Beating Summer’s Heat Camping in the Mountains of Nagano

Summer is a very popular time for camping in Japan, but the oppressive heat coupled with crowded campgrounds can make for a poor experience if you aren't expecting either condition. By putting some thought into choosing your campground and tent site, however, summer camping can be a fun and rewarding summertime activity.

When considering a summer camping trip, choosing a campground higher up in the mountains can help mitigate the heat. The days usually remain quite hot, but nighttime temperatures turn much cooler the higher you go, making it easier to sleep. In addition, looking for campsites that allow you to reserve a specific spot versus those that are first-come-first-serve, or "free" style, can help control the crowds around you to make for a more pleasant experience.

Keeping these tips in mind, although we embarked on our camping trip during the busiest and hottest summer period in Japan called Obon, we had a great trip enjoying a lot of the fun activities summertime camping has to offer.

Day 1

1PM

We arrive at the Ogurogawa Valley Campfield as check-in time approaches, driving up from the valley below on narrow roads that slowly became more forested as we got closer to our destination. Before we even saw the main office, our first impression was that the campground had a lot to offer. Numerous cabins lined one side of the street on the approach, while a grassy open lot with power hookups for RV and camping vehicles was on the other.

Pulling into the parking lot in front of the main office, there were tables full of rental gear laid out for campers checking in. Not only does offering a large amount of rental gear make a campsite beginner friendly, it is always nice to know even for seasoned campers that if something is missing or breaks, it's available for rent from the campground.

We checked in quickly, paid for our reservation by credit card, grabbed a campground sticker as a souvenir, and headed just up the road to the parking lot across from our campsite. Due to booking a bit last minute, there was only one choice of site left, which was located across a small bridge over a little stream, so we couldn't park our car right next to it to unpack. Luckily the distance from the car lot to the tent site was just a short walk, and even with the extra distance, unpacking the car was quick. Setting up the site always takes a bit of time, but within about an hour or so we had the tent up and stuff unpacked and ready to enjoy a relaxing weekend.

3PM

With the site unpacked and set up, we set about exploring the campground before dinner. The campground as a whole is located between a river on one side and a road on the other, and is also bisected by an unrelated hydraulic power plant, so we just explored the lower half at this time. Besides the afore-mentioned cabins and lot for RVs, there was a lot of open-air sites with parking right next to them on the approach up to the office building. Then in our area a bit above the office, there were six or seven sites of varying sizes across the small bridge under the trees. Above that is a fishing area with a small pond of fish and facilities to clean and cook the caught fish, then the power plant which is of course off-limits, then finally the upper half of the campground.

We checked out some of the other spots, watched the river flow for awhile, then went back to the site to cook some dinner. After exploring, I could see why our site was still available at the last minute. It was probably one of the smallest in the entire campground, and was right next to several sites with no extra space between. Luckily, the rushing river provided a nice amount of white noise, and being so close to other tents wasn't too much of an issue this trip. That being said, being so close to others can be hit or miss, so while I would definitely consider a return trip to the campsite, I would absolutely choose a different site a little bit bigger and further away from others.

6PM

The sun is setting, and the campground is bathed in a beautiful golden light, but everyone is feeling pretty grimy from the drive and setting up the site in the heat, so rather than stay and relax, we decide to do another favorite camping activity for our family: finding a local onsen to try. The campground gave us a coupon for two different onsen with check-in, but they are both pretty far from the campsite at 30 and 45 minutes away. So instead, we one called Miharashi no Yu that was only 15 minutes away, and head to that one instead. The campsite also provides pay-by-the-minute showers, for those who don't want to leave. After a nice bath and feeling clean again, we return and get a fire started and enjoy the evening before an early bedtime.

Day 2

8AM

We woke up to bright sunlight at a half-way decent hour, got up, made breakfast, then settled in for a leisurely morning. The kids had a lot of energy and ran around picking flowers, playing in the pond, and nagging us about going swimming. They did also help do dishes, which was appreciated, as was the hot water provided by the campsite.

As the morning wore on I took the kids to explore the upper area of the campsite and maybe find a good spot for swimming. There were more tent sites with close car parking, and it seemed a number of sites were fully set up without anyone there. I suspect that quite a number of campers here are renting their equipment, including one of the tent sites near our own tent, which seemed to have a different group there each night. You can even rent a sauna, which is pretty fancy!

While exploring, we found an area of the river that was a bit flatter and with less rapid water, so I agreed to take the kids there to swim after lunch, which we returned to the tent for.

1PM

We returned to the tent to get changed into swimsuits and grab some snacks and drinks before walking back to the river area. The kids had a great time splashing around in the water, clambering over the rocks, finding interesting rocks to take home, and generally just exploring. The water was very cold, but refreshing in the heat. I had meant to bring the kids' life jackets and forgotten, so we didn't allow them to swim freely without one of us right next to them just in case, so that's something to not forget to bring in the future.

After swimming and playing for a few hours, astonishingly the kids still had some energy to burn. You can pay 500 yen for about 25 minutes on a big trampoline nearby the office, so we did that as well after cleaning up from the river.

5PM

One thing about camping multiple days is that it can be a bit difficult to plan for the amount of food you'll need. We thought about going shopping for dinner ingredients, but then just decided to go out to eat instead, as we already wanted to go to another onsen anyway and would therefore be out and about. We chose a different onsen from the previous nights' that was still not either of the onsen we got a discount at. It seemed a bit silly to travel so far when there were multiple choices much closer to the campsite, and none of them were expensive. This time we chose Oshiba no Yu, which looked to have some nice variety of baths, including one outdoors. It was very nice!

While driving home, the sky opened up and it started pouring rain. We were worried about our gear, as we'd left everything out. Luckily, we found it was all dry when we returned. Summer storms seem to only affect a small area at a time, and the campsite hadn't seen any rain at all. We set up the fire again and roasted some marshmallows with bananas and chocolate for a sweet campfire treat, before getting the kids ready for bed. Then we heard a roll of thunder. I guess a summer storm decided to rain on us after all! We quickly got our gear under shelter just as large drops started to hit, putting the fire out. It seemed like good timing to call it a day, so with the sound of the rain to lull us to sleep, we all turned in early for the night.

Day 3

8AM

The sound of the rain had given us all a great sleep, and we all woke up refreshed. The rain had cleared sometime in the night, and the bright morning sunlight was doing its best to dry up the campsite already. We got up and made breakfast, then contemplated the morning's plan.

Unusually, checkout at Ogurogawa is at 12PM rather than the more common 10 or 11AM. Especially with the rain the night before, the extra time was much appreciated as it gave us a chance to clean everything really well and take our time putting everything away nicely, rather than having to rush and deal with cleanup later.

12PM

We made checkout time without issue, but instead of leaving right away, the kids asked to go fishing. You have to rent the fishing polls, and are then given bucket and bait. The bait was udon, a first for me, but it worked ok. I caught the first fish, and my daughter managed to catch one as well, then I caught the last two. We ended up with four in the bucket, and went back up to clean and eat them. The staff showed me how to clean the fish, then we grilled them at the table for a delicious snack.

After that, it was time to head home.

While camping in the summer season comes with some challenges, I really enjoyed our trip to Ogurogawa Valley Campground. The whole family loved playing in the river and fishing, which felt like activities that are unique to this season. I liked being next to a river and under the trees, and while the tent site was a little smaller than I'd have preferred, it didn't end up being an issue. Definitely a place to come back to!