Ryūōkyō Gorge

photo by alonfloc · CC BY 3.0

photo by Kanohara ( talk ) · Public domain

Volcanic rock 22 million years old: 3 km of gorge, free to walk, between two spa towns.

The Kinugawa River has cut for about 3 kilometres through volcanic rock dating back 22 million years, between the Kawaji and Kinugawa hot springs. The maintained trail, about 7 km and 3–4 hours at an easy pace, passes waterfalls, emerald-coloured pools and columns of basalt rock; the colour of the stone changes along the way, from purple to blue to white, giving their names to the three sections of the gorge (紫竜峡・青竜峡・白竜峡).

The name, ‘gorge of the dragon king’, comes from the winding shape the water has carved into the rock. It is a geological site as well as a scenic one: the basalt columns visible along the trail (柱状節理) record the cooling of the lava that formed the plateau. The gorge notionally separates Kawaji Onsen from Kinugawa Onsen, and can be reached on foot from both stations on the Tōbu-Aizu Kinugawa line.

ℹ️ Trail always accessible, free, no opening hours. Watch out for mountain leeches in summer: sandals or bare feet are not advisable. The Musasabi-bashi bridge and several stepped sections require walking shoes. A map of the trail can be downloaded from the Nikkō tourism website.

🚉 Ryuokyo · in front of the station

Sources: nikko-kankou.org · tochigiji.or.jp

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