When is autumn at Daisetsuzan?

When should I go to see red color leaves at Daisetsuzan 2014?

Sept to Oct

In average years late Sept for Asahidake, Ginsendai and Daisetsu Kogen whereas for Sounkyo Gorge it is around early Oct.

Thx u so much 4 your answers.
I plan to go to Hokkaido about 8 days.Besides Daisetsuzan If I want to see red color leaves in Sapporo,Otaru,Niseko,Noboribetsu,Toya and Akodate.
(they are the south of Daisetsuzan) I should go there in late Sep to early Oct,right?

Koyo "moves" north to south. Autumn foliage season for region south of Sapporo comes later than Daisetsuzan National Park. For area around Sapporo and Niseko it is around mid Oct whereas for Onuma Quasi National Park and Hakodate it is around late Oct.

Thanks William5 very much^^
It is impossible to see koyo from Daisetsuzan to Hagodate within my 8 days trip TT

During the late Sept/early Oct weekends, will Asahidake be very crowded with people rushing to see autumn leaves? Am planning to drive there on the weekends, but concerned about crowds. Will there be traffic jams, problems finding parking etc? Thanks.

Traffic should not be a problem, parking may be slightly more difficult if you arrive late in the day so try to arrive early in the morning.

Note that direct driving to Ginsendai and Daisetsu Kogen is not allowed during the season. One has to take a shuttle from Sounkyo.

Thanks for your advice William. I am intending to do the ropeway and then drive straight on to Biei to spend the night.

Do you think it's possible to do Asahiyama Zoo and Asahidake Ropeway in one day and then drive on to Biei?

As far as driving time on the road it should be quite feasible. From Asahidake to Asahiyama Zoo it is about 60-70 min drive, and from the zoo to Biei it is just slightly over half an hour. Of course you have to figure in the actual time you intend to take in Asahidake such as whether there is any planned trekking/hiking on top of the mt and also how much time you want to stay in Asahiyama Zoo.

BTW, it would be a pity just to go for the Asahiyama Zoo and miss out Asahikawa. Even without taking in the town sites Asahikawa is worth a visit for its famous and popular Hokkaido ramen. We love ramen and together with those in Kagoshima (Kyushu) would rate Asahikawa ramen the best in Japan! Ramen Mura is a good place to try out different stores - we like it so much that we went there on 2 separate trips.