The earliest place on Honshu to turn red is now showing off it’s splendor!

If you come up this way- you can reach the summit area shown in these photos from the trailhead near Matsukawaso Hot Springs. The trail starts out a bit steep, but after about 20 minutes of climbing the trail flattens out a bit and the rest of the way to the lodge isn’t too challenging.

The Mitsuishi Lodge has a couple of bathrooms and is a nice spot for a lunch or a break. From there, it’s just a short 1km climb up to the summit itself.

Ambitious hikers could continue past the summit to make the 15km loop known as the “Ura Iwate Traverse” and enjoy stunning views from Komokkodake, Obukadake, and Gentagatake. This longer hike would likely take 6 to 8 hours depending on your pace, so allow for time to get back before dark.

If you’re just going from Matsukawa Hot Springs to the summit and back, that is likely going to take about 2 hours to get there, and a bit less for the return trip.

This weekend, and basically the entire fall color season, is going to be very crowded here, so you’ll want to leave very early in the morning to get a parking spot if you’re driving. It’s worth it though!