[Northern Alps] Takamagahara Onsen | A Hidden Hot Spring You Can't Reach in a Day: How to Get There and a Real Mountain Trekking Record

Beyond the quiet ridgeline,
lies a "hot spring that is truly difficult to reach."

That is Takamagahara Onsen.

You cannot get there by car.
You cannot get there by public transport either.
The only way to get there is by hiking.

And—
it takes at least 2 days and 1 night, and typically 4 days and 3 nights.

▶ Click here for the record of the 70km traverse I actually hiked

A hot spring in such a location
was a special experience, even among all my mountain climbing trips.

Introduction

Takamagahara Onsen is a hidden hot spring located almost in the center of the Northern Alps.

It is a distance from any trailhead,
a place said to be "difficult to reach in a single day."

In this article,

・Location and features of Takamagahara Onsen
・Actual hiking route (3 days and 2 nights)
・Required physical fitness and difficulty level
・Local atmosphere and points of caution

are summarized.

I hope this serves as a reference
for those who think, "I want to go there someday."

Trekking Overview

Mountain Name: Takamagahara Onsen (Northern Alps)
Mountain Area:Kurobe River Headwaters (deepest part of the Northern Alps)
Date:August 2 – August 4, 2024
Weather:Sunny for all 3 days

Course (3 days and 2 nights)
Day 1: Shinhotaka → Sugoroku-dake → Mitsumatarenge-dake → Kumonodaira (stay)
Day 2: Kumonodaira → Takamagahara Onsen → Mt. Suisho area → Mitsumata Sanso (stay)
Day 3: Mitsumata Sanso → Sugoroku-dake → Shinhotaka

Distance Traveled:Approx. 70.4km
Time Spent:Approx. 30 hours over 3 days

Physical Difficulty:★★★★★ (For experienced long-distance trekkers)

What is Takamagahara Onsen?

Takamagahara Onsen is a hidden hot spring located at an altitude of about 2,100m.

Located deep in the headwaters of the Kurobe River,
in what is known as the "very center of the Northern Alps."

Spring quality: Simple sulfur spring (hydrogen sulfide type)
Spring temperature: Approx. 51°C
Bathing fee: 300 yen (to the collection box at the mountain hut junction)

There are almost no facilities,
and there are no changing rooms or amenities.

There is a mixed-gender open-air bath and simple gender-segregated baths,
giving the impression of a "hot spring that exists just as it is in nature."

Reason for choosing this mountain

I mainly hike mountains in Shizuoka,
but sometimes I also go on hikes with a "clear destination."

There was only one purpose for this trip.

To bathe in Takamagahara Onsen.

It is a place that takes both distance and time to reach,
but I felt that there was an "experience to be had only there."

Course details and impressions

Shinhotaka to Kumonodaira (Day 1)

On the first day, I departed from the Shinhotaka parking lot, aiming for Kumonodaira, known as the hidden region of the Northern Alps.
As Kumonodaira is a hidden region of the Northern Alps, I headed even further into the interior while keeping Mt. Yari in my sights.

Once you pass Mt. Yari, you can see Mt. Washiba, located in the headwaters of the Kurobe River in the near center of the Northern Alps, standing tall.
Behind it to the left is Mt. Suisho, the deepest part of the Northern Alps.
Even just these two peaks are in quite a difficult location, but I aimed for even further inland.

And finally, I arrived at the hidden region of the Northern Alps, Kumonodaira.
I plan to stay here for one night.

Day 2, descending from Kumonodaira to finally reach Takamagahara Sanso.

And at the junction for Takamagahara Onsen in front of Takamagahara Sanso,
I paid the 300 yen bathing fee.
From here, I walked the 20-minute one-way mountain trail to the hot spring.

Takamagahara Onsen, which I finally reached, was
truly a hot spring that appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the mountains.

▶ Click here for the full itinerary to reach this hot spring (Kumonodaira - Mt. Akaushi)

The building on the left was the men's bath, and the one on the right was the women's bath.
Looking further to the right...

There was a mixed-gender open-air bath.
Can you see the open-air bath on the right?

This is what it looks like when you get closer.
On this day, I had it almost all to myself and enjoyed the open-air bath with a man who happened to be there.

The men's bath looks like this.
The slightly cloudy water was neither too hot nor too cold; it was just right.
It eased the fatigue of the climb, and I was able to relax very comfortably.

It is a 30-minute hike with a slight incline back to the mountain lodge.
I headed in the opposite direction, climbing toward Onsen-zawa no Kashira.

The mixed-gender open-air bath offers maximum openness.
It was a blissful moment filled with a sense of achievement and satisfaction that can only be experienced here.

Even though it is in the same Kurobe area, it has a different charm from Asohara Onsen.
▶︎ Click here for the Asohara Onsen record

Course conditions and points of caution

・All routes are long-distance (over 10 hours one way)

▶ Click here for the actual mountain climbing details: 70km distance, 5000m cumulative elevation gain

・Difficult to escape
・Weather judgment is extremely important
・Miscalculating supply timing leads to significant exhaustion

Points to be especially careful about are here

▶ Kumonodaira to Takamagahara ups and downs
A section that drains more stamina than the distance suggests

▶ The climb back up after the hot spring
A point where you can suddenly get exhausted if you let your guard down

▶ Equipment
Planning for tent stays, cold weather gear, and trail food is crucial

*Information as of 2024

The Shimo-no-Roka trail is famous as a route for walking through such "deep parts of the Kurobe region."
▶︎ Click here for the Shimo-no-Roka log

Reflections

Takamagahara Onsen is
not a place you can go to casually.

That is precisely why,

・The sense of accomplishment upon arriving
・The feeling of actually being there
・The time spent soaking in the hot spring

everything becomes a little bit special.

It is valuable precisely because it is far away.
It was that kind of place.

Related Articles

▶ 5 Courses I'm Glad I Walked in the Northern Alps | Introducing Superb Views, Rocky Ridges, and Deep Wilderness Based on Personal Experience

Walking the Unexplored | Hiking Log Magazine

When walking in the mountains, you sometimes encounter places that leave a stronger impression than the summit.

Hidden stations, hidden hot springs, long suspension bridges, and dams deep in the mountains.

They might not have been the destination for any of them.

Even so, they are places I cannot forget for some reason.

In this magazine, I have compiled records of such "special places I encountered after walking."

▼ Walking through the unexplored region | Mountain climbing log magazine