Shirakami Mountains
South of Mt. Iwaki are the Shirakami Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is home to the world's largest virgin beech forest. The area is truly pristine and great for hiking. If you don't have a car, take a Konan bus from Hirosaki Bus Terminal or Hirosaki Station bound for Tsugaru Touge from June to October, getting off at Tashiro (55 minutes) and walking about five minutes to the visitor center, where you should pick up current information, or at Aqua Green Village, Anmon (90 minutes) to get to the Anmon Falls. If you want to see the Mother Tree—the forest's largest, and presumably oldest, tree—get off at the last stop, Tsugaru Toge (two hours, 10 minutes); the tree is a five-minute walk from there. Only a few buses run daily and only at certain times of the year, so check with the visitors' center or your hotel to be sure of departure times and bus stops. Also note that the road beyond Aqua Green Village only opens around July each year.
