REPORT

The ever-expanding Alpen Blick MTB Park (pictured) now offers a total of 10 mountain bike courses, including its skills area. Every 30 minutes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., bikes are loaded onto a truck while riders travel to the trailhead in an air-conditioned minibus. I began the day with Course 5 (pictured), an advanced trail that zigzags across the vast Kayaba ski slope.
[Alpen Blick MTB Park・Course 5]

There on Course 5, I met a couple from Fujimi (pictured, second and third photos), who told me, “We always read your reports! We thought Fujimi Panorama and Hakuba Iwatake might be crowded over the holiday weekend, so we came to Ikenotaira instead. The trails are beautifully maintained and very easy to ride.” Further down the trail, I turned left just before the beginner-friendly Course 2 and continued onto the intermediate Course 4.
[Alpen Blick MTB Park・Course 5]

Course 4 (pictured) is a popular forest trail, with sunlight filtering pleasantly through the trees. It is also extremely well maintained, with hardly any exposed roots despite running through the woods, making for a smooth and enjoyable ride. There were even a few small features where I could catch a little air. The longest trail at Alpen Blick MTB Park is 2.2 km, a satisfying length that doesn’t leave riders completely exhausted at the end.
[Alpen Blick MTB Park・Course 4]

Ikenotaira also offers a Buggy Cruise & Mountain Cart experience, giving visitors the chance to combine both activities in a single go. A staff member drives and guides participants from the base to a scenic viewpoint, before they descend a dedicated 1.1 km course by mountain cart. I ran into two visitors from Nagano City (pictured) who told me, “It was our first time riding mountain carts, and we had a great time. Once you get the hang of it, it feels like you could drift through the corners and pick up even more speed.”
[Alpen Blick MTB Park・Mountain Cart Course]
　
*Present a season pass from Hakuba Iwatake MTB PARK or YBP (Yuta’s Bike Park) to receive 50% off the regular counter price of a one-day MTB pass!
*Check the calendar for Buggy Cruise & Mountain Cart operating dates.

　
[Alpen Blick MTB Park]
*Place … 2457-1 Sekikawa, Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture
*Period … 2026/4/29 (Wed.) – 11/1 (Sun.)
*Hours … 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (*Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
*Fees … MTB: 1 day – JPY3,900 for 12 y/o and up, JPY2,400 for 11 y/o and up; Half day JPY3,000 for 12 y/o and up, JPY1,800 for 11 y/o and up; 1 hour JPY2,000 for 12 y/o and up, JPY1,200 for ages 11 and up; Buggy Cruise & Mountain Cart: JPY4,000 for 12 y/o and up (JPY3,000 for hotel guests), JPY2,000 for 11 y/o and up (JPY1,500 for hotel guests), JPY1,000 for children (sharing with an adult)
*Rental … Full-suspension bikes JPY8,000, hardtail bikes JPY4,500, helmets from JPY1,000, protectors JPY1,000, gloves JPY500.
　
*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi