The trail is a good hike, just be prepared for the parking costs and the buses of tourists in the autumn season. Hiking the other side of the mountains is also great and gives you a great chance to see the power of the 2000 earthquake on the houses and roads the passed through the area. There is free parking available on the western side.
After all the great food in Hokkaido, it's good to take a day out for hiking around mount Usu, the active volcano at lake Toya.
The walk usually is about half a day and if you are lucky, you can see steam coming out from the mountain. 🚶
Even from far distance you can see the steam coming out from all direction at the Gunnima crater, it is a sight to behold. We went up by cable car so we only went half way down the trail as it leads to the sea side, which is the opposite side to Lake Toya. I suggest others to take the cable car up one way and hike down. Those stairs are relentless as you can see from the photos.
We've been here in mid-september 2017. We took the cable car to mount Usu and watched lake Toya and Showa-shinzan from the first viewing platform. From the second viewing platform you can see the summit of mount Usu. From there we took a short hike along the rim of the crater. The walk was absolutely beautiful and the smoking mounting is seen all along the way. From the end of the trail you can also see the stunning view of southern Hokkaido across the bay. Allocate 2-3 hours for the entire trip.