Walking the Pokémon Forest: Distance, Stairs and What to Wear

The Pokémon Forest is the part of PokéPark KANTO you walk through. It is a course of about 500 m (the English site says “over 1,600 feet”) through hilly paths, tall grass, tunnels and rocky trails, where Pokémon are placed as if living in the wild. The official guide says the walk takes about an hour. It includes a 110-step staircase, has no toilets, and the park asks you to wear clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. Trainer’s Pass holders get one timed entry with no re-entry, so go to the toilet and fill your water bottle before you start.

The walk at a glance

	What the official site says
Length	About 500 m (over 1,600 ft)
Time	About 1 hour
Big climb	110 steps in one place, with handrails
Terrain	Hills, tall grass, tunnels, rocky trails
Toilets	None inside the Forest
Age	5 and over on the day

Before you go in

You enter both the Forest and Sedge Town through the Pokémon Research Lab (セッコク博士研究所), at the end of the PokéPark Entrance Plaza. Staff check your pass here.

• Your time slot. Trainer’s Pass holders can only enter during the slot on their ticket. Ace Trainer’s Pass holders can come and go.
• Toilets. Use the ones before the Forest. The FAQ says there are none inside.
• Drinks. Bottles and cans are on the prohibited items list for the PokéPark KANTO area, along with outside food. Buy drinks inside: there are original bottled drinks and vending machines.
• No selfie sticks, tripods or monopods. They aren’t allowed anywhere in the area.
• Rain. The Forest opens in rain. The FAQ even suggests watching how Pokémon act in it. Severe weather can close it.

Section by section

The official site doesn’t publish a section-by-section course map. The order below is a framework to fill in on the day.

1. The gentle start

The first part of the course is the “relatively gently sloped area” the official site mentions. A stairlift helps wheelchair users into it.

2. Tall grass and hills

The official description mentions Pokémon from the Kanto region and beyond running, battling and sharing berries.

3. Tunnels and rocky trail

4. The 110-step staircase

The official notes say the 110 steps are in one place, with handrails. You have to go down part of the staircase as part of the course. In an emergency, staff may ask you to climb it. This is why the park asks that everyone can manage it alone.

5. Out to Sedge Town

Trainer’s Pass holders can’t go back into the Forest after this point. Sedge Town is yours for the rest of the day. See Sedge Town (Kayatsuri Town).

What to wear and bring

	Advice
Shoes	Sneakers or walking shoes. The official site says shoes not suited to long walks aren’t recommended.
Clothes	Comfortable, loose, and fine to get dirty. Avoid clothing that could be mistaken for a staff uniform. The rules mention this.
Rain	A raincoat, not an umbrella, keeps your hands free on the stairs.
Bag	A small backpack. Suitcases and rolling luggage aren’t allowed in PokéPark KANTO.
Phone	Charged. The Forest is also a Pokémon GO area (see Pokémon GO at PokéPark KANTO).

Who should skip the Forest

The official restrictions mean these visitors can’t enter:

• children under 5 on the day, even if carried
• anyone who can’t safely go up and down the 110 steps alone
• pregnant visitors
• anyone who has been drinking
• anyone with a condition, such as heart disease, that the walk could make worse

For them, the Town Pass covers everything in Sedge Town. Details are in PokéPark KANTO tickets and PokéPark KANTO with kids under 5.

Our notes from the walk