Shiogama Camping Village
Shiogama Camping Village is a modern camping and glamping facility nestled at the foot of Mt. Naka-Hiruzen. Opened in July 2018, this pet-friendly recreation area has four different campgrounds, each offering a different level of luxury. “A” Camp contains fully equipped teepee or lodge tents for glamping on the ground, while “D” Camp features spacious, furnished glamping pods erected on stilts and partially suspended from the trees. For campers seeking a more rugged outdoor experience, “C” Camp has unfurnished tents already set up, and “B” Camp is a broad glade dotted with craggy boulders and space for freestyle camping with personal gear or rented equipment.
An on-site shop rents everything campers could possibly need, from sleeping bags to cooking gear—even board games and lawn toys for the kids. Guests also have access to showers and laundry facilities that are open 24 hours. Drinks and popular foods like locally made Jersey-beef sausages are available, sold individually or as part of complete barbecue-ready meals. Visitors can also dine at the Shiogama Restaurant, which serves dishes made with Hiruzen-grown produce like the area’s famous daikon radishes. A food stand called Shiogama-dō offers sweets, shaved ice, and fresh-brewed coffee made with Shiogama spring water.
Within the campground, guests can relax by the shady Shiogama Spring or test their balance and agility in the treetop obstacle course: a 7-meter-high, four-story play structure of huts, ropes, swings, and nets suspended between the trees. There is also a dog run for those traveling with canine companions.
Rental bikes are available for trips into town or for touring the Hiruzen area on Maniwa’s nearly 30-kilometer-long bike trail. Near Shiogama Spring is a trailhead that leads to the summit of Mt. Naka-Hiruzen (a distance of 2.7 km). From there, branch trails lead west to Mt. Kami-Hiruzen (1.6 km) or east to Mt. Shimo-Hiruzen (3.1 km), giving campers easy access to all three of Hiruzen’s most famous peaks.