Mount Naka Katsuragi
Despite being just off the popular Diamond Trail, most hikers bypass the mountain as they go between Mount Kongō to the north and Mount Jinpuku to the southwest. The summit is accessible via multiple routes from all sides of the mountain, and most hikes take about 90 minutes. Location. Mount Naka Katsuragi is a (though the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan shows 937.6 meters, most other sources show 937.7) mountain located within Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park, about almost directly south of Mount Kongō. Despite being very close to Mount Kongō, and being on the Diamond  Trail, there are fewer serious mountain climbers. Environs. On the Osaka side, extensive reforestation efforts of Japanese cedar and bamboo grass ("Sasa veitchii") have taken place, but they have produced mixed results. On the approach to the summit on the Gojō side, various shrubs and large fields of "Sasa veitchii" grow everywhere due to the lack of tall trees blocking out the sunlight. In the middle of all the sasa fields is a class 3 triangulation station (the name of the station is ). Access and amenities. The trails on the mountain generally rise in elevation fairly slowly, so the mountain  is popular with recreational hikers. About northeast of Mount Naka Katsuragi on the Diamond Trail is (elevation ), and while the vertical distance is only about , the ascent is extremely steep and a difficult climb for those with little mountaineering experience. The peak is just off the Diamond Trail, a hiking trail centered on Mount Kongō. Even though it has many hikers traversing by its peak, most bypass Mount Naka Katsuragi on the way to Mount Jinpuku and after ascending to the base of Mount Kongō via the Mount Kongo Ropeway. There are two routes from Gojō, each taking about 90  minutes: one via Kuruno Pass from , and a route from which is shorter in distance but rises more steeply. Cell service is available at the summit. The closest toilet facilities are north on the Diamond Trail about 35 minutes, halfway to Mount Kongō at .