Ishizaka no Mori

Hiking trail in rural Saitama

Ishizaka no Mori is located in the hills of Hatoyama town in the Hiki District of Saitama Prefecture. Ishizaka no Mori is advertised as a park, but its really more a hiking trail in my humble opinion. There are no facilities at all, no toilets, no vending machines, which most parks in Japan have at the least. And its not the type of place you would sit out and have a picnic in. But it is ideal for hiking. And it leads into another hiking area, Shimin no Mori, in neighboring Higashimatsuyama city. There is parking for both. The parking area on the Hatoyama side is very small though, fitting only around five cars. However, as the spot is very off the beaten spot it would be unusual for the car park to be full. If it does happen to be full you can drive on to the Shimin no Mori parking lot, just a five minute drive up the hill.