Forest Sons Nagatoro — Hotel in Nagatoro

Interesting place. Stayed one night at the campsite and one night in the trailer site.

Campsite good: the location on the river is beautiful, bathrooms close by, parking beside your tent site, a place to wash your dishes with hot water. People seemed generally well-mannered and friendly.

Campsite bad: this is not a place for people who are experienced 'free' campers or want to get away and relax. This is for families from the crowded city who just want to sleep outside for a night and don't need quiet or privacy. The sites are very small and right beside each other. We were only a few meters from other people's tents. This means that you hear everything and sleep when the last person sleeps and wake up when the first person wakes up. Noisy college students at night, noisy kids in the morning. Not relaxing at all and zero privacy. Felt a bit like a refugee camp or something. Also, during the day, it's right beside a skate park which is surprisingly loud...we thought a building was being demolished before we figured out what was happening. Admittedly, there are a few sites facing the river which look a bit nicer and more private, but the one we had was surrounded by other campers, literally meters away. 5000 yen seemed expensive for a tiny spot on the ground, crowded with your neighbors.

Trailer park good: Wow! Beautiful trailers, much nicer and newer than I expected. Nice toilets and showers also included. Nice covered BBQ area.

Trailer park bad: Again, you're just so close to everyone else that, if they decide to have late drinks on their balcony, you aren't gonna sleep.

Overall, I had a great time. The staff was friendly and it seemed you could rent the things you couldn't bring. If you're an experienced camper, you won't like the campsite, but it you're just a city slicker looking for a night to sleep outside, it might be fine. For me, I'll stay in the trailers if I go...

To start, Nagatoro is a lovely town itself. The portion of the Arakawa River that runs through it is gorgeous, especially this season (mid autumn), when foliage on either bank are starting to change colour. Forest Sons camping ground is situated along the gorge and access to the river (sightseeing, playing on the banks) is one of the plus points.

We used the Calm Bear vacatiom room L-type. Just costs a little bit more than the tent sites but still cheaper than the full cottages. It comes with a space for glamping where you can setup stuff and do barbecue/bonfire but you'll also have an airconditioned room with a semi double bed to sleep in when you're done "camping" for the day. This was a great option for us who were anxious about the temperatures dropping at night if we sleep in a tent. Not for hardcore campers (they also have the bushcraft tent sites available for that), but good for those who want to enjoy camping plus the convenience and comfort of having a warm room to sleep in.

1 night stay cost us ¥9000 which we thought was reasonable for the quality of the amenities. The building looks fairly new, rooms are clean and cozy. The shared kitchen was well-appointed, shared toilets are like that of a hotel, the coin showers are clean, complete with a spacious changing room, mirrors, hair dryers, etc. We think it was such a luxurious "camping" experience.

We want to come back in spring to do full on camp in one of the View tent sites. Just have to book well in advance because it is popular and the weekends/holidays easily become fully booked.

Overall, this is a great place we would recommend to...

Booked Trailer B for a night, it’s our first time to be in an RV. It was a great experience, kids loved it. but it’s COVID season, pool and play area for kids are closed so kids got bored. Can’t swim or even play in the river because of the fast current. There’s nothing much to do aside from BBQ, fireworks, play cards and drinking. I guess we’ll gonna have to give it a chance and book the cottage area or the Sonoma RV’s when this pandemic is over.||Pros:|Quiet|Clean|Close to nature|Strict Covid measures|Free onsen tickets|BBQ set, fridge, 2 ACs, beddings, hand soap, alcohol, dishwashing liquid, sponge, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, hangers are included. |Tap from the kitchen is safe to drink. |The main bed is comfortable and big. |No smoking inside RV||Cons:|Closed pool and play area|Located at the higher grounds, so it was so difficult to go down and see the river. |Can’t swim/play in the river|Old Trailer’s toilet/bath are way to small|RV’s not good for light sleepers because one turn can shake RV and sofa bed makes a sound. |No ‘Go To Travel’ discount|Can’t bring speakers|Should be quiet by 9:30PM||Bring:|Slippers (no shoes inside)|Table cover|Bath towels|Mosquito coil/ spray|Extra plastic...