The MCT is over 1,000 kilometers long, but there is no single way you have to hike and enjoy the trail. You could thru-hike the whole trail over a single season, section hike over a period of time, day hike through one area, do something else–you can pick any style that works for you!

First, you’ll need to do some research about the MCT to see what kind of areas it goes through, and what its courses are like, so you can decide on which section(s) to hike and when to go. You can use this website and other materials as a reference, as well as other resources including the six satellite facilities along the MCT.
You may wonder about whether to hike going north or south. There is no set rule and you can hike in whichever direction you like. For temperature and daylight reasons, hikers walking longer sections tend to go northbound if they’re hiking during a season it will get gradually warmer, and southbound if they’re hiking a season transitioning into colder weather. See appendix “Phenology of the MCT” as a reference on the weather, seasonal products etc. throughout the year to help you decide when and where you’d like to hike.

You will need to have official maps with you to hike the MCT. There is signage along the MCT in some hard to spot turns and intersections, but the signage was installed with the assumption that hikers will use the maps, so you will not be able to follow the course by relying on signage only. The official maps are called “Michinoku Coastal Trail Hiking Map Books” and are published by MCTA. As a supplement to the paper maps, there is a Google Map showing the MCT route and downloadable map data (GPX files) available from the page below.

Online Map, GPS Data: https://mct-a.org/en/hike/route/web/

Also important： before your hike, make sure to check the news page on this website for important safety information about detours, closures and more. You can select the area you plan to hike using the “choose area” drop-down to see up to date info relevant to your trip.

Alerts: https://mct-a.org/en/attention/