Hokkaido Campgrounds and Brown Bears: Closures, Reopenings and Notices at 28 Sites (Checked Oct 13, 2026)

Some campgrounds in Hokkaido have been suspended or temporarily closed because of brown bear sightings or signs. We made this page so you can check, before you leave, what is happening at the campgrounds you plan to visit. We re-read the official municipal or operator pages one by one for 28 facilities that have posted an official notice or warning about brown bears, and recorded the key points and dates of each notice (checked on October 13, 2026).

In short, of the 28 facilities, 8 still have a suspension or closure notice posted or have no notice of it being lifted, 5 reopened after a temporary closure in 2026, 9 are operating normally but have posted a warning, and 6 have notices dated 2025 or earlier. Notices change from day to day. These tables reflect the official pages at the time we checked, so be sure to check the latest situation on each facility’s official page before you go.

• Facilities With Suspension or Closure Notices (8)
• Facilities That Reopened After a Temporary Closure (5)
• Facilities Operating Normally With a Warning (9)
• Past notices (2025 or earlier)
• Precautions When Staying in a Campervan
• FAQ

Facilities With Suspension or Closure Notices (8)

These are facilities whose official pages carry a notice of closure, suspension or end of use because of brown bears, and where we could not find a notice that it had been lifted. “Notice date” is the date written on the official page. For notices whose date does not include a year, we do not assume one.

Facilities That Closed Temporarily in 2026 and Reopened (5)

These facilities closed temporarily because of brown bear sightings or signs and then resumed operation (or the temporary closure ended). Even after reopening, brown bears may still appear in the same place, so read the guidance on measures such as electric fences and patrols before you go.

Facilities Operating Normally With a Warning (9)

These facilities are not suspended, but their official pages carry sighting information or standing warnings. Facilities that have installed electric fences or brown bear deterrent devices, or that ask visitors to carry bear bells and take their trash home, are also included here.

Facilities With Past Notices (2025 or Earlier) (6)

The notices on these official pages date from 2025 or earlier. We could not find a 2026 notice, so check the current situation on the official page or by contacting the facility. At facilities that have closed or ended the season early in the past, extra caution may be needed around the same time of year.

Precautions When Staying in a Campervan

The Hokkaido Regional Forest Office guidance (brown bear precautions when entering forests) says the following. Brown bears are most active in the early morning and evening, and extra care is needed in dense fog or rain, when a brown bear may not notice people. If you throw away leftover lunches, empty cans, plastic bottles, gum or candy, a brown bear can smell them and learn to associate food with people, so it is important to manage food and trash carefully.

On a trip where you sleep in a vehicle, this translates as follows. Keep food and trash inside the vehicle overnight, and either take your trash with you or put it out at the campground’s designated place. Before an early-morning or evening walk, ask at the office about recent sightings. At campgrounds that provide guidance on electric fences or brown bear deterrents, follow that guidance.

You can check sighting information for Hokkaido on the Hokkaido Prefectural Government’s brown bear pages. To search Hokkaido campgrounds by conditions, see our list of Hokkaido campgrounds (with a map and filters for power, RV entry and airport distance), where the notes carry a [Bears] mark.

FAQ

Q1: Can I still stay at a campground that has posted a brown bear notice?

Facilities with a suspension or closure notice cannot be used until a reopening notice is posted. Facilities that are operating normally with a warning can be used, on the condition that you follow the official guidance. In every category, check the current situation on the official page before you go.

Q2: As of when are the notices?

They reflect what we read on each facility’s official page (municipality or operator) on October 13, 2026. The date of each notice is given in the tables. Notices are updated daily, so check again just before you go.

Q3: Is a campground that is not in the tables safe?

Not necessarily. These tables cover only the facilities whose official pages carried a notice or warning about brown bears. Brown bears can appear at campgrounds that are not listed too. At any campground, be careful with food and trash management and with activity in the early morning and evening.