Few companies thrive for more than 60 years, and even fewer are led by three generations of the same family. Snow Peak’s rich family heritage keeps them connected to their origins and inspires innovation. Through more than six decades, they’ve remained centered on the healing power of nature and the rejuvenation it offers. With this belief and their customers’ happiness as their North Star, the future is bright.
In 1958, Snow Peak was founded by Yukio Yamai in the Niigata Prefecture of Japan. After returning to his hometown after World War II, Yukio found solace in climbing Mt. Tanigawa, known for its treacherous and rugged terrain. He repeatedly challenged himself on its mountainside and was rejuvenated by the pure experience under the open sky. He wrote in his journal:
“We link our lives together by a single rope, and it gives us such a beautiful sense of trust in each other. It is such a pure thing. If we could capture the feeling and harness it for the good of society, certainly everything bad or evil would fall away.”
Yamai was dissatisfied with the climbing gear available. So, he founded a climbing equipment company that would become Snow Peak, creating his own line of mountaineering products leveraging the skilled metal craftsman in his hometown of Tsubame-Sanjo.
Snow Peak established a presence in the USA in 1999 and began wholesale distribution out of a garage in Gresham, Oregon. In the two decades since, Snow Peak USA has evolved from its humble beginnings into an influential national presence with a deepening focus on hospitality and experiences. Today Snow Peak has retail stores in Portland, Oregon, and New York City, an innovative restaurant, and a forthcoming campfield.
In 2020, Snow Peak opened HQ4, its North American Headquarters in Portland, Oregon. Located on NW 23rd Avenue, HQ4 encompasses our Flagship Retail Store, event space, corporate offices, and restaurant, Takibi. In 2021, Snow Peak announced its first U.S. campfield in Long Beach, Washington, scheduled to open in 2023. Nestled on 25 wooded acres on the scenic peninsula, the Long Beach Campfield will bring the Snow Peak brand to life like never before and offer a reimagined camping experience.
In the years ahead, Snow Peak is furthering its footprint in the USA with new retail, food and beverage, and hospitality expansions- all with the shared mission of creating restorative outdoor experiences that alleviate the stresses of modern life and reconnect us to the rhythms of nature.
