Zao Echo Line — Okama CraterDrive.

Distance

120 km

Duration

1 day

Climb

1,400 m

Clone in App Share

Curated by Rider · Updated Jun 2026

Overview

Zao Echo Line — Okama Crater Drive.

The Zao Echo Line is one of Tohoku's finest mountain toll roads, climbing 26 km of hairpins from the volcanic spa town of Zao Onsen to the Okama Crater Lake — a 325 m-wide caldera famous for its colour-shifting emerald water. The road is open late April to early November and offers spectacular snow walls in spring, lush green in summer, and blazing autumn foliage before winter closes it.

Quick facts

SurfacePaved

Distance120 km

Days1

Total climb1,400 m

DifficultyChallenging

Loading map...

Day-by-day

The route.

ROUTE

6 stops

YamagataStart · Start in Yamagata. Fuel up here — the mountain road has no petrol stations once you enter the Echo Line toll section.

Zao OnsenScenic Point · Famous ski resort and onsen town at the foot of Mt Zao. The water is so acidic it corrodes metal — do not put jewellery in the baths. Entrance to the Echo Line toll road is just above town.

Okama Crater LakeMountain Pass · The 1,841 m summit holds the Okama — a 325 m-wide crater lake nicknamed the Five-Colour Pond for its shifts between emerald, jade, and turquoise depending on volcanic activity and light. Nothing can survive in the hyper-acidic water. Snow walls can reach 8 m in early spring.

Zao High Line JunctionPhoto Spot · Branch point for the Zao High Line extension. The 3.6 km spur adds sweeping southward views toward Fukushima and the full crater panorama — worth the small extra toll on a clear day.

Togatta OnsenRestaurant · Descending the steep Miyagi side, stop at Togatta Onsen for a bowl of local Zao soba and a short soak before the final valley run. Stay in low gears — the gradient is steep and catches out visiting riders.

More routes in Japan

Tsuwano & Iwami Ginzan — Shimane Heritage Highland LoopJP · 155 km Sado Island Circuit — Niigata Gold Mine & Senkaku BayJP · 270 km Mt Daisen & Sakaiminato — Tottori Sacred Mountain LoopJP · 115 km Aizu Wakamatsu & Mt Bandai — Lake Inawashiro Caldera LoopJP · 165 km Echizen Coast & Tojinbo — Fukui Sea of Japan CliffsJP · 190 km Shodoshima Island Circuit — Olive Island & Kanka-kei GorgeJP · 85 km

Save this ride. Open the app.

Clone it to your planner, customize dates and stops, then ride. All free.

Get the app More routes →

Open in MotoVault

Navigate this route with GPS

Open