Start your mountain bike ride in the morning, approximately one hour after you’re picked up by air-conditioned minivan from Sapporo. Upon arrival at the Nopporo Forest Park, you’re fitted with a mountain bike, helmet and gloves. Once you receive safety precautions and instructions on basic mountain biking skills, follow your guide along a mostly dirt road on a loop trail through pristine flatland forest. Cycle past old-growth trees, where you may spot deer, squirrels, Japanese hares, Hokkaido salamanders, and native foxes, among other critters, that inhabit the wildlife sanctuary. Napporo Forest Park is home to 140 species of birds, including kingfisher and kumagera (black woodpecker), the world’s largest woodpecker with enough beak power to be heard throughout a forest. Glimpse mountain tracks that experienced racers use for practice, and check out the 60-foot-high (100-meter) Hokkaido Centennial Memorial Tower, where you can enjoy the panoramic view of Sapporo city from outside the observatory. Your half-day tour ends with the return drive to Sapporo with drop-off at the train station or a nearby hotel.