The Miura Alps, a series of small hills intermingled along the coastline, offer hikers a few great vista points and an easy getaway to enjoy nature. Though the tallest of the “alps” is less than 200 meters high, there are quite a few interesting trails that will easily take the better part of a day to explore. Since some are winding, here we present short excursions that are appropriate for the winter months. They offer scenic views in generally the clearest months of the year.
Starting at Kazahayabashi bus stop, about a 10-minute ride from Keikyu Zushi • Hayama or JR Zushi stations (both ¥199), work your way up the hill to the Hayama Church to find the trailhead. It might be a good idea to take a pit stop at 15brewery (check 15brewery.blogspot.com for hours and info) to stock up on some tasty local craft beer to drink along your hike, or conversely plan to finish there. From the trailhead, climb the trail for about 20 minutes until you get to Sengenyama lookout point, which on a clear day has exquisite views of Mt. Fuji. From there continue on to Sokka Summit for an expansive view of southern Hayama and Akiya. The trail splits off and you can either take a short descent to Higashi Zushi Station or continue on for a longer trip to Nyuto-san/Yokosuka (expect this route to add a few more hours to the journey). There’s a shorter loop down to the Hayama Town Hall.
The trailhead starts behind Nango Kaminoyama Park and follows a gravel road up to Futagoyama Observatory, which offers a panoramic view of Yokohama and Yokosuka on a clear day. From here the trail becomes more natural. Depending on your preference you can follow the course up to Abekura-yama for great views of Mt. Fuji, or opt for a longer excursion by adding Nyuto-san. This addition provides views of Yokosuka and also a chance to explore the Morito River Genryu (source) area for some relaxing outdoor downtime. After that you can finish at either Keikyu or JR Taura stations.
Though this is just a short selection of possible hikes that you can do, we feel they offer a healthy amount of vista points and ample outdoor exercise–especially important in times like these. We encourage you to further explore on your own.