Sugadairakogen Pine Beak Ski Area
Overview
Sugadairakogen Pine Beak belongs to the Mac Earth Group, a Japanese operator that bundles several regional ski areas under one shared season pass rather than running each mountain as a standalone business. On the Sugadaira plateau in Nagano Prefecture, that ownership model supports a compact operation: six chairlifts, with no rope tows or carpets in the mix, serving 29 mapped runs over 15.85 kilometers of trail. The mountain climbs 381.5 meters from a 1,252.3-meter base to a 1,633.8-meter summit, elevations that keep it well above the valley floor even by Nagano standards.
What sets Pine Beak apart from many of its Nagano neighbors is how strongly its terrain skews toward beginners. Of the 15.85 total kilometers mapped, 9.84 kilometers, close to two-thirds, are graded easy, dwarfing the 4.16 kilometers of intermediate and just 1.84 kilometers of advanced trail. That distribution, combined with six lifts feeding only 29 runs, describes a resort built for learners, families, and casual skiers taking repeated short laps rather than one aimed at experts chasing steep lines. The resort’s own site backs that reliability angle with a claim of an 80 percent clear-day rate paired with stable machine-made snow, marketing points aimed squarely at visitors who want predictable, groomable conditions over deep powder days.
Location works in the resort’s favor for regional day-trippers: Ueda, a city of roughly 157,000, sits just 13.4 kilometers away, and Nagano city itself is only 18.5 kilometers further, an unusually tight radius compared to many rural Japanese ski areas that sit an hour or more from any population center. Matsumoto, home to Shinshu-Matsumoto Airport, is 44.5 kilometers out, with the airport itself 52.6 kilometers from the slopes; travelers arriving from overseas more commonly route through Tokyo Haneda, 170.9 kilometers away.
On site, Pine Beak runs a children’s area called Smile Park, a race center built around pole-training facilities, equipment rental, and its own ski school, all consistent with a mountain oriented toward local families and season-pass regulars rather than international destination travelers. No multi-resort pass beyond Mac Earth’s own network currently lists Pine Beak among partner mountains, so lift access for most visitors runs through that regional pass or standalone day tickets sold from the resort’s web store.
The resort also maintains lodging and restaurant facilities directly on site, along with parking for visitors arriving by car from Ueda or the Suzaka direction, and it publishes live camera feeds so prospective skiers can check slope and weather conditions before making the trip. Season pass sales for the coming winter typically open on October 1st through the Mac Earth network’s shared web store, which also handles merchandise sales alongside ticketing, reflecting how tightly Pine Beak’s day-to-day operations are integrated into the wider Mac Earth group rather than run as a standalone business.
Key stats
Official website — Last checked 2026-09-14
Lifts by type
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| chair lift | 6 |
Runs by difficulty
| Difficulty | Distance |
|---|---|
| easy | 9.84 km |
| advanced | 1.84 km |
| intermediate | 4.16 km |
Maps
View official Sugadairakogen Pine Beak Ski Area trail map (image) →
Run & lift overview
Sugadairakogen Pine Beak Ski Area: 29 runs, 6 lifts. Drawn from OpenStreetMap run and lift data — not the official Sugadairakogen Pine Beak Ski Area trail map. © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenSkiMap (ODbL).
Typical conditions by month
Monthly conditions data for Sugadairakogen Pine Beak Ski Area is not yet available.
Lift tickets & passes
Sugadairakogen Pine Beak Ski Area has no multi-resort pass affiliations on record.
Getting there
Nearest airports
- Shinshu-Matsumoto Airport (MMJ) — 52.6 km straight-line
- Toyama Kitokito Airport (TOY) — 101.5 km straight-line
- Noto Satoyama Airport (NTQ) — 147.7 km straight-line
Nearest cities
- Ueda, Nagano — 13.4 km straight-line
- Nagano, Nagano — 18.5 km straight-line
- Matsumoto, Nagano — 44.5 km straight-line
Also covered by
Where to stay
A dedicated lodging guide for Sugadairakogen Pine Beak Ski Area is not yet available.
Nearby resorts
- Sugadaira Kogen Davos Hill Ski Area — 4 km straight-line, 272.8 m vertical
- Kazawa Snow Area — 12 km straight-line, 316.4 m vertical
- Palcall Tsumagoi Resort Ski & Hotel — 13 km straight-line, 702.6 m vertical
- Yunomaru — 14 km straight-line, 236.3 m vertical
- Manza Onsen — 22 km straight-line, 298 m vertical
FAQ
- Who operates Sugadairakogen Pine Beak Ski Area?
- The resort is part of the Mac Earth Group network, a chain of Japanese ski areas sold together under a shared regional season pass, rather than an independently run mountain. Season pass sales for the network typically open on October 1st ahead of each winter, according to the resort's own site.
- How many lifts and runs does Pine Beak have?
- Six chairlifts, and no other lift types, serve 29 mapped runs across 15.85 kilometers of trail on the Sugadaira plateau in Nagano Prefecture. The absence of any rope tows or magic carpets is notable for a resort with this much beginner-graded terrain, since chairlifts alone handle all uphill access.
- Is Pine Beak a good choice for beginner skiers?
- Easy terrain makes up 9.84 of the resort's 15.85 total kilometers, close to two-thirds, well ahead of the 4.16 kilometers of intermediate and 1.84 kilometers of advanced trail, which points to a mountain weighted heavily toward first-timers and casual skiers. No expert or novice-specific categories are broken out separately in the trail data, with everything falling into the three broader easy, intermediate, and advanced bands.
- What's the vertical drop at Pine Beak?
- The mountain rises 381.5 meters from a 1,252.3-meter base to a 1,633.8-meter summit, a moderate elevation gain for a Nagano-area area built primarily around learner and cruising terrain. Both the base and summit sit well above 1,200 meters, keeping the resort at a higher plateau elevation than many lower-lying Japanese ski areas.
- Does Pine Beak claim reliable snow conditions?
- The resort's own site advertises an 80 percent clear-day rate combined with stable machine-made snow coverage, positioning consistent conditions as one of its selling points. That combination of sunny weather and reliable artificial snowmaking is marketed as an advantage over resorts more dependent on natural snowfall alone.
- What's the closest city to Pine Beak?
- Ueda, population roughly 157,000, is remarkably close at just 13.4 kilometers, with the city of Nagano itself 18.5 kilometers away. Matsumoto, a larger city of around 241,000, is a bit further at 44.5 kilometers, rounding out the three closest population centers.
- How do you fly into the area near Pine Beak?
- Shinshu-Matsumoto Airport is the nearest option at 52.6 kilometers, while Tokyo Haneda functions as the resort's long-haul gateway at 170.9 kilometers for international visitors. Toyama Kitokito Airport, at 101.5 kilometers, offers a secondary regional alternative on the Sea of Japan side.
- Does Pine Beak have facilities for families?
- Yes, the resort runs a dedicated kids' area called Smile Park alongside a race center with a pole-training setup, rental services, and an on-site ski school. Lodging and restaurant facilities are also available directly on site, along with parking for visitors driving in from Ueda or Nagano.
Data sources
Last verified: 2026-09-17
Base facts from OpenSkiMap (ODbL), OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata (CC0), OurAirports (public domain) and GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). See /data-sources/.