In previous trips to Nikko I have taken the popular route, Highway 120, up past Lake Chuzenji and back up through Oku Nikko to the border of Gunma, at Konsei Pass. I began this trip in the same way but turned right on a small road called the Sanno Forest Road which winds its way up and over Sanno Pass.
I began riding Hwy 119 from JR Nikko Station out past the iconic Shinkyo Bridge (featured on the cover photo for the Nikko page). It was a misty day with the tops of the mountains hidden by clouds. After turning onto Hwy 120 I began ascending into the clouds and experiencing light rain. When I arrived at Chuzenji Lake it was hidden by fog. Fortunately it abated as I rode along the lake to where the road turns north toward the Senjogahara marshlands.
This is such a pleasant route. The lake’s east end is highly developed but, as you travel west along the shore it gives way to a beautiful forest canopy and natural shoreline. Heading north on Hwy 120 brings you past both the lower and upper portions of Ryuzu Falls. From the top you get a nice view looking back down toward the lake. The elevation there is just above 1300 meters.
Soon the road opens up into the Senjogahara Marshlands, a wide plateau of marshlands covered in thick grass that turns a beautiful reddish yellow in the fall. Near the top of the grasslands I turned right on a small road called Sanno Rindo that heads east and then turns north climbing up Sanno Pass. The forest is pristine with beautiful stands of deciduous trees among the evergreens. There are also larch and aspen trees. I was pleasantly surprised to encounter a deer along the road as I rounded the bend. She stared at me for a while before bounding back into the forest.
Sanno Pass lies at 1730 meters. The grades up it are not too bad. The switchbacks keep them reasonable. The upper portion is between 5-10%. It really feels as if you are in a national park with beautiful, unspoiled landscapes and sweet smelling air.
The road continues along the ridge for about 4 km at an elevation of around 1700 meters. There are a couple of trailheads to the surrounding peaks and a long oval marshland below on the left. After about 4 km the road begins to descend more quickly down into the valley. I only encountered a few cars during this time as the road continued 8 km through the valley finally coming out a place called Kura Onsen on the Kinugawa River. There is also a geyser called Kawamata Geyser next to the river. The valley is very steep. The bridge overlooking the river was so high I got a little intimidated looking over the railing.
I turned right on Hwy 23 and headed east along the Kinugawa River. I can imagine that, in autumn, this route must be spectacular. Soon you come to Kawamata Lake formed by the dam also bearing that name. You go through some long tunnels as you coast down along the river. There is another dam, the Kurobe Dam, a few km down.
The Kinugawa River is very beautiful with steep banks in places. It widens out until becoming Yashio Lake just before the Kawaji Dam. After the dam the road turns south winding down through some tunnels until it joins Hwy 121 just south of Kawaji Onsen. I continued on down to Shin Fujiwara Station on the Tobu Kinugawa Line and ended my ride there. It had started to rain and the daylight was waning. The ride ended up at about 87 km.
Nikko will always have a special place in my biking memories for its wildness and beauty. It is a very nice place for bike riding.
Northern Nikko Gallery
