Best trails in Yakushima National Park
Yakushima National Park, located in the southeast of Japan, is said to have been formed by the Philippine Sea Plate pushing up granitic magma to form the island and mountains. There are two parks on this island: Yakushima National Park and Kuchinoerabujima (Kirishima-Yaku National Park). Yakushima has lush forests and mountainous areas, and Kuchinoerabu Island is dotted with many active volcanoes and hot springs.
In Yakushima, stroll through the mysterious forest of Shiratani Unsuikyo Gorge and tour Okawa Falls. Mt. Miyanoura, known as the highest peak in Kyushu, is home to a rich forest and many beautiful wild plants and animals. If you would like to experience and deepen your knowledge of the local culture, please visit the local villages that have inherited the tradition of ``mountain pilgrimage'', which involves praying in the mountains to the mountain gods.
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Trail reviews for Yakushima National Park
Beautiful and adventurous hike to the tallest peak on Yakushima island.
You can see Yakushima cedars that have lived for more than 1000 years. It is a mysterious atmosphere.
Easier than advertised under relatively dry conditions, notably because the trail maintenance is excellent, took me a bit less than 7h counting the lunch break and I hike a handful of times a year. It’s important to lookup the mountain bus timetables you need to take to reach the beginning of the trail (even if you have a car) as they leave very early from the Yakushima museum bus stop. If you take the first bus (5:00am) you won’t need to walk past the guided groups which are fairly slow. I had enough energy to checkout the Taiko Iwa rock which is part of the Shiratani Unsuikyo trail and go back to the Arakawa bus stop.