[2025] Recommended for Golden Week! 5 forest bathing and hiking spots in Okayama with beautiful fresh greenery

• Table of Contents
• 1. Okayama Prefectural Forest Park (Kagamino Town)
• 2. Mount Kenashigasen"Cradle Path" (Shinjo Village)
• 3. Rashomon (Niimi City)
• 4. Young Cedar Natural Forest (Nishiawakura Village)
• 5. Mt.Nagi(Nagi Town)

1. Okayama Prefectural Forest Park (Kagamino Town)

It is said to be a treasure trove of rare flowers such as the skunk cabbage, Asian skunk cabbage, and rock lance lily, which are rarely seen in the Chugoku Region, and has hundreds of different kinds of plants. The park is popular with hikers and wild plant fans, with a rich variety of scenery, including mountains around 1,000 meters high, marshes, waterfalls, and clear streams!

Okayama Prefectural Forest Park

708-0601 332-8 Kamisaihara, Kagamino-cho, Tomata-gun, Okayama Prefectu...

This forest park is located on the border with Tottori Prefecture in the Chugoku Mountains at an altitude of 840 to 1,100 meters. The vast 334-hectare grounds are a treasure trove of hundreds of types of flowers. Inside the park, there is a forest of deciduous broad-leaved trees such as beech and Quercus japonica, and you can also see a larch forest, which is rare in the prefecture. Full of highlights, including natural cedar trees that are estimated to be 200 years old, a waterfall with beautiful autumn leaves, and an observation deck with an outstanding view! There are many wild birds such as red-cockaded woodpeckers, parrot tits, and blue-bellied woodpeckers, making it ideal for bird watching.

2. Mount Kenashigasen"Cradle Path" (Shinjo Village)

You can only enter the forest therapy Mori accompanied by a Shinjo Village certified Mori guide. You can walk through the 2km long beech and cedar Mori, enjoying the seasonal flowers and the sound of the babbling brook. Why not try swaying in a hammock at one of the rest spots along the way?

3. Rashomon (Niimi City)

As you walk down the path, you will be enveloped in the cool air of the Mori and a huge limestone arch reaching a height of 40 meters will appear before your eyes. Experience this mystical landscape that has been designated a national natural monument.

Rashomon

719-2732 4484-1 Kusama, Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture

"Rashomon" is an arch-shaped natural bridge with a height of about 40 meters that was created by repeated erosion and uplift of an underground limestone cave, and its scale is overwhelming! It has been designated as a national natural monument, and various rare plants and animals grow naturally in the surrounding area. In addition, at Sakura Park next to the Rashomon parking lot, approximately 700 cherry trees of 10 different types bloom in spring.

4. Young Cedar Natural Forest (Nishiawakura Village)

This is one of the prefecture's leading natural forests, with 199 confirmed species of plants, including giant beech, maple, and Mizunara trees that are over 200 years old. You can enjoy forest bathing while listening to the sounds of birds and the babbling brook.

Wakasugi Natural Forest (Wakasugi Primeval Forest)

1094 Ohaya, Nishiawakura Village, Aida District, Okayama Prefecture 70...

Located at the northernmost tip of Nishiawakura Village, the Wakasugi Primeval Forest is one of the largest natural forests in the Chugoku region, with an area of ​​83 hectares and 199 types of trees, including giant beech, maple, Quercus oak, and horse chestnut. It is designated as a special protection area of ​​Mt. Hyoyamago-Yanagi-yama Quasi-National Park. It is the source of the Yoshino River, a tributary of the Yoshii River, one of the prefecture's three major rivers, and the murmuring of the valley, the sound of swaying trees, and the voices of wild birds and insects harmonize together to form a different world. In 1985, it was the first forest in the prefecture to be selected as one of Japan's top 100 forests for forest bathing, and the promenade is an excellent hiking course. It has become a place of relaxation for visitors.

5. Mt.Nagi(Nagi Town)

Located on the border between Okayama and Tottori prefectures, you can enjoy a wonderful 360-degree view from the summit at an altitude of 1,224m. On a clear day, you can see from the Nihon Sea in the north to the Seto Naikai in the south.

Station at the foot of Mt.Nagi

708-1307 591-1 Takamado, Nagi-cho, Katsuta-gun, Okayama Prefecture

This two-story wooden mountain station is modeled after a traditional Japanese house in the Alps. The warm, relaxing atmosphere of a wooden structure includes a specialty product shop, a restaurant, and various experience and training facilities.

Map of the spots introduced