Yūhi Falls Trail
Distance: 2.3 km
Duration: 55 minutes (each way) Note: Additional loop to Raitei Falls is another 40 minutes
Parking: Yūhi Falls Parking Lot near the trailhead. (No bus service.)
Trail Overview:
Yūhi Falls Trail leads from the Yūhi Falls Parking Lot to the Hōkō Hekireki Falls, with an optional extension to Raitei Falls. Some parts of this trail are rugged, and hiking shoes are strongly recommended. Notable characteristics of the trail are the rock formations, abundant waterfalls, and the blue coloration of the water––all evidence of volcanic activity in the area.
Highlights:
Sukkan Marsh
The river that runs through the Sukkan Marsh is pale blue. It flows from a caldera lake in the highlands, and minerals, carbonic acid, and other chemical compounds from the volcano are often present in the water. The name “Sukkan” literally means “sour” in reference to the acidity of the water.
Soren Falls
The Soren Falls are on the opposite bank of the river, a short distance from the path. Water gently falls over and through the cracks in a span of rock several meters wide. The resulting streams of water look like a beaded curtain hanging over the rocks.
Nisaburō Falls
Named after the first person to discover the falls, this waterfall has been nicknamed “dancing girl falls” (maihimetaki) because the shape of the falling water as it flares out over the basin is thought to resemble the skirts of a dancing girl.
Yūhi Falls
The falls are surrounded by tall rocks, and the water plunges with great force into a cavernous basin. The falls can be viewed from an observation deck above, and on sunny days the light filters down into the blue water of the deep basin below.
Naginata Rock
This rock formation, which resembles curved Japanese polearms (naginata), is a type of columnar jointing that occurs when lava contracts as it cools.
Raitei Falls
The sound made by the water as it plunges down a 10-meter drop gives this waterfall its name, “thunder falls.”
