Takino Suzuran Hillside Park, the only national government park in Hokkaido, boasts an impressive size of 400 hectares. The park is divided into various areas, each with different highlights depending on the season. Today, we'll introduce the must-see areas for the autumn season!
The first place to visit is the Central Zone, accessible from the Chuo (Central) Gate. Within this zone, the "Hana no Makiba" (Flower Pasture) in the Country Garden area is a place where people of all ages can enjoy a variety of seasonal flowers and plants. When we visited for this article (mid-October 2021), the kochia bushes were beautifully colored. There are an incredible 6,000 photogenic kochia plants!
Furthermore, in the Country Garden's "Mizu no Hiroba" (Water Plaza), the autumn leaves were at their peak. The collaboration of flowing water and autumn colors is a soothing and healing sight to behold.
Next, we introduce the Takino Forest Zone. Takino Suzuran Hillside Park has designated parking lots closest to each destination. If you show your receipt from the same day, you can move between the parking lots for free, so don't forget to keep it!
A few minutes' walk from the South Parking Lot in the Takino Forest Zone is the "Mori no Koryukan" (Forest Lodge). It's a good idea to stop here first to get a map and any other information you need. The Forest Lodge is surprisingly huge, much larger than it appears from the parking lot entrance, and next to it is a maze-like treehouse.
As you walk out of the lodge, the ground is covered in a colorful carpet of fallen leaves. It's a color palette unique to autumn.
If you want to fully enjoy the autumn scenery, you must visit the "Morimi no To" (Forest Observation Tower). The path leads through the forest, but it's well-maintained, so regular walking shoes are perfectly fine. After a pleasant walk while enjoying the forest air, you'll arrive at the tower!
The tower has a wonderfully rustic appearance. When you climb to the top, you can see a panoramic view of the forest surrounding Takino. The view is, in a word, breathtaking.
The autumn leaves spread out below create a stunning contrast with the blue sky above. Looking out over the vast landscape from such a high place, it feels like all your small, everyday worries just melt away.
From the Morimi no To, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view, so take your time to savor the slightly different scenery as you change your viewing angle.
Takino Suzuran Hillside Park truly offers a variety of ways to enjoy each season. How did you like the autumn highlights? We hope you'll come and experience Hokkaido's short autumn at Takino Suzuran Hillside Park. And once autumn passes, winter brings its own set of exciting attractions!