north shore, Lake Hill Farm and the Silo Observatory, look back across the water to the volcano. It is about two and a half hours from Sapporo (toll 4,080 yen, or 2,850 yen with ETC).

Lake Toya Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: A Local's Route, Viewpoints and OnsenA local's day trip from Sapporo to Lake Toya by car: Mt. Usu, a lakeside lunch, an onsen with a lake view and the quiet viewpoints on the north shore, with tolls, parking and winter tips.

5Noboribetsu: a hot bath when the air turns cold

Noboribetsu is at its best when it is cold outside and you are in a hot bath, which is why I put it in autumn and winter rather than summer. Hell Valley steaming in the cold air, the Oyunuma loop bus running until late October, and the day-use baths, from Dai-ichi Takimotokan's 35 baths over the valley to the Grand Hotel's 110°C sauna, are the reward. It is about two hours from Sapporo on the expressway.

Noboribetsu Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: Hell Valley, Onsen and Where to ParkA local's day trip from Sapporo to Noboribetsu by car: Hell Valley, Oyunuma, the bear park and a day bath at Takimotokan, with tolls, parking and winter driving tips. Noboribetsu Onsen Day-Use Baths Compared: Prices, Hours, Saunas and TattoosFour day-use baths in Noboribetsu Onsen compared by a local: Dai-ichi Takimotokan's 35 baths over Hell Valley, the Grand Hotel's 110°C Oni Sauna, Manseikaku's milky cold plunge and the 600-yen Karurusu Onsen, with prices, hours, tattoo rules, parking and how to get there by car, train or bus.

6Mt. Yotei: before the mountain roads close

The loop around Mt. Yotei over the Nakayama Pass is a good October drive, with the mountain clear in the cold air from the straight road at Aikawa, the pond behind the soba restaurant and the open-air bath at Makkari Onsen. Two dates matter: the Niseko Panorama Line closes for winter on October 23 in 2026, and Makkari Onsen is closed for maintenance from November 2 to December 21, 2026.

Where to See Mt. Yotei: A Local's Guide to the Best Viewpoints by CarThe best places to see Mt. Yotei, the Mt. Fuji of Hokkaido, from a Sapporo local who has driven all the way around it: the straight road at Aikawa, its reflection in a pond, the view from an onsen, and a one-day loop from Sapporo.

7What closes in autumn

• The Cape Kamui walkway in Shakotan is closed from October 5, 2026 to early April 2027, and the peninsula's sea urchin season ended in August; save Shakotan for summer.
• The Niseko Panorama Line closes on October 23, 2026.
• The electric bus to Hoheikyo Dam stops after November 3, the Lake Shikotsu underwater boat also runs until November 3, and landing on Nakajima at Lake Toya ends in October.
• From November, treat every road as a winter road: the Nakayama Pass and other mountain passes can close in storms.

Driving in Hokkaido: A Local's Guide to Renting a Car and the RoadsHow to rent a car and drive in Hokkaido, from a Sapporo local who drives every week: the license you need, expressway tolls and the Hokkaido Expressway Pass, road rules, and winter driving.

8Planning an autumn road trip

My itinerary guide orders these drives into 3, 5 and 7 days, and the day-trips guide compares every destination by season.

Hokkaido Road Trip Itinerary: 3, 5 and 7 Days by Car from SapporoA local's Hokkaido road trip itineraries for 3, 5 and 7 days by car from Sapporo: Otaru, Noboribetsu, Lake Toya, Jozankei, Lake Shikotsu, Shakotan, Biei and Furano, eastern Hokkaido and Cape Soya, with drive times, tolls and the best season for each day. Day Trips from Sapporo: A Local's Guide to Where to GoThe best day trips from Sapporo, chosen by a local who drives them: Otaru, Jozankei, Noboribetsu, Shakotan, Lake Toya and Biei, with drive times, train options and the best season for each.

9FAQ about autumn leaves in Hokkaido

Q1. When are the autumn leaves in Hokkaido?

Around Sapporo the leaves usually peak in October; Hoheikyo Dam in Jozankei is the place I watch. By early November the mountain roads start to close.

Q2. Where is the best place to see autumn leaves near Sapporo?

Hoheikyo Dam in Jozankei, about an hour from the city, with the electric bus running until November 3. Kamui Kotan near Asahikawa and the cruise to Nakajima on Lake Toya are the next two I would drive to.

Q3. Is Lake Toya worth visiting in autumn?

Yes. The cruise to Nakajima with the hills in color and the viewpoints around the lake make it one of the best autumn drives, and the ninth-floor bath at Toya Kohantei looks over the whole lake.

Q4. Can you visit Shakotan in autumn?

The peninsula is quieter from late autumn: the Cape Kamui walkway closes on October 5, 2026 and the sea urchin season is over. I would keep Shakotan for June to August.

Q5. Do you need a car for autumn leaves in Hokkaido?

For Hoheikyo Dam, Kamui Kotan, Lake Toya's viewpoints and Mt. Yotei, yes. Jozankei's hot spring town itself can be reached by the Kappa Liner bus.