Mt. Ontake (御嶽)
Last updated: Feb 19, 2025
Special note: On January 17, 2025, the volcano warning was raised to Level 2, meaning that the summit plateau is now off limits to hikers.
Clocking in at over 3000, Mt. Ontake is the nation’s tallest active volcano and 8th tallest mountain. Popular with Shinto pilgrims, the peaks offers outstanding panoramic views, pungent volcanic steam vents, and picturesque turquoise lakes.
The hike: From the bus stop at Tanohara, hike through the Shrine torii down into a flat meadow. If the weather is clear then you’ll see the massive volcano towering just above you. The path starts climbing on the other side of the meadow. The trail is well-marked and easy to follow, and you’ll pass by countless shrines and statues on your way to the summit. It should take an hour or so to reach the first emergency hut at the 6th stagepoint (六合目) Keep climbing higher and higher, and after another 90 minutes or so, you should reach a rather big shrine and hut on the summit ridge line. You’ll see the smoldering steam vents just in front of you, as well as the summit shrine. You’ve got another half an hour of climbing before reaching the summit, so keep going. The narrow summit is quite over-developed, with 2 different mountain huts and a shrine along with a concrete bunker to duck into should the mountain decide to burb. Go back the way you came, or consider descending to the small turquoise lake on the other side of the summit. This area is called Ni-no-ike (二ノ池), and you’ll find a couple of huts here, which are only open from July to September. The closest hut is called Ni-no-ike Sansō (ニノ池山荘) while the other place is Ni-no-ike Hyutte (ニノ池ヒュッテ). Both huts require advanced reservations. From here, you can descend to the gondola in about 2 hours or so. Just follow the signs to Ontake Ropeway (御岳ロープウェイ).
When to go: This hike can be done year round if you’ve got the right equipment and experience. Otherwise, aim to go during the summer when the huts are open. Ever since the 2014 eruption, hikers have been asked to wear a helmet and to prepare for any volcanic eruptions. Snow remains on the peak until early July usually. Click here to see the scenery in early May.
Access: From Kiso-Fukushima station (木曽福島駅), take a bus bound for Tanohara (田ノ原) and get off at the last stop. There are only ２ buses a day, weekends only from early June to mid October, so plan accordingly. Click here to see the bus schedule. Alternatively, you can take the Ontake Ropeway, which will whisk you up to 2100m in just a few minutes. Take a Ontake Ropeway (御岳ロープウェイ) bound bus and get off at the gondola. Again, there are only 3 buses a day, so click here to find out the schedule. Scroll down to 観光路線 御岳ロープウェイ線 and select 夏山シーズン for the summer schedule and 秋山シーズン for the fall schedule.
Live web cam: Click here and here
Level of difficulty: 3 out of 5 (elevation change 937m)
Explore posts in the same categories: Nagano hikes (長野県), Nagoya hikes (名古屋)Tags: hiking, Hyakumeizan (百名山), japan, Kiso-fukushima, Nagano hikes (長野県), Ontake
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Hiking in Japan 
August 2, 2010 at 5:14 am
Hi,
I was just wondering – does the Kisofukushima-Tanohara bus run until the 29th or the 30th August? Your article states the 30th, but on the Japanese website it seems to say up to the 29th…I am hoping to go on the 30th, but this depends on if the bus is running!
Thanks
August 5, 2010 at 9:35 am
Rohan,
I think you are correct. The last bus does appear to be on August 29th. I originally wrote this article before the 2010 timetable was released, so thanks for double-checking for me. The bus to the ropeway runs until August 31st. If you want to climb on the 30th, then you’ll either have to use the trail near the ropeway or try to hitch to the trailhead. Sorry about that. I’ll make some changes in my write-up of the hike.
August 13, 2013 at 11:39 am
New location for bus time table
http://www.vill.otaki.nagano.jp/info/bus/07basu_tanohara.html
September 28, 2017 at 9:13 pm
Do you have any idea if the peak is open for climbing again? Thanks!
September 28, 2017 at 10:33 pm
The summit is still off limits but you can climb as far as the 9th stagepoint and to the lake below the summit
September 29, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Thanks for the fast reply! I’m trying to navigate my options, which are mostly presented in Japanese. I believe this map is recent and seems to imply you can’t currently go from Ta-no-hara, is that correct? http://www.town-kiso.com/files/file/box/47/4770c51b6b921256224c1bf4591ebf5232d00fb8.pdf
I can’t find information about any of the other routes. Do you have a recommendation?
October 17, 2017 at 7:57 pm
Hello, did you climb? I am planning to go from Tanohara. Could you find any information about using this route?
October 17, 2017 at 8:26 pm
The route from Tanohara is currently closed. You’ll need to climb the route that starts at the top of the ropeway. The climbing season is coming to a close, with a dusting of snow already settling on the summit, which is still off-limits to hikers. You may climb as far as the lakes just below the summit
October 17, 2017 at 9:56 pm
Yeah, I climbed! The top is still closed off, but you can get decently close. You can still climb over and around the lakes. This is the best map I found. There is one that is updated from September, but I can’t find it again: http://www.town-kiso.com/files/file/box/b2/b2dd579e7507cb0d2d41fff78f9ae5024295407a.pdf
I think we started from 中の湯. I don’t actually read kangi, so I’m not totally sure. Sorry!
My understanding is that you can not climb from Tanohara 田の原. All the routes from there are red x’d which means closed. On the updated sheet you could start climbing from Tanohara, but can’t get to a route that connects with anything else or to the top. You get half way up and then stuck.
October 20, 2017 at 9:13 am
Thank you thurgate! But I’m really confused. Because I asked to Otaki Village Office. And they said that the route from Tanohara to 9th Station is open. I think I will try Tanohara.
October 21, 2017 at 5:44 pm
Esin,
The trail is open from Tanohara to the 9th Station, but it is closed beyond that point, so you wouldn’t be able to traverse over to the crater lakes, which are the most beautiful part of the mountain. I guess that’s why the majority of hikers use the ropeway route, as it passes right by the lakes.
October 18, 2017 at 8:34 am
Thank you wes! So I can only use ropeway to 7th station? I am planning to go on Saturday. At least I can see autumn colors. Maybe next year summit is opened and I can try my chance again.
June 26, 2019 at 7:29 pm
Someone told me you can climb to the top again, but it’s kind of limited to a thousand hikers (per summer?) do you know anything more detailed?
June 29, 2019 at 10:25 pm
Judith,
I did a bit of research. While the is no specific limit on numbers, there are a few rules that should be followed if you climb to the summit.
1) Try to ascend/descend as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessary time in the active volcanic zone.
2) You should arrive on the summit no later than 1:30pm
3) A helmet is recommended
https://www.town-kiso.com/bousai/bousai/100206/100208/
I hope that helps.
Wes
July 8, 2019 at 2:23 pm
Thank you so much for your research! Do you know an updated bus schedule from Kiso-Fukushima? The above link doesn’t seem to work anymore…
July 12, 2019 at 8:25 am
I found the new bus schedule myself, you don’t need to look for it anymore, thanks for all your help!
July 12, 2019 at 10:01 pm
Thanks Judith. It was on my list of things to do this weekend, so I’ll mark it off the list.
July 13, 2019 at 5:57 am
by the way, here is the link:
http://www.ontakerope.co.jp/e1907379.html
July 14, 2019 at 10:26 pm
to give an update, I climbed Ontake yesterday from the ropeway. Apparently there is a bus from Kiso-Fukushima station to the other trailhead (tanohara) but at least yesterday it wasn’t running. The trail to the summit was open, but the right trail at the 8th station that goes to the lakes, was not. People were very chilled and even had lunch in the “dangerous area” so altogether it’s rather safe again, I think.
July 14, 2019 at 10:27 pm
Here is a more complicated bus schedule, if you can read Japanese, it might be helpful:
Click to access 934555f12b20aa812ce95d60b3c140a973aecb9f.pdf
June 18, 2025 at 12:59 pm
The herein described path seems closed off entirely now.
I climbed from the west, from Nigorigo Onsen. Make sure you take the detour: the old path across the bridge is closed, as one of the subsequent bridges got destroyed. But overall the path is well maintained.
I went down the Buddhist path – judging by the number of statuettes and little shrines – on the eastern side. It leads down to Ontake Ropeway and I think officially the trailhead is called Kurosawa or Nakanoyu. The access from Kiso-Fukushima is well marked and the ropeway seems operational.
Signing the hiking logbook is mandatory due to volcanic activity, especially from the Nigorigo side where the volcano is expected to cause damage when it erupts.
All huts, as far as I could tell, are manned and therefore need to be paid, so plan your hike / night(s) accordingly.
June 18, 2025 at 2:34 pm
Many thanks for the updated information. Yes, it seems that much has changed after the eruption. I think that most people climb via the ropeway nowadays, but the Nigorigo route sounds interesting.