Tucked away in central Hokkaido near the town of Yubari, Mount Racey Resort is the kind of place savvy skiers whisper about. It may be compact, but with a northwestern aspect, uncrowded slopes, and an annual snowfall that can top 12 metres (475 inches), it packs a serious punch.

Mount Racey Resort has a surprisingly playful personality. On paper, 18 trails and 400 metres of vertical might sound modest, but the combination of excellent snow quality, express lift service, and a trail network slanted heavily towards confident skiers makes every run count. With only three green trails, this mountain is squarely aimed at intermediate and advanced riders. The long red runs, genuinely steep blacks, and quiet off-piste zones are the real drawcards.

Mount Racey Resort: Quick Stats

Base elevation            298 m (978 ft)

Summit elevation     702 m (2,303 ft)

Vertical drop              404 m (1,325 ft)

Average snowfall       8 m (315 in)

High Snowfall              Up to 12 m (475 in)

Skiable terrain             255 acres

Number of trails         18

Trail breakdown          20% Beginner, 40% Intermediate, 40% Advanced

Lifts                             Gondola + chairlifts

Mount Racey delivers the essentials; untracked powder and steep pitches without the Niseko queues.

Sapporo to Mount Racey Day Trip: Car vs. Public Transport

Reaching Mt Racey is straightforward, though a little planning pays off.

• By public transport: Just under 2 hours from New Chitose Airport, or a little over 2 hours from Sapporo Station. Both routes involve a train to Shin-Yubari Station, then a local bus to the resort.
• By car: Around 1 hour from New Chitose Airport, 1.5 hours from Sapporo. Roads are well-maintained, but heavy snowfall is common. An AWD or 4WD vehicle with chains is strongly recommended. If you’re planning a multi-resort Hokkaido road-trip, a car gives you the most flexibility.

The Resort Base Facilities: Tickets, Rentals & Amenities

Mt Racey keeps things simple.

• TheShuttle Base: A modern building right beside the gondola, houses the ticket office, rental shop, café, and restrooms.
• Centre House:Offers lockers, more restrooms, and a restaurant with slope views. You’ll notice the enormous (now closed) Mount Racey Hotel looming nearby, a quiet reminder of the resort’s boom-era past.
• White Birch: Is an on-mountain rest house at the gondola top station, providing a mid-run warm-up spot.

The Mountain: Trail-by-Trail Breakdown

Mt Racey’s layout is compact but clever, funneling most skiers onto the gondola while hiding several lap-worthy lines.

Beginners

First-timers and kids have a dedicated area right at the base.

• Magic Carpet learning zone: Is where two short green trails let you find your feet, so you can quickly move on to
• Winding Road:Which provides a lovely, gentle 2km cruise back to base – arguably the most scenic beginner trail on the resort.
• Panorama: A progressive beginner trail. Or either of the Dancing trails that test the mellow green with red pitches.

Intermediate Skiers

This is where Mt Racey starts to shine.

• The two Dancing trails: The perfect warm up on or soak in the views along Panorama A.
• The short, tree-lined Deer trail: Drops you into the Swinging zone where red runs here are genuinely fun, while
• Swinging B(a black trail) is only slightly steeper, making it a perfect first black for those ready to push their comfort zone.

The grooming on these main pistes keeps them friendly without feeling boring.

Advanced Skiers

Will live on the gondola.

• Carving Linethrows down a 35-degree pitch; short, but steep enough to demand commitment.
• The Racing trails: Are fast and fun, while the
• Panorama blacks: Are sharp but over quickly. The real secret? Don’t ignore the Swinging trailsserved by the No. 2 chair. Lap them for consistent pitch and zero lift queues.
• Thrilling: A forest trail that was closed during our visit, looks like it could be the pick of the mountain, check conditions before you go.
• Off-piste: The entire resort is dotted with irresistible powder pockets; the inbound tree skiing zone is legal but always check with Ski Patrol for current hazards and the insurance implications of skiing off-piste in Japan.

Terrain Park Seasonal Availability

During our mid-January visit, park features had not yet been built. If you’re a park rat, confirm status ahead of time.

Best Time to Ski Mt Racey: Snow, Weather & Grooming

Mt Racey’s northwest aspect guarantees excellent snow preservation, but the trade-off is biting cold from January into early February.

• Pack proper layers and storm-day gear:The resort focuses grooming on the main green and red trails, so after a big dump, ungroomed blacks and off-piste lines ski deeper and become more challenging.
• Seasonal snowfall: Can reach an extraordinary 12 metres. Those deep days are what Hokkaido dreams are made of.

MTNhack: For maximum vertical, ride the gondola. To dodge traffic and avoid unbuckling on long cat tracks, lap the No. 4 pair lift. Race training and ski school tend to circulate on the No. 2 lift, but we never encountered a queue.

Skiing Mt Racey Like a Local: Discounts, Off-Piste & Weekend Crowds

• 4-hour lift ticket: A great money-saver if you only want a half-day blast.
• Ski school: Surprisingly affordable and worth it if you want to drill technique; advance reservations are essential.
• Crowds: Mt Racey flies under the international tourist radar. It’s a local’s hill, so weekends see more Sapporo day-trippers. Midweek, you’ll often feel like you have the place to yourself.

Tree skiing: Legal in the designated off-piste zone, just ensure you respect ropes, carry safety gear, and talk to patrol.

No Hotel at Mt Racey? Best Places to Stay Nearby

On-mountain accommodation is virtually non-existent. The resort runs Hostel Himawari with dormitory-style beds, but most visitors will find it too basic. Real hotels and ryokans are clustered around Sapporo or Chitose, at least a 30-minute drive away. That makes Mt Racey a perfect day-trip destination, best paired with a car and a multi-resort itinerary.

Small Resort, Big Powder – Who is Mount Racey Resort For?

Mount Racey isn’t trying to be everything to everyone, and that’s its greatest strength. Confident intermediates and advanced skiers will fall for its long reds, steep black pitches, and crowd-free powder stashes. Beginners have just enough terrain to learn, but they’ll quickly feel the pull to step up. The express lifts make 400 vertical metres feel far bigger, and the off-piste zones are a quiet magnet for intrepid riders.

For a small Hokkaido resort with big-snow attitude and zero pretension, Mount Racey delivers where it counts.

Check out our trail and lift videos to scope your lines before you go and get ready to rack up some of the most serene powder laps in central Hokkaido.