A former orange grove turns into a popular campground! Enjoy night views and bonfires at "GROVE camping hill" in Yugawara, Shizuoka

Located on the border of Atami and Yugawara, the former orange grove campground "GROVE camping hill" offers beautiful night views. Here, I recalled the joys of bonfires and regained that nostalgic feeling from my beginner camping days.

A panoramic view of Yuugawara town! We have arrived at a campsite that used to be a mandarin orange orchard

GROVE camping hill is a campsite located on the border between Atami and Yuugawara, originally a mandarin orchard. It focuses on the fundamental aspects of camping, such as enjoying tranquility and campfires in nature. Moreover, its appeal lies in the beautiful view overlooking Yuugawara town, and I came here specifically for the stunning night scenery.

Owner Kazuma Nagashima: "I want this to be a place for people who love camping."

I spoke with owner Kazuma Nagashima, who kindly granted permission for this interview, about the features and design of the campsite. Mr. Nagashima, who was originally a camper himself, decided to open a campsite after being inspired by the "negura campground" located in Kannami town, Tagata district, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Starting from scratch with a career change and looking for a location to develop a campsite, he said, "I was fortunate that things fell into place." According to him, "True to those words, he connected with various people, including landowners and volunteer pioneers, and things progressed smoothly, leading up to the opening day."

With a desire to create "a place for people who love camping," they have installed a stone-made "fire pit for open flames" and implemented a limit on weekdays, allowing a maximum of five adults (more than five is permissible only for family members of the same household) to create an atmosphere of rustic tranquility.

To avoid a cramped feeling, they have also ensured "spacing between sites," which seems to respond to campers' needs.

Very popular among backpackers! Plans for further facility expansion are in the works.

Mr. Nagashima was surprised by the unexpected number of “walking campers.” According to the walking campers who attended, the reasons for its popularity are that the "Yugawara" station is close and the view is good.

He is constantly working on development and renovations, and plans to open a renovated management building in the summer of 2026. They also aim to become the “holy land for walking campers” by offering drinks and ice that had not been available for sale until now. Thanks to Mr. Nagashima's bright and energetic activities, further updates to the campsite can be expected.

Choose a site that suits you and go camping

On this day, I chose the "Miharashi Site (Regular)" located on the upper level. The Miharashi site has two types: Regular (about 4m wide) and Small (about 3m wide), and using a hexagonal tent with a diameter of about 3m on the Regular site posed no width issues. The weather was somewhat cloudy, but the view was very nice, and I looked forward to the night view.

There are also other options such as "Large Sites" for big groups and "Auto Sites" that are convenient for cars. Personally, I was interested in the “Komorebi Site” which has standing trees on the site. If you're going solo and travel light, a hammock is available, and during times when the trees aren’t leafed out, you can enjoy the town's scenery while swaying in the hammock. By the way, overnight stays in hammocks are also possible at the “Urabayama Site” surrounded by conifers on the mountain side.

At night, regain yourself with a bonfire pit and an urban night view.

Since it's a special occasion, I decided to try a campfire with an open flame for the first time in a while. While tending to the fire and waiting for sunset, the night view of Yugawara spread out before me! It’s rare to find a place where you can enjoy both a wild fire pit and an urban night view simultaneously.

If the weather is good, it seems you can also see the Kawasaki skyline and the Landmark Tower in Yokohama, and on this day, I was able to confirm the lights from the distant shore across the sea.

Speaking of open flames, it’s steak time, so I pulled out some gear that I hadn't used recently and indulged in a wild open-flame steak! Since the gear used changes in a different environment, I feel like a new camping style is about to be born here.

Lately, I've gotten used to camping, and perhaps because I’ve started staying overnight in a car in environments where campfires are prohibited (like RV parks), I find that I do campfires less often than before. When I let myself be enveloped by the sounds of the campfire and the flickering flames for the first time in a while, the fresh feelings from when I started camping came rushing back. The fog in my mind dissipated like ash, and I was able to refresh myself.

Looking for a new spot, I visited a campground in a hot spring area, and I was healed by the stunning views and wild campfire, regaining my original enthusiasm. GROVE camping hill is operated from a camper's perspective, and its design allows you to truly feel the goodness of camping, so when I'm tired from work, I want to return here to rediscover myself by the campfire.

Facility name / GROVE camping hill
Location / 75-1 Izumi, Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Fee / 2000 yen per adult (high school students and above), 1000 yen per child (elementary to middle school students), free for preschool children
Parking fee / 1000 yen per car or motorcycle (vehicles up to 1.98m in width)
Check-in / 13:00 - 16:00
Check-out / until 12:00

Coverage/Article by Kazuma Tanaka

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