Mikata Goko (Five Lakes of Mikata) is the collective name for five lakes straddling Mihama and Wakasa Towns. Each of the lakes has different water quality, ranging from fresh water to brackish water to seawater, and each lake also has an artificial waterway that connects to one of the others.
Lake Suigetsu, one of the Mikata Goko (Five Lakes of Mikata), has become the world standard for geological dating, its “annual stripes” of lake sediments dating back approximately 50,000 years. The sediments of Lake Suigetsu have made it possible to more accurately determine the age and to study climatic changes. To commemorate this, the Varve Museum was also built.
The Rainbow Line is an 11.2-kilometer road that circles around Mt.baijo-dake, which rises above the lakeside. It offers a view of not only the Mikata Goko lakes but also Wakasa Bay.
How to get to Mikata Five Lakes Rainbow Line Summit Park
By Car
You can access it by car from either the Hyuga Gate on the Mihama side or the Kaizan Gate on the Wakasa side. If you are coming by expressway, it takes about 15 minutes by car from Wakasa-Mikata IC on the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway.
By Train
If you come by train, please get off at Mihama Station or Mikata Station on the JR Obama Line, and then take a taxi or use a rental car. Please note that you cannot walk up to the summit park.
After arriving at the first parking lot, take the lift or cable car to reach the summit park. The admission fee includes the lift or cable car ride.