I Looked Into RECAMP Beppu Shikoko

I've been continuing to look into various campsites, kind of like an ongoing series, from the perspective of how far you can reasonably get by train or bus.

This time, I looked into RECAMP Beppu Shikoko. I was immediately drawn in by the idea of a lakeside campsite surrounded by mountains on all sides, and I got curious about whether such a quiet spot could really exist in Beppu, a town known for its steamy hot spring streets, so I decided to dig in.

A Campsite That Quietly Appears on the Shore of Lake Shikoko

RECAMP Beppu Shikoko is apparently a municipally run campsite located on the shore of Lake Shikoko in Beppu, Oita Prefecture. It seems the site was originally called the Aso-Kuju National Park Shikoko Camp Ground, and through a naming rights arrangement it came to have its current name. Operations themselves appear to be handled by Recamp Co., Ltd. as the designated management company.

Beppu is strongly associated with hot spring towns, but apparently if you head through the steam and into the forest, this lake appears before you, in a location surrounded by mountains on all sides, where you can enjoy views of the blue sky or starry sky reflected on the water's surface. It seems there are two types of sites available—partitioned sites and free sites—so you should be able to choose based on your tent setup or personal preference.

Komorin

Just imagining being able to pitch a tent around the lake makes me feel a bit cooler already. Since I'm not really a driver myself, I'm curious how close a bus can actually get.

Pedal Boats Around the Lake and Facilities & Pricing Worth Knowing

One way to enjoy this facility that really stands out is the pedal boats you can use to go around Lake Shikoko. It seems the three-person boats can be used for about 1,100 yen for 30 minutes, so on top of camping out, you could also spend some time cruising around on the lake.

As for other facilities and pricing, here's what I was able to confirm within the scope of my research.

• Camping fee: apparently around 660 yen per person per night
• Management building (shop) hours: seems to run from around 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Parking lot hours: around 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM (campsite guests can apparently enter or exit until 9:00 PM)
• Restrooms: apparently equipped with washlet-style toilets, with wheelchair-accessible facilities also in place
• Other facilities: apparently include a shop, vending machines, hot water supply, a cooking area, and a trash disposal area
• Pets seem to be allowed, and card payments appear to be accepted as well
• Reservations seem to be made through a campsite search and booking site called Nap

That said, I wasn't able to confirm the detailed price differences between partitioned sites and free sites, the specific check-in and check-out times, whether shower facilities are available, or whether open fires directly on the ground are allowed, within the scope of what I looked into this time. It might be a good idea to check the individual page on Nap or a similar site before booking, just to be safe.

Also, the way this facility's address is written seems to vary a little depending on the official source, with the district name and lot number appearing to be written slightly differently across sources. They all seem to point to the same general area along the shore of Lake Shikoko, but for the exact address, it's probably safest to check the latest information on the booking site or official website.

There also seems to be an activity facility called Forest Adventure Beppu right next to the campsite, and in some cases discount information is offered for its users. The campsite also seems to be eligible for lodging and tourism support discount programs, such as the Kyushu Reconstruction Support Discount, so if you're considering a visit, it's probably worth checking the latest information around your booking dates as well.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I tried checking this facility's location using the official My Area Connectivity Simulation tool, no result showed up at all—instead, it just displayed a message saying something like "currently undergoing temporary maintenance." This seems to be what happens when the address data for a location can't be found, so, to be honest, I simply wasn't able to determine whether the signal here is good or not this time.

Given that this is a lakeside location surrounded by mountains, I get the impression that signal reception could vary quite a bit depending on exactly where you are. I can't say for certain, but it might be worth checking with your own device or the official tool beforehand, just to be safe.

Komorin

I think this is the first time I've seen the tool fail to give any result at all. In cases like this, trying the tool yourself is probably the most reliable way to find out.

Wrapping Up

To sum it up again, RECAMP Beppu Shikoko left me with the impression of being an unusual type of campsite where you can even enjoy cruising around on the lake by pedal boat, right on the shore of Lake Shikoko, surrounded by mountains on all sides. With both partitioned sites and free sites available, plus basic facilities like restrooms and a cooking area, it seems like a fairly approachable option even for first-time campers.

That said, there were some details—like the exact pricing for each site type or check-in times—that I wasn't able to confirm through this research, so it's probably a good idea to check the individual page on Nap for the latest information before booking. As for Rakuten Mobile signal, since I wasn't able to get a result, if that's a concern for you, it might be worth checking with the official Rakuten Mobile tool yourself.

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Related Links

• Official Site