Ryugadake 1099m is one of the Suzuka mountains in Mie and an easy dayhike from Nagoya. The mountain is accessible year round and not too difficult in winter. On a nice day you have beautiful views from the top and around the trailhead are lots of waterfalls.
⏲︎ Time: 6h
✎ Kanji: 竜ヶ岳
⚲ Location: Mie
↔ Distance: 10km
✮ Difficulty: Easy
ᨒ Elevation Gain: 970m
☀ Dayhike
☉ Hiking Season: April
to November
Access
Public Trabsportation
There is currently no public transportation access for Ryugadake and you will need to take a taxi from the nearest station (Daian).
Taxis in the area are limited, so it's best to make a reservation beforehand (Tel: 0594-72-2727) Cost should be around 2500¥.
Car
Park your car at Ugakei Campground. Parking is 500¥.
There are toilets, a visitor center and a small cafe at the trailhead. Trail donation is 200¥.
Trail description
There are a couple of trails to Ryugadake that start from this trailhead, here described is the Loop course (周回コース).
Start from the parking lot and walk towards the mountain along a forest road.
We took the Ensoku ridge up (遠足尾根) and the Kaniyama ridge down (金山尾根).
I would recommend following that direction as you'll have nice views of Ryugadake going up.
The Ensoku ridge is the first trail that branches off the forest road and is easy to spot. Just before it is a little stand that might have logs and materials that need to be carried up for maintenance. If you're up for a challenge you can carry one of the logs and help the volunteers which are maintaining and improving the trail.
The first part of the trail winds through the forest. You'll climb the majority of the elevation gain in this section, so it's a bit steep. Once you get out of the forest, you'll have beautiful views of the ridgeline and the Suzuka mountains. The trail is not difficult, mostly forest trail with a couple of rocky sections.
The peak is a flat plateau, perfect for a lunch break and to enjoy the views. Since it's flat and open it can get hot in summer and cold when windy.
To go down, backtrack to a junction you passed earlier. The Kaniyama ridge is shorter and therefore steeper but no problem even for beginners.
The last section back to the forest road has some waterfalls and if you go in summer you can cool off.
Just before the forest road, one of the hanging bridges got washed away and you'll have to cross the river on 3 wooden logs. If the water levels are very high you'll need to be careful.
Is it possible to trail run the mountain and do it in a day starting from Daian Station