Shirogane Waterfall to Biei Station

We are planning to hike by foot at Biei in July, starting from Biei JR station to Shirogane Waterfall, after that, we want to take a bus back to Biei Station.

I would like to enquire the following:
1) Where can I find the schedule for the bus (so that we won't miss the last bus).
2) How is the payment taken? Do they accept coins and notes?
Can I use JR Pass?
3) What is the bus station name to board the bus?
4) What other means can we use to travel back from Shirogane Waterfall to Biei?
Taxi (Is it easy to hail a Taxi there)?

Kind Regards

We are planning to hike by foot at Biei in July, starting from Biei JR station to Shirogane Waterfall

Shirogane Fudō Waterfall
is about 20 kilometers away from Biei Station.
It sounds too far to walk all the way.
You had better get close by bus.

According to the source,
the nearest bus stop is
Fudō-no-taki;
it's about 25 minutes from Biei Station,
and you walk about 5 minutes to the waterfall.

The buses run very infrequently;
there are five buses to run for each direction.

After you get to the bus stop,
the earliest bus for Biei Station comes in less than 40 minutes,
which should be too short for you to watch the waterfall.

Until the next bus for Biei Station comes,
you have at least 2 hours, so you can do another thing.

You might hope to visit nearby Shirogane Onsen.
Day trippers can bathe
at the hot spring facility of some tourist hotels
(open from 11:00 or 11:30) or,
at the public rest house [Kokumin Hoyō Center]
(open from 09:30).
(Pay attention to the closed days.)

The first / the second bus stop after Fudō-no-taki is
Shirogane Onsen / Hoyō Center Mae.

When you head back to Biei Station,
you do not return to the same pole
but find the pole on the other side of the road.

Can I use JR Pass?

No; the bus operator is not a JR company.

- Biei Town Kokumin Hoyō Center ((Japanese))
https://town.biei.hokkaido.jp/facility/hoyou.html
: In July 2023, this center will be closed
on Mondays except the 17th and on the 18th.

--Bus timetables--

Source: NAVITIME ((Japanese language website))

Biei Station ((South)) (06:55)
-- (07:18) Fudō-no-taki;
Biei Station ((South)) (09:26)
-- (09:49) Fudō-no-taki;
Biei Station ((South)) (12:11)
-- (12:34) Fudō-no-taki;
Biei Station ((South)) (15:46)
-- (16:09) Fudō-no-taki;
Biei Station ((South)) (17:26)
-- (17:49) Fudō-no-taki.

Hoyō Center Mae (07:35)
-- Fudō-no-taki (07:39)
-- (08:08) Biei Station ((South));
Hoyō Center Mae (10:20)
-- Fudō-no-taki (10:24)
-- (10:53) Biei Station ((South));
Hoyō Center Mae (13:05)
-- Fudō-no-taki (13:09)
-- (13:38) Biei Station ((South));
Hoyō Center Mae (16:41)
-- Fudō-no-taki (16:45)
-- (17:14) Biei Station ((South));
Hoyō Center Mae (18:15)
-- Fudō-no-taki (18:19)
-- (18:45) Biei Station ((South)).

Is it easy to hail a Taxi there

I'm not sure about taxi,
but I suppose you can catch one at Hoyō Center;
even when there is no vacant taxi,
you can ask the staff to call one.

Maybe it's better to visit Hoyō Center first
then get to the waterfall by taxi.

Your taxi driver may or may not wait,
without charging the fare, for you to get back.
If your taxi driver cannot wait,
find the pole for Biei Station - bound buses.