Can enjoy playing in the snow at the “Hitsujigaoka Snow Park 2024”

※This page is translated using machine translation. Please note that the content may not be 100% accurate.

William Smith Clark, the great pioneer of Hokkaido, is known for his famous saying, “Boys, be ambitious!”.
The Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, where a statue of Dr. Clark stands majestically, is close to the center of the city, yet offers a view that is uniquely Hokkaido.
And “Hitsujigaoka Snow Park” is being held at the observatory from January 5 to March 3!

kato

Can enjoy a variety of snow play activities for an admission fee only.
Enjoy a unique winter experience at one of Hokkaido’s most popular tourist attractions!

Access to the observatory is by bus

Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill is accessible by bus or car.
Buses depart from the Fukuzumi Bus Terminal, which is directly connected to Fukuzumi Station, the last stop on the Toho Subway Line, and take about 10 minutes.

Take the subway to Fukuzumi Station. It takes about 12 minutes from Odori Station.
After exiting the ticket gate, follow the directions on the signboard toward Exit 3, where the bus terminal is located.

There are stairs and escalators on the right side.
Buses to Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill depart from platform 4 and run one to three times per hour.

kato

The distance from Fukuzumi Station to the Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill is about 3.5 km.
In summer, can walk the distance if try hard, but in winter, the footing is not good, so take the bus to access the observatory!

Experience a variety of snow play!

In summer, the observatory offers a typical Hokkaido view of sheep grazing in green pastures.
In winter, the area looks like a different spot with a silver world and the cityscape of Sapporo!

And during the Snow Park, visitors can enjoy a variety of activities & snow play.

For “walking skis”, ski boards, shoes, and poles are available for rent at the Clark Memorial Museum in the park.
Shoes are available from 19 cm, and ski boards and poles from 80 cm, so even small children can experience walking skiing.

After putting on your shoes and receiving your skis and poles, head to the course behind the statue of Dr. Clark.
With the help of an attendant, we put on our shoes and bindings and were off!

There are two types of courses: a gentle short course and a slightly sloping intermediate course.
Both courses offer a magnificent view of the city of Sapporo.

kato

For beginners, even walking is difficult! They were gradually getting a feel for the terrain while falling down at times.
In addition to walking skiing, you will also come in contact with snow, so be prepared with gloves, hats, and other warm clothing, as well as clothing that can get wet!

The “Snow Slide (mini-slide)” on a small snow hill is very popular among children!
There are many different types of sleds, so children can choose which one goes fastest and play with it over and over again.

If you’ve never touched snow before, we recommend “making a mini snowman”.
Just play with the snow and fill the special container to create your own original snowman!

“Snow Strider” is a snow running bike for 2-5 year olds only.
Since there are no pedals and kids kick the ground with their feet to go forward, even kids who cannot pedal can drive the bike.

In addition, the “Tube slide” and “Kamakura experience,” which are the most popular every year, are also recommended!

【チューブすべり】スタートしました！
スタッフが安全確認の為朝一で滑りました😆
くるくる回っていい滑りでした💪
オープンと同時にたくさんの方が遊びに来てくれて嬉しく思います。ありがとうございます⛄️
皆様のご来場お待ちしております😍#羊ヶ丘スノーパーク 10:00~15:00(最終受付14:45)☃ pic.twitter.com/oZKiS7tcPb

— さっぽろ羊ヶ丘展望台 (@a_hitsujigaoka) January 18, 2024

Plenty to see besides snow play and scenery

Other facilities will remain open during the Snow Park.
“The Austria Pavilion” was built as the Austrian athletes’ village for the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics.
It currently houses a food corner where visitors can enjoy snacks and soft-serve ice cream, as well as a souvenir store.

The food court offers a variety of Hokkaido-like menu items.
There are two types of soft-serve ice cream, Hitsujigaoka Original and Shiroi Koibito soft-serve ice cream, so why don’t you share and compare the tastes?

Souvenirs are sold on the second floor, where you will find a wide variety of classic Hokkaido sweets and other items.
There are also original products and Dr. Clark goods that can only be purchased here!

At the Clark Memorial Hall and the Sapporo Snow Festival Museum, which are located next to each other, visitors can look back on the history of Dr. Clark and the Sapporo Snow Festival, which begins in February.

Sheep rest in the warmth of their homes, avoiding the cold outside.
Although they are wrapped in fluffy fur, they still feel more at home in the warmth of the house.

kato

Fun to play and fun to see, Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill is actually more interesting in winter!
It is recommended not only for tourists, but also for family outings.

Summary of the event