Follow This Blog

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Shiretoko National Park Nature Center & Furepe Waterfalls (知床自然センター&フレペの滝)

The Shiretoko National Park Nature Center is located at the entrance of the Shiretoko National Park, or a World Natural Heritage site. It not only serves as an information center for the park visitors, but also facilitates your enjoyable stay in Shiretoko.

Any question about Shiretoko? English speaking staff members at the center would answer any question about the nature, traffic information, and activity options in Shiretoko. Quick lectures such as "how to react when you encounter bears" are enjoyable and useful!!

The center sells the local souvenirs as well as basic outdoor gears for hiking in Shiretoko. Good selections of guide books are also available at the information counter. Anti-bear spray or anti-bear food containers can be rent at reasonable prices.

You can also buy snacks, light meals, sweets and variety of soft drinks here. Please remember that this is the only restaurant in the Shiretoko National Park.

Look at the kokemomo & hamanasu (cowberry & rugosa rose) soft ice cream!!!

The special flavored ice cream is sold in the Shiretoko National Park only!!!

I've found a different unique thing!! Look at the shika deer hamburger!!!!

Wow! Wow! Wow! I have to try it because we can NOT find such a hamburger in Sapporo!!

Actually I love venison!! Yummy x 2!!!!

When we went out of the center, we encountered some shika deer! Oops!

It's sooooooooooo cute, isn't it????
(I'm sorry I ate your friends a few minutes ago..................)

This is the "Shiretoko 100 ㎡ Forest Trust House", a kind of visitor center to introduce several activities of a famous Japanese forest trust, is open to public for free. You can learn the history and ongoing forest restoration projects in Shiretoko.

In a 2 km trail behind this center, you can see the great sea cliffs and waterfalls.

Let's go!!!!



Looking down to the ground, you can find animal tracks like this↓

and have high chances to see wild animals such as shika deer, birds, and red foxes.

We are about to arrive at a famous cliff spot!!

This is Mt. Rausu-Dake (1,660m)

We've arrived at the "Furepe Waterfalls"!

They are sometimes dubbed as "Maiden Waterfalls".



The site is globally important for the threatened sea birds and migratory birds, a number of salmoid species and marine mammals including the Steller's sea lions, and some cetacean species.

■Where is the Shiretoko National Park Visitor Center?

View Larger Map


■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?
I'll guide you! Plz click here!