Visit date(s): September 25 & 26, 2024

Nearby sites on trip: Jomon prehistoric sites, although they are not very close. We saw our first one 3 days later.

Overnight location: Utoro

Location(s):           Shiretoko National Park: Goko lakes hike, Furepe waterfall hike, Cape Shiretoko sightseeing boat, Shiretoko pass drive, Rausu Kanketsusen Geyser (photo)

Travel method(s):   Car, foot, boat

Travel duration:  Less than 10 minute drive to the park.  Less than 2 hour drive to the furthest point on the other side of the peninsula.  We reentered the park at the field house on the north side.

Visit duration:  2 days

OUV:  We saw lots of deer, birds and a fox. The bears are given priority over humans in areas where they like to feed, so it appears that the ecosystem is being protected.  It is a wild and beautiful place.

Best of:  Sightseeing boat trip to the cape.  It was good light and although there were waves, the Aurora was very stable.  There were a few waterfalls, intriguing rock formations and some abandoned buildings.                                                 We were also, separately, thrilled to see a small geyser that I hadn’t read about beforehand!

Worst of:  There were not a lot of food options in Utoro in the evening and they closed early.  We did have some excellent food, but it was work to find it.