Sounkyo Canyon
Ishikari river carved the earth for a long time and made this valley.
Mt. Taisetsu is the highest mountain in Hokkaido and Mt. Taisetsu National Park is the largest park in Japan.
You can across this national park from north to south with this route.
When you ride at Sounkyo canyon, you will see a series of vertical cliffs for 24km on both sides of the road.
These white cliffs are 200m high and they look like the columns of the Parthenon.
This mystical landscape is made by eruption of Mt. Taisetsu.
When Mt. Taisetsu erupted a long ago, a lot of lava covered this area.
After the eroution, Ishikari river has eroded the lava for 3,0000 years and created Sounkyo canyon.
Sounkyo Hot spring Town
Sounkyo hot spring town is surrounded by the mountains.
There are several hot spring inns at Sounkyo, and you can take a hot spring either with stay or without staying.
You will be relaxed and refreshed by taking a bath with spectacular view.
Also, you can find some restaurants at the square and inside of hotels.
Ryusei and Ginga Water falls
Right is Ryusei waterfall, left is Ginga waterfall.
These beautiful water falls drop 120m from Mt. Taisetsu.
Ginga fall is thin and grace like a silk, Ryusei fall is thick and dynamic.
They are very close to each other, but you cannot watch them at the same time from the parking.
You need to go up to an observatory to watch them at the same time, it takes 15 minutes by the stairs.
Sounkyo Cableway
It is also nice to enjoy hiking and feel a wonderful nature at Mt. Taisetsu. You can easily go up by a cableway from the town.
A lot of wild animals are living in the mountain, such as deer, brown bear, owl and fox...
Native people of Hokkaido (called "Ainu") regarded these animals as gods and called Mt. Taisetsu "Kamui-mintara", it means the playground of the gods.
Mikuni peak
The view from Mikuni peak. This is the most spectacular view in Hokkaido.
After going through Sounkyo canyon, you will enter the core of Mt. Taisetsu National Park.
The road passes by Lake Taisetsu and forests of white birch.
After a short tunnel, you will reach the Mikuni peak, it is highest peak in Hokkaido (1139m of altitude).
There is a small cafe, so let's have a short brake.
You can see a broad forest as far as you can see from there.
This area was famous in forestry until 80 years ago. Many people lived there and they carried woods out by a rail way.
Still you can see its remnants of the rail way bridge in Lake Nukabira.