Hello, this is _hiroyuki.ta. This time I went on a motorcycle tour from central Tokyo to the Izu Skyline. The Izu Skyline is a toll road that runs north-south across the northern part of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, and is a famous road where you can enjoy breathtaking views of Sagami Bay, Suruga Bay, and Mt. Fuji. I rode on my favorite Harley-Davidson FLSB Sport Glide, but I saw a variety of other bikes as well. In this article, we will introduce what kind of road Izu Skyline is, how to get there, what kind of attractions there are, and where the motorcycle parking lot is.
Izu Skyline is a toll road with a total length of 40.6 km that connects Atami Pass to Amagi Plateau. This is a driveway that runs through the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park area, and because of the high altitude, the temperature is low, so you can ride coolly even in summer. There are view points and rest areas along the road, where you can take your time and enjoy the magnificent scenery. You can also enjoy the exhilaration of running through the great outdoors. If you visit the Izu Peninsula, this is a spot you definitely want to run at least once.
Route to Izu Skyline
I started from central Tokyo. It took us about 1 hour and 30 minutes on the highway to reach our first destination, Biker’s Paradise, a bike cafe. From the Ueno Line/Shito Expressway No. 1/Route 1, take the Shuto Expressway Inner Loop Line/C1 and proceed towards E1/Tomei/Shibuya at Tanimachi JCT. I drove on the Tomei Expressway, exited at Atsugi IC, and entered Odawara-Atsugi Road. At Odawara Nishi IC, take Seisho Bypass/National Route 1, turn left at Hakone Pass (intersection) and enter Prefectural Route 20. After driving on this road for about 9.6km, you will enter the Atami Ume Line/Prefectural Route 11/Prefectural Route 20. Turn right at Sasajiri (intersection) onto Prefectural Route 11, then turn left and you will arrive at Bikers Paradise.
Highlights of Izu Skyline
After taking a break at Biker’s Paradise, let’s enjoy the roads of Izu. After leaving Bikers Paradise and riding for a while, you will arrive at the Atami Pass entrance of the Izu Skyline. You can run to Amagi Kogen from here, but this time I ran to Kameishi Pass on the way. Although it was December, we were blessed with good weather and the road conditions were good, allowing us to enjoy a pleasant ride. The scenery while driving is spectacular, and there is also a parking area where you can take photos. I stopped at the following three places.
Gendake parking lot and observation deck
https://yakei.jp/photo/pc/kurotake4.jpg
At 720m, Mt. Gendake, the highest road elevation on the Izu Skyline, is one of the geopoints of the Izu Peninsula Geopark. If you head towards Shimoda from Gendake IC, you will arrive at the Gendake parking lot, which also has an observation deck. From here, you can see Mt. Fuji, Tagata Plain, Suruga Bay, etc. The observation deck also has panels explaining the topography and geology of the Izu Peninsula. I took a photo here with Mt. Fuji in the background.
After driving about 5km from Gendake Parking Lot, you will arrive at Takichiyamaenchi Parking Lot. This is the midpoint of the Izu Skyline. From the parking lot, you can see Sagami Bay, Ito City, Izu Oshima, etc. You can also go to Takichiyamaenchi by walking a little from the parking lot. Takichiyamaenchi is a highland park at an altitude of 600m, with a lawn, playground equipment, and barbecue facilities. I took a break here and had some coffee.
About 5 minutes from Kameishi Pass towards Hiekawa, you will find Mt. Sugumo, which has an altitude of 580m. It takes about 20 minutes to go back and forth from the parking lot to the summit of Mt. Sugumo, and from the summit you can see Suruga Bay, Tagata Plain, Mt. Fuji on clear days, and the mountains of the Southern Alps in the distance. I took the last photo here.
Izu Skyline motorcycle parking lot
Izu Skyline does not have a dedicated parking lot for motorcycles, but there are spaces for motorcycles at each toll gate and parking area. You can park for free in the parking area. However, please be careful as the parking area may be crowded with other vehicles.
summary
This time I went on a motorcycle tour from central Tokyo to the Izu Skyline. Izu Skyline is an easy-to-ride road with beautiful scenery, and I think it’s the best driveway for motorcyclists. At the parking area along the way, you can take photos and take a break while looking at Mt. Fuji and the ocean. There are also shops along the line that sell special products from the Izu Peninsula.
