(大台ヶ原山) Odaigahara Hike

3 hours hike, 8 hour travel time. For those looking for a stroll similar to Hachimantai and Utsukushigahara, then this is the right mountain for you. If you are looking for a hike and not peak bagging the hyakumeizan, then skip this hike OR go a roundabout trip from Mie at Osugi Gorge. 

Budget: JPY5,540 (~USD53)

• JPY5,540. Pass, Kyoto Station to Odaigahara Visitor Center.

Hike Date / Difficulty (Elevation: 1,695m / 5,561ft)

• May 23, 2021
• Difficulty: 1 out of 5
• Route below is around 7.2kilometers, with an elevation change of ▲600m/ ▽600m
• Map Link

When to Go
Throughout the year, I assume, but buses are only running mid-April to mid-November.

Special Notes

• Weather check: English / Japanese
• The summit is called Hinode-ga-take (日出ヶ岳).
• Trailhead: 
• Osugi Gorge (大杉峡谷登山口). A rather long trail past the waterfalls that a girl I sat next to used. She said they hiked about five hours the day before, stayed in the paid hut, then hiked up Odaigahara the next day to take the bus back. (yamap shows about 8 hours one way from trailhead to the summit)
• There's a "taxi" that goes to this trailhead at JPY3,000 one way, but requires a minimum of 10 people. Pick up is in the area close to Misedani Station (三瀬谷駅) in Mie. 
• Odaigahara Visitor Center. Google maps pin. If you'll noticein the map above, there are a couple of trails to take, but they all meet up at Odaigahara Visitor Center, which is also accessible via bus. This is a very touristy place with a huge parking lot.
• Train, Kyoto Station to Yamatokamiichi Station, 117 minutes, JPY1,770 one way.
• Bus, Yamato-Kamiichi Station (大和上市駅) to Odaigahara Visitor Center (大台ヶ原), JPY2,050 one way. There's just one bus every day, and for 2020, it ran from April 18 to November 23.
• Based on Kyoto Station as starting point, the total fare would be JPY7,640. The rail company sells a roundtrip package ticket at JPY5,540. 
• Different starting points available, and can be bought on the day. Tickets sold on stations listed here, including business hours. Just go to the stations listed there and look for the counter for Kintentsu (近畿日本鉄道).  Credit cards accepted. 
• If coming from Nara Park, the closest station I can find to buy the ticket is Yamato-saidaiji Station (大和西大寺駅)

Bus schedule, Yamato-Kamiichi Station (大和上市駅) < > Odaigahara (大台ヶ原)


Itinerary

• 06:54am. Train, Kyoto Station to Yamatokamiichi Station.
• 08:51am. ETA: Yamatokamiichi Station
• 09:00am. Bus, Yamatokamiichi Station to Odaigahara
• 10:51am. ETA: Odaigahara Visitor Center. Start hike.
• 12:00pm. ETA: Summit.
• 02:30pm. Back at Odaigahara Visitor Center.
• 03:30pm. Bus, Odaigahara Visitor Center to Yamatokamiichi Station.
• 05:23pm. ETA: Yamatokamiichi Station.

Actual Log

• 06:54am. Train, Kyoto Station to Yamatokamiichi Station.
• 08:49am. Arrived at Yamatokamiichi Station
• 09:00am. Bus, Yamatokamiichi Station to Odaigahara
• 10:36am. Arrived at Odaigahara Visitor Center. I took some pictures, went to the visitor center to confirm if I cannot fly a 199g drone (I can't), then started hike.
• 11:30am. Arrived at the summit. Took a lot of pictures and completed my loop.
• 02:33pm. Back at Odaigahara Visitor Center.
• 03:30pm. Bus, Odaigahara Visitor Center to Yamatokamiichi Station.
• 05:08pm. Arrived at Yamatokamiichi Station. Took the train back to Kyoto, and was done! Yey!

Got my tickets! All FIVE of them. Well, just four. 

The bus at Yamato-Kamiichi. 

Gorgeous view from the bus, so make sure you get the window seat!

Yep, I enjoyed that ride. 

Sorry, last pic. 

Ok, finally at Odaigahara!

Huge parking lot. The trailhead is across the parking lot, to the left of the visitor center that you can see here. 

Closer to the entrance....

The course information. Elevation gain, distance...

No drones allowed. :(

A fork on the road, I just followed the signs to 大台ケ原

Pretty flat. 

With a hint of stairs. 

Almost at the summit! That deck is the summit. 

Looking down from the deck. 

The surrounding area. 

Summit marker. 

Descending. 

Planks/stairs everywhere!

It was a gorgeous stroll. 

With some little hills. 

Almost at the top of this hill. 

There's a bench at the top for people wanting to picnic. 

Descending now to continue my loop. 

Beautiful, isn't it? 

Descending.....

Was a bit surprised the planks were over. 

A rest stop on the way. 

The planks are back!

Don't know what this is. But people were taking pictures so I did too. 

Continuing on. 

A big fork. Plenty of people resting here. To the left was a cliff. 

A bit of a rock scramble to get there. 

There's a loooong line for the picture at the edge of this cliff. 

I was right behind this couple. I took a pic, then moved on. 

Looking back at the long line 

Back to the trail. 

Some flowers on the trail. I think these are the flowers that are also in the Mt. Amagi trail?

Crossing a long bridge. 

Looking back at the bridge. 

Continuing my hike. 

Some stairs up. 

The last leg of my hike. 

Falling in line for the bus back.