Lake Shikaribetsu is the only natural lake in Daisetsuzan National Park. At an altitude of 810 meters, it is the highest lake in Hokkaido, and its deepest point is about 100 meters.

The lake is surrounded by a primeval forest (Sakhalin fir, Yezo spruce, Erman's birch), conveying the nature of ancient times to the present day.

The lake is a 'dammed lake' formed when a river was blocked by a volcanic eruption about 30,000 years ago, and its circumference is about 13 km. It forms nine bays along its complex shoreline and has Benten Island in its northern part. Mt. Tenbo, to the east of the lake, is called 'Kuchibiru-yama' (Lip Mountain) because of its shape and its reflection on the lake's surface, and it has become a symbol of Lake Shikaribetsu.

The surrounding area is inhabited by precious wildlife such as the 'pika,' a living fossil said to have lived since the ice age, as well as ospreys, white-tailed eagles, black woodpeckers, and grey herons.