Gokurakuji Onsen Arcadia Village

There’s a nice picnic area overlooking the farms and mountains, and the place is close to town, cheap, and rarely crowded. There’s also a small souvenir shop inside. I haven’t stayed at the inn. The onsen itself wasn’t the greatest. The outside looks great and parking is good, but there was mold on the ceilings and garbage floating in the outdoor bath. I heard the women’s restrooms were dirty, though the men’s restroom was fine. I’ll go back, but when I have time I’ll choose other onsens.

At ¥600 now, it was a very enjoyable visit. There’s a hot sauna, cold water onsen, hot water onsen, and a small outdoor onsen, plus a spot to brush your teeth and shave. I’ll come back.

Block A is for tents only, with no cars allowed, and has room for six tents. The toilets were clean and there are coin-operated showers too. It could become a popular base for people climbing Mt. Gokurakuji. 👍 I used Arcadia Village Campground for the first time because of the weather forecast. I already knew the route from when it was a hot spring facility: I’d hiked here, soaked in the baths, eaten at the restaurant, then taken the free shuttle bus down the mountain. That had been a really relaxing outing. We’d hiked from Miyajima SA via Mt. Gokurakujiyama and set off for a mountain camping trip. For officially recognized mountain camping in the Chugoku region, Mt. Azuma’s Ozenhara Campground may be the only option. Car-accessible campgrounds with hiking routes include Mt. Noro and Arcadia Village. Since I knew the way, the hike itself was worry-free, but maybe not many people hike this route. From Sakura no Sato, the ground felt rough, and fallen trees made parts of the stairs down to Arcadia Village hard to walk. Mountain camping here is a rare opportunity, so the route is good and I wish they’d made some improvements.

I had a great time day camping! After pitching my tent and spending the night, I imagined an amazing morning waiting for me, and I’m sure it was even better than I expected. Clean campsite toilets are such a nice thing. And maybe this is cheating, but they sell ice cream even up here in the mountains!