Day Trips from SapporoMaple Lodge: An Outdoor Finnish Sauna and Forest Hot Spring near Iwamizawa
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- An outdoor Finnish sauna at about 80°C, with self-service löyly
- An outdoor cold plunge of hot spring source water, and forest air to cool off
- Red squirrels sometimes come to the feeder by the restaurant
- Day bath 11:00–20:00 (last entry 19:00), 1,000 yen weekdays, 1,200 yen weekends
Log Hotel The Maple Lodge is in the hills east of Iwamizawa, and its draws are a real Finnish sauna and the forest around it.
The sauna and the baths
The Finnish sauna is outdoors, at a slightly low 80°C, so you warm up slowly, and you can pour water on the stones yourself. The cold plunge, also outdoors, is the hot spring source water itself, gentle on the skin, and cooling off afterwards feels like being wrapped in the forest.
Besides the cold plunge there are two indoor baths and one outdoor bath. The spring comes out of the ground cold (a sodium bicarbonate cold mineral spring) and is heated for the baths, which is why the cold plunge can be pure source water. It is clear and silky.
Food and squirrels
Besides the baths there is a restaurant, glamping and an orchard. Food for small animals is put out under the eaves in front of the restaurant, and Ezo red squirrels sometimes come.
Price, hours and parking
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | 1,000 yen weekdays, 1,200 yen weekends and holidays (adults) |
| Hours | 11:00–20:00 (last entry 19:00) |
| Closed | Irregular |
| Towels | Rental 350 yen (children 300 yen) |
| Tattoos | Not stated on the official site; booking sites list them as not allowed in the baths, so check at reception |
| Parking | Free, about 50 cars |
See the official site (in Japanese).
How to get there
From Sapporo: about an hour and a half on ordinary roads, or a little over an hour by expressway to Iwamizawa IC. On ordinary roads, take Route 12 toward Iwamizawa, then head east into the hills from the city.
From New Chitose Airport: a little under an hour and a half on ordinary roads, through Yuni and Kuriyama on Routes 337 and 234 and Prefectural Road 30.
Near Maple Lodge
Yunni no Yu: Coffee-Colored Moor Hot Spring an Hour from SapporoA local's guide to Yunni no Yu in Yuni: a coffee-colored moor hot spring, Farm Restaurant Harvest nearby a big sauna with a covered cooling area, the Fushimidai lookout nearby, price, hours and how to get there from Sapporo or the airport.
Onsen Near Sapporo: A Local's Guide to Day-Trip Hot SpringsThe best onsen near Sapporo for a day trip, chosen by a local who has bathed at all of them: Jozankei, Lake Shikotsu, Noboribetsu, Shakotan and Lake Toya, with prices, tattoo-friendly and private baths, and shuttle buses.
FAQ about Maple Lodge
Q1. How much is the day bath?
1,000 yen on weekdays and 1,200 yen at weekends and on holidays.
Q2. Can I pour water on the sauna stones?
Yes, the outdoor Finnish sauna has self-service löyly.
Q3. Will I see squirrels?
Sometimes; they come to the feeder by the restaurant.