Drives using National Route 373 or the Tottori Expressway
Lunch before heading to Tottori
Just beside Nishiawakura IC, the station is convenient for lunch and a toilet break before driving toward Tottori City. Look for Daisen jidori chicken dishes and menus using regional ingredients, then choose souvenirs in the shop. A pause here can make the border-crossing drive more comfortable.
Nishiawakura IC → Awakurando → toward Tottori.
The restaurant mainly serves lunch. If you arrive late, leave room to switch to snacks or the shop.
Days when you want to ease driving fatigue; a leisurely adults-only trip
Make a half-day break with a hot spring
After eating and shopping at the station, continue to Yutopia Koganeizumi or Awakura Onsen Motoyu for a half-day break instead of simply passing through. Both are a short drive away, so you can decide according to how tired your companions feel. Onsen are Japanese hot-spring baths.
Awakurando → Yutopia Koganeizumi / Awakura Onsen Motoyu.
The hot springs have closing days and last-admission times; check their official information before going.
Flower drives from late April to early May
Use the station as a base for a spring moss-phlox drive
On a visit to Ogaya Moss Phlox Park, use Awakurando as a starting point for toilets, drinks, and a light meal. Peak flowering changes from year to year, and temperatures change as you head into the mountains. Resting at the station first makes the route easier to plan with children.
Awakurando → Ogaya Moss Phlox Park → BASE101%.
Follow current seasonal information for the park’s opening period and parking arrangements, and allow extra time on busy days.
Days when you want little outdoor walking, including trips with children or older companions
On a rainy day, focus on shopping and a hot spring
Rather than walking the wooden walkway for long in the rain, choose Okayama and Tottori souvenirs in the shop, eat at the restaurant or outdoor shop, and move on to a hot spring. When mountain weather is uncertain, a visit to Awakurando and an onsen can be satisfying without pushing on to Wakasugi Natural Forest or the moss phlox.
Awakurando → Yutopia Koganeizumi / Awakura Onsen Motoyu.
Keep the outing short while checking the footing on the walkway and in the car park, plus the hot spring’s closing day and last-admission time.
