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Fukui Prefecture · Kinki

Michi-no-Eki Dinosaur Valley Katsuyama

道の駅 恐竜渓谷かつやま

A convenient stop for Katsuyama food and souvenirs before or after the dinosaur museum.

Updated Michi-no-Eki JournalRead in Japanese

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Location
Katsuyama City
Road
Prefectural Route 17 / Katsuyama–Maruoka Route
Hours
09:00–17:00
Usual guide for shop hours. Kuzuryu Terrace is listed as 10:00–16:00 (last food order 15:00); extended-hour days are announced in the station's official monthly calendar.
Parking
Cars: 88 / Large vehicles: 11
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How to enjoy

Choose how to enjoy your visit

Eat, shop, play, take in the view or rest. Choose from the station’s strengths to suit your day.

Take care of first
Toilets, drinks, and a snack

Give children a break before heading to the dinosaur museum or Katsuyama Dinosaur Forest.

For a meal
Sauce katsudon and burgers

Choose a full meal or a quick burger, depending on your plans.

For something sweet
Mizu-yokan soft serve

A quick taste of a Fukui-style sweet between sightseeing stops; mizu-yokan is a smooth red-bean jelly.

For shopping
Katsuyama souvenirs and dinosaur goods

Browse Kachiyama Habutae, sake-lees curry, green-onion pepper seasoning, and dinosaur-themed items separately to make choosing easier.

On busy days
Shift your stop before or after the museum rush

During summer vacation or special exhibitions, leave room for a station snack or a trip toward JAM instead of relying on one lunch option.

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph
Takumi Kosaka's rest-stop notes

Before you hurry toward the dinosaurs, take a moment to organize the day here.

For children visiting Katsuyama, the dinosaur museum often comes first. At the roadside station, sort out toilets, a snack, drinks, and souvenirs in small steps. Whether you sit down to sauce katsudon or just have mizu-yokan soft serve, a pause here can make the next car park and reservation time easier to handle.

Highlights

Michi-no-Eki Dinosaur Valley Katsuyama, just beyond Katsuyama IC toward the city center, is a handy rest stop before or after the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum and Katsuyama Dinosaur Forest. Kuzuryu Terrace offers sauce katsudon (a pork cutlet rice bowl with sauce), a Wakasa beef minced-cutlet burger, and mizu-yokan soft serve inspired by Fukui's red-bean jelly. In the shop you can browse Kachiyama Habutae sweets, Ippongi sake-lees curry, garlic and green-onion pepper seasoning, dinosaur goods, and Katsuyama vegetables. During summer vacation or on busy museum days, a toilet stop, snack, shopping, and a brief break by the water feature can make a family visit easier.

  • #Near Katsuyama IC
  • #Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
  • #Kuzuryu Terrace
  • #Raptor Souvenir Shop
  • #Kachiyama Habutae
  • #Wakasa beef minced-cutlet burger
  • #Mizu-yokan soft serve
  • #Dinosaur goods
  • #Water feature
  • #Katsuyama Produce Market
Why I like it

Reasons to stop here

01

A place to get the family ready before the dinosaur museum

Close to Katsuyama IC and a short drive from the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, the station is useful when admission reservations, parking, and time inside the museum fill your day. Stop here first for toilets, drinks, a snack, and a short change of pace for children.

02

Katsuyama flavors, whether you sit down or eat quickly

Kuzuryu Terrace serves local sauce katsudon, soy-sauce katsudon, a Wakasa beef minced-cutlet burger, the Imokko Burger with an Okuetsu taro croquette, and mizu-yokan soft serve. You can sit down for a meal or have a lighter bite before moving on.

03

More than dinosaur goods in the shop

Alongside dinosaur-themed products, Raptor Souvenir Shop carries Kachiyama Habutae, Ippongi sake-lees curry, a rice-seasoning mix with Katsuyama Yama no Salmon, garlic and green-onion pepper seasoning, and seasonal vegetables. Children's souvenirs and ingredients for adults are available in one place.

04

A short outdoor break by the plaza and water feature

The facility information lists an outdoor community plaza, a water feature, and dinosaur-themed vending machines and monuments. It is better suited to a brief stretch after a car ride than a long session of park play.

Route idea

Ways to plan your stop

Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.

Families with children and first-time Katsuyama visitors

Get organized before your dinosaur museum reservation

Before going straight to the museum, use the station's toilets and get drinks and a snack. A quick look at dinosaur goods in the shop can build children's anticipation and ease the pressure to do all the shopping inside the museum.

Katsuyama IC → roadside station → Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.

The museum provides reservation information. During summer vacation and special exhibitions, check road restrictions and temporary parking notices before setting out.

A meal and shopping during a journey

Keep lunch at the station short

Have sauce katsudon or a burger, then buy Katsuyama souvenirs in the shop. If the restaurant is crowded, switching to mizu-yokan soft serve or takeaway items from the shop may keep the day on schedule.

Car park → Kuzuryu Terrace → shop → departure.

Kuzuryu Terrace hours change by season. If you arrive toward evening, leave another option for your main meal.

Unpredictable weather

Choose shopping and indoor sights on a rainy day

Instead of packing in outdoor time at Dinosaur Forest or a walk around Heisenji, eat and shop at the station, then consider the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, Katsuyama Castle Museum, or Yumeore Katsuyama for more indoor time.

Roadside station → Dinosaur Museum or Katsuyama Castle Museum → break in the city center.

The museum can be busy even in rain. Check reservation slots and parking arrangements first.

A drive with history and nature

Add a quiet stop at Heisenji on an adults-only trip

After lunch and shopping at the station, drive to Heisenji Hakusan Shrine. In fresh greenery or after rain, its moss offers another side of Katsuyama beyond dinosaurs.

Roadside station → Heisenji Hakusan Shrine → Katsuyama Castle Museum or an onsen (hot spring).

Watch your footing on the mossy grounds. Take account of summer heat, winter snow, and icy roads.

Avoiding crowds, outdoor activities, or snow play

Keep JAM as a summer or winter alternative

When Katsuyama Dinosaur Forest is crowded, check what is open at JAM Fukui Katsuyama Mountain Resort. Depending on the season, you could switch to lunch, an onsen, an indoor pool, green-season activities, or winter snow play.

Roadside station → Dinosaur Museum area or JAM Fukui Katsuyama Mountain Resort.

JAM is in the mountains. Check winter road conditions, and in summer check hours, shuttle information, and parking.

Hours

Opening hours

Shop
9:00〜17:00

Hours vary by season. Extended-hour days are announced in the station's official monthly calendar; in October 2026, only Sunday, October 11 runs until 18:00.

Kuzuryu Terrace
10:00〜16:00

Last food order 15:00. Hours vary by season, and food service is announced as extended until 17:00 on Sunday, October 11, 2026. The city's official page also lists 11:00–15:00, so check the station's official monthly calendar when planning a meal.

Toilets and rest area
24 hours

The city and Kinki Regional Development Bureau list these as available 24 hours.

Closed days
Second and third Tuesdays

In October 2026, the only regular closing day is Tuesday, October 20. The Kinki Michi-no-Eki portal also lists Tuesdays and the year-end/New Year period, so prioritize the monthly operating calendar.

Family

Visiting with children

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.

Ages 1 and under
★★★★☆

A nursing room, multipurpose toilet, and 24-hour toilets make a short stop before or after the museum practical.

Enjoy the water feature mainly by looking at it, and alternate brief indoor breaks with time in the car.

Ages 2–3
★★★★☆

Dinosaur motifs, soft serve, and a quick outdoor break can help reset the mood.

Keep children in sight by the water and in the car park. If the wait for a meal looks long, switch to a snack.

Ages 4–6
★★★★★

A good place to build excitement before the dinosaur museum and pick souvenirs on the way back.

Too long in the shop before the museum can stretch your schedule. Decide the order of activities first if you have a reservation.

Elementary school ages
★★★★★

You can build a Katsuyama day around the dinosaur museum, Dinosaur Forest, JAM, and Heisenji.

Summer vacation can bring traffic restrictions and temporary car parks. Choosing just one further destination can still make a satisfying day.

Toilets and nursing

Information is available for 24-hour toilets, a multipurpose toilet, and a nursing room.

Waiting for food

At lunchtime on holidays, leave room to choose a burger, sweet, or shop item if the restaurant is busy.

Outdoor play

The water feature and outdoor plaza suit a change of pace. For longer play, make Dinosaur Forest or JAM the destination.

Rainy days

Shopping and eating are easy to plan here, but there is less scope for active outdoor play.

Event

Make an event part of your visit

Permanent spaces and dated events are listed separately. Events can change both the atmosphere and crowds; use the official links for details.

Checking event dates.

Spaces used for events

Outdoor community plaza

A likely setting for anniversary Katsuyamarket events, food trucks, workshops, tastings, and produce events.

Katsuyama Produce Market

Shopping events include summer-vegetable bag-filling and direct sales of Nishigahara garlic. Watch for sellouts.

Shop and Kuzuryu Terrace

New products, seasonal sweets, changes in opening hours, and summer extensions can affect your itinerary.

Around Katsuyama Dinosaur Forest

During summer vacation and Obon, notices may announce entry controls near the dinosaur museum, temporary car parks, and free shuttle buses.

Local feel

Reasons to return

Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.

Summer museum trips depend on roads and parking

When Katsuyama Dinosaur Forest is crowded, notices may restrict entry at the park entrance, close nearby roads to incoming traffic, and announce a free shuttle from JAM Fukui Katsuyama Mountain Resort. The roadside station itself is outside those restrictions and is a useful place to use the toilet and pick up drinks before heading on.

Source: Official Katsuyama Dinosaur Forest notices

Choose among rice bowls, burgers, and sweets

Kuzuryu Terrace offers rice bowls alongside a Wakasa beef minced-cutlet burger, a burger with an Okuetsu taro croquette, and mizu-yokan soft serve. That range helps family members who want different-sized meals.

Source: Official roadside-station cafe and restaurant

Shop for local foods and dinosaur souvenirs together

Kachiyama Habutae, Ippongi sake-lees curry, Katsuyama Yama no Salmon, green-onion pepper seasoning, and dinosaur goods share the shop. Adults and children can look for different souvenirs; scouting choices before sightseeing may shorten the later shopping stop.

Source: Official roadside-station shop

Produce and anniversary events are highlights

The sixth-anniversary Katsuyamarket in June 2026 advertised food trucks, activities, vegetable bag-filling, tastings, and new products. Summer-vegetable bag-filling was also announced for July, making shopping a reason to stop.

Source: Official roadside-station event information

Heisenji adds a quieter side to a dinosaur trip

Katsuyama Tourism Navi introduces the moss and stone-paved approach to Heisenji Hakusan Shrine. On a child-focused day, there is no need to force it into the schedule; for adults, a three-generation group, or a cooler morning, it offers a different impression of Katsuyama.

Source: Katsuyama Tourism Navi
Before your visit

Things to check before setting out

Opening and closure days, individual businesses and facilities for children or dogs can affect your plans.

  • The shop is normally listed as 9:00–17:00, and extended-hour days are announced in the station's official monthly calendar. In October 2026, Sunday, October 11 is the only day with extended hours, until 18:00.
  • Kuzuryu Terrace is officially listed as 10:00–16:00 (last food order 15:00), and food service is announced as extended until 17:00 on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
  • City information lists toilets and the rest area as open 24 hours, the shop as 9:00–17:00, and food sales as 11:00–15:00. For a meal, prioritize the station's monthly operating notice.
  • Parking is listed for 88 cars, 11 large vehicles, and 3 priority spaces. Even on busy dinosaur museum days, do not use the roadside station as long-stay museum parking; follow each destination's guidance.
  • During summer vacation, Katsuyama Dinosaur Forest may have days with entry controls, temporary car parks, and shuttle buses.
  • If heading to Heisenji or JAM, consider slippery ground after rain, summer heat, and winter snow and road conditions before adding the trip.
Food

Eating and shopping

Specialities, places to eat, sweets and bakeries can all give you a reason to stop. Check individual menus for current prices and availability.

  • Meal
    Signature sauce katsudon
    A Kuzuryu Terrace staple: a pork cutlet over rice with sauce. Check serving hours and crowds before ordering.
  • Burger
    Wakasa beef minced-cutlet burger
    A hearty beef burger that also works for a quick lunch.
  • Burger
    Imokko Burger with Okuetsu taro croquette
    A light meal featuring taro from the Okuetsu area.
  • Sweet
    Mizu-yokan soft serve
    Soft serve inspired by mizu-yokan, the red-bean jelly traditionally eaten in winter in Fukui.
  • Souvenir
    Kachiyama Habutae
    A brown-sugar and walnut sweet described as exclusive to this roadside station; habutae is a soft rice-flour confection.
  • Seasoning
    Garlic and green-onion pepper seasoning
    A shopping option made with Katsuyama-grown green onions and Nishigahara garlic.
Food mood

What would you like to eat?

A meal, a sweet treat, market shopping or something to take away: choose a focus for the day instead of trying everything at once.

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph
A substantial lunch

Sauce katsudon / soy-sauce katsudon / soba set

For a Fukui-style meal at the roadside station. If eating before the museum, work back from your reservation time.

Tourism pages list different restaurant hours. Prioritize the station's latest monthly notice.

A quick snack or light meal

Wakasa beef minced-cutlet burger / Imokko Burger / fries

For children who cannot wait long or a light meal before a museum reservation. Easy to fit in before returning to the car.

Something sweet

Mizu-yokan soft serve / habutae-mochi-style sweets

Even if you eat lunch elsewhere, make a quick stop for a Fukui-style sweet. On a hot day, pair it with a break by the water feature.

Katsuyama souvenirs

Kachiyama Habutae / Ippongi sake-lees curry / Katsuyama Yama no Salmon rice-seasoning mix

A shelf for choosing adult souvenirs first and taking the flavors of Katsuyama home.

Local ingredients

Garlic and green-onion pepper seasoning / green-onion pepper seasoning / seasonal vegetables

Produce-market shopping. On days with summer vegetables or produce events, the shopping can be a reason to stop in its own right.

Bag-filling sales and direct-sale events may finish when stock runs out, so arriving earlier in the day is safer.

Souvenirs for children

Dinosaur goods / dinosaur sweets / hooded poncho towel

An alternative to doing all the shopping at the museum. It may help keep the time siblings spend choosing short.

Access

Location and surroundings

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1
Roadside station
Michi-no-Eki Dinosaur Valley Katsuyama

A convenient stop for Katsuyama food and souvenirs before or after the dinosaur museum.

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2
Museum and families with children
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum

A leading Katsuyama destination: take a break at the roadside station before heading there.

Open in Google Maps
3
Park and outdoor play
Katsuyama Dinosaur Forest

Add outdoor play near the dinosaur museum, but check traffic restrictions in peak periods first.

Open in Google Maps
4
History and a mossy approach
Heisenji Hakusan Shrine

A quiet detour among moss and stone paving in dinosaur-themed Katsuyama.

Open in Google Maps
Food outlets and the market on the station grounds share the station pin. Nearby places are separate destinations to combine with your visit.
Nearby

Places to visit nearby

Museum and families with children
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur MuseumJapanese guide
About 3.5 km from the stationAbout 7 minutes by car

For a toilet stop, snack, drinks, or souvenirs at the roadside station before or after a museum reservation.

Park and outdoor play
Katsuyama Dinosaur ForestJapanese guide
About 3.5 km from the stationAbout 7 minutes by car

For a day with outdoor play as well as the museum. In summer vacation, prepare at the roadside station and check traffic notices.

History and a mossy approach
Heisenji Hakusan ShrineJapanese guide
About 8 km from the stationAbout 15 minutes by car

For adding quiet nature and history to a museum-centered trip. A morning after rain or during the fresh green season works well.

Mountain activities and onsen
JAM Fukui Katsuyama Mountain ResortJapanese guide
About 14 km from the stationAbout 20 minutes by car

For avoiding museum crowds, summer mountain activities, winter snow play, or an onsen before heading home.

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