Visited early June in the morning- weather was wet and cold but walkable - walked the trail to the edge of the cliff observatory point from the visitor entrance. A few trails through the forest. There were not many people at the time probably too early. The view of the ocean from the cliff was spectacular and there were wild deers roaming about the area...fortunately did not meet any wild bears...must go place if you are in the northern Hokkaido.

We visited here with my fiance for a few days. Shiretoko is nature unharmed. Flowers, trees, animals all flourish here. A wonderful place, no matter your age, gender, interests. You will be able to connect with what the country must have looked like a 100-200 years ago. The mountain ranges against the sea are fascinating, you can spot bears and deer, and there is a lovely outdoor star gazing event. I can only recommend this place to everyone who is not addicted to large cities.

We spent three nights in Shiretoko and visited the National Park every day, either by car, boat or on foot. Although the weather could have been better, it really was beautiful. The boardwalk at the Five Lakes was a great introduction to the area, but the walk on the ground was so much nicer. A 'bear training' session is required in order to do this, and I must admit that it can be a bit off-putting, but better than being naive. Luckily, we didn't encounter any while on foot. The Five Lakes area is extremely well organised. There are people marshalling the car park, holding vehicles on the road when it is full and directing them to empty space when they free up. Parking costs 500 Yen per car. The signposts are very clear, toilets are clean, tickets for the ground level walk can be purchases from a vending machine (the boardwalk is free) and the 'bear training' has English subtitles.

It's difficult not to spot wildlife when driving to and from the park. We lost count of the number of deer and foxes that we saw at either side of the road. We saw bears and eagles when we took boat trips from Utoro. The entire area must be absolutely stunning with a blue sky.