7 дек. 2016 г.

Kurozo Marshlands

A great place to spend a quiet day in the Iya Valley

By Anonymous

Community writer

After the closeness of the forested mountain roads, the horizons open wide revealing the surrounding natural beauty

Kurozo Marshlands from atop the lookout tower

The road from the parking lot to the trailhead

The marshlands themselves would be unhikable if not for the boardwalks

A small dirt trail leads off from the park into several less-maintained forest trails

Two paths lead up a hill to the lookout tower

When one hears the word "marshlands", they probably don't imagine this kind of beauty

The boardwalks are wide, well maintained, and make navigating the park very easy

If you feel like walking up a big hill, you can be rewarded with a great view from this lookout tower

The drive to and from Kurozo makes for a lot of great photo opportunities as well

Deep in the mountains of Tokushima's Iya Valley lay many scenes of natural beauty. The Kurozo Marshlands (黒沢湿原) are definitely among these, and should not be missed. About an hour's drive from Kazura Bridge, this area of the Iya Valley has the widest roads and thus the easiest access. The parking lot is free and does not close and there are plenty of clean restroom facilities and picnic tables nearby. There is a boardwalk and a few parallel paths that run along the length of the marsh. The paths split off to several locations which include Tabinoshiri Waterfall, an observation tower, some wooded trails, a bird-watching building, and more. The path to the waterfall also leads to Matsuogawa Onsen (松尾川温泉), a bath house fed by a hot spring, which is about an hour or two hike downhill from the marsh. This area teems with wildlife, and the sound of birdsong is never far. With excellent facilities, it is a great place to spend a day. For those looking to stay overnight, Matsuogawa has accommodations for very reasonable prices.