Mt. Fuji Forest Trail

For most visitors to Japan, reaching the summit of Mt. Fuji is a must-do. In order to achieve that, most will follow the popular trails which typically begin at the 5th station. However, if one is fit and able, you can begin from the very bottom of the mountain itself,. traversing upwards from the 1st to the 5th stations. These lower stations pass through the lesser well-known, Mt.Fuji Natural Recreation Forest Trail.

Trail sign.

I started at the bottom of the Fujinomiya trail, which begins across the road from the main parking area, called Mizugazuka Park. A large map and signpost can be found at the start of the trail head. From here, hikers can enjoy a very quiet stroll through Mt.Fuji's forest on a slightly muddy trail. 

Start of this trail. Note: The Mt. Fuji Natural Recreation Forest Trail has many trails of varying lengths and difficulties. Most surround the base of Mt.Fuji and are good for a day hike. 

For those who can, it is best to access this trail at Mizugazuka Park via car or taxi from Gotemba station. 

The trail itself is nothing like Mt.Fuji's volcanic ash and stone - it's lush and quite rugged, so waterproof hiking shoes are recommended -- and certainly not ones you don't mind getting too dirty! The trail is not well marked in some places. Be sure to look out for the red blazes (red ribbons or bands tied to trees) which guide the way. Sometimes, you will see white painted arrows on stones after you break the treeline; these also mark the trail way.

Deep inside, on the trail. 

I covered this hike in late October 2016, so the last of the autumn leaves were out. It made for a nice photo...

The hike is challenging in some spots. Shortly after breaking the treeline (near the 4th station), the trail became very steep and rocky as if you were hiking in a gavel pit. Also, on this day the weather was extremely windy and cold, so there were a few times when I thought I should turn back. However, I managed to make it to the 5th station and got a photo...

This is usually the start of the Mt.Fuji summit route for most hikers: Fujinomiya Trail 5th station.

To get to the 5th station, the hiking time was approximately 4 hours one way, with a short 20 minute stop for lunch. From here, as it was getting late and would be dark soon, I decided to take the road back down, which proved to be safer and just as scenic....

View of a lightly-dusted Mt.Fuji - from the road which snakes up to Fujinomiya 5th station.

 As you walk along the road down, you will pass by more station markers, such as the one below, marking the elevation level...

The Japanese reads: Please be careful returning (home).

Near the end of the road, you can get a photo at the official entrance to the Mt.Fuji National Park and nearby, a distance marker shows the lengthy distance one must walk to get to the 5th station....

Entrance to Fuji National Park (usually accessed by bus only).

As you can see from the sign above, from the base camp to the 5th station, the Fujinomiya Mt.Fuji Natural Recreation Forest Trail is 13 kilometers long (=8 miles) and takes 8~9 hours up and back.  

For those who want to appreciate the full beauty of Japan's most iconic mountain, the Mt.Fuji Natural Recreation Forest hiking trail is recommended. 

Enjoy hiking!

Information: 

I could not find information in English about this trail. Instead, I tried to find two sites which should be easy to navigate for non-Japanese speakers. 

Mt.Fuji Natural Forest Hiking Map (Japanese): 

There are lots of pictures and a large easy map.    ~    LINK

Susuno City Tourist Association (Japanese): 

Try using Google Translate to read the information here. There is a fantastic photo gallery to give you an idea of the trail and trail markers.    ~    LINK 

This hike was completed on October 31st 2016.