I hope that you have found the last 2 articles on Sakura viewing useful. Something very relaxing to do during a free and easy trip when you are not in a rush. Today, I will be sharing with you my self drive experiences in Shiretoko National Park (知床国立公園), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Shiretoko National Park is one of Japan’s most beautiful and unspoiled national parks covering most of the Shiretoko Peninsula at the northeastern tip Hokkaido. It has one of the richest integrated ecosystems in the world and is home to a variety of wildlife, including brown bears, sea eagles, deer and foxes.

I had not planned it this way, but it looks like I have taken you from Southern Hokkaido, to Central Hokkaido and now to Eastern Hokkaido. The best way to get to the Shiretoko National Park would be a self drive trip. Do check out my earlier article on renting a car in Japan.

Timing is important as many of the national park’s roads get closed from around late November to around late April, including the road over Shiretoko Pass due to snow. This trip is more for a nature lover or someone looking for scenic locations. If you are more of a shopaholic, this is not suitable trip for you. In addition, most of the places along the way would be small towns with limited food establishments. You will want to stock up before you leave Chitose. There are also less accommodation options in Eastern Hokkaido, you cannot afford to be too picky, no business hotels here, mainly  traditional Japanese ryokans or standard hotels. Before you get discouraged, the trip is very very much worth it, IMHO.

I started my trip from Chitose taking the Doto Expressway all the way to the end of the expressway at Ashoro IC. Yes, the expressway network does not reach all the way to the eastern side of Hokkaido. After which I took route 241 which takes you on a NE direction towards Shari/Shiretoko.

As it is a rather long drive, it would be great to break it up over a couple of days and also stop by along the Akan(阿寒)/Lake Mansu and Kushiro (釧路) areas. Since route 241 passes by both Lake Akan and Lake Mansu, I spent the afternoon exploring the Akan area and stayed the night there. The next morning, I made a stop at Lake Mansu before heading towards Shari/Shiretoko.

The main attraction remains Shiretoko National Park. Paid parking is available near to the entrance of the park. In general, you would be heading in the direction for Shari Town/Utoro. You can stop by the Shiretoko National Park Nature Center before heading towards the individual attractions.

Of the different attractions here, I had chosen to visit these 4.

 

1. Oshinkoshin Waterfall

Oshinkoshin Waterfall (オシンコシンの滝,  894 727 045) is one of the popular attractions where you will find many tourists. Access is from the main road which leads into a parking area. It is quite easy to locate as the waterfall can be seen from the main road. From the car park, there an access path with guide rails for you to climb up the trail for a better view of the waterfall.

 

2. Onnebetsu Bridge

Onnebetsu Bridge (遠音別橋) is probably one of the lesser known places. It is located off the Shari town area, just a bridge along the road to Shari town. You will have to keep a sharp lookout on the road for the sign. If you are lucky, there might be other cars stopped along the road to indicate the correct spot.

Onnebetsu Bridge signboard

From the bridge you could look down into the stream to observe wild salmon swimming upstream. The gates were unlocked and I was able to walk all the way down to the side of the stream. Unfortunately, timing was not right when I was there, no jumping salmon to be seen.

 

3. Shiretoko Goko Lakes (the 5 lakes)

The Shiretoko goko lakes (知床五湖) were formed when Mt. Io erupted leaving behind an impression looking like a god’s five fingerprints. Interestingly, the lakes are filled by underground spring water. This is a really great place to visit, blowing your mind away with its majestic grandeur.

There are clear directions from the National Park Nature Center to the Goko Lakes. You can drive all the way in where paid parking is available.The Shiretoko goko lakes were formed when Mt. Io erupted leaving behind an impression looking like a god’s five fingerprints. Interestingly, the lakes are filled by underground spring water. This is a really great place to visit, it will blow your mind away with it’s majestic grandeur.

Once at the car park, you are a stone’s throw away from the paths leading to the lakes. You could choose to use the elevated wooden boardwalk or opt to walk the ground pathway. The elevated wooden boardwalk is opened all the time but provides access to only one of the lakes. The ground pathway would give better coverage. However, there are 2 things to watch out for – eco season and bears. During eco season, you will be required to attend a briefing (fee payable) before taking the ground pathway. As for bears, if they are spotted, the ground pathway will be closed. Due to bear sightings when I was there, I was only able to take the elevated wooden boardwalk.

 

4. Shiretoko Pass

On the way back, you could drive south through Shiretoko Pass (知床峠), <Shiretoko Pass Car Park,  知床峠駐車場,  757 492 298> and head towards Chitose via Kushiro. The pass is along the top of Shiretoko Highway (Route 334) between Utoro in the north and Rausu in the south at an elevation of 740m. This is one of Japan’s scenic drive routes.

At the pass, you will get a breath taking view of Mount Rausu and surrounding mountain ranges. Through the lookout point, you will be able catch the Sea of Okhotsk

 

Are you excited about making a trip to Shiretoko now? Definitely worth the drive. If you are a photo buff, please do bring along all your gear. I had decided to travel light, leaving behind my lens hood and CPL, a very big mistake. Bring along your ultra-wide lens too.

Have a wonderful self drive trip to Shiretoko!

Ja
KL