May 28, 2013 - 1 min read

Hiking to the sulfurous Mt. Iwo

Alpine terrain leads to active mountain

By R.S. Reynolds

Community writer

The sights, smells and sounds of Mt. Iwo

White Birch stands as Mt. Iwo sits in the distance

Natural wonder or a set for the next Star Trek movie?

Weather changing on the trek back to Kawayu-Onsen

Adjacent to the nearby Kawayu Eco-Center Museum is the Tsutsujigahara Trail that leads to the sulfurous Mt. Iwo, the source that heats the surrounding natural hot springs. As a result, the surrounding soil is high in acidity, thereby creating an alpine ecosystem that produces vegetation not typically found at areas of this elevation. On the way to the mountain you’ll pass Sakhalin Spruce Trees, wild rosemary, Labrador Tea Trees and a mix of deciduous and coniferous forests. You may also get a chance to see white-tailed Shika Deer (also referred to as Ezo Deer), foxes and a variety of birds. When you arrive at the mountain you might think you’ve left the planet for a moment or perhaps are visiting the set of the next Star Trek movie.