Where to Go Hiking in Korea: Seoraksan National Park
Seoraksan National Park is one of the highlights in Sokcho, and is listed on UNESCO’s world heritage sites. It’s 30 peaks, some of which are the largest in the country with the tallest being 1,708m (5,604ft) are spread across the 60 miles with views any mountain lover would enjoy.
My friends and I ended up splitting a taxi to the entrance since we didn’t have a car yet and we’d missed the bus. Thanks to Kakao Taxi, we were able to easily get one back into town after it got dark since the bus didn’t come frequently at the time. We were leaving just after sunset and when we called a taxi we could see many people running for the bus before it headed back down, and he ended up being super friendly and we had a great conversation with our driver on the way back to the city. In fact all the drivers we had there were super friendly and tried to strike up friendly conversations during our time there.
There are multiple peaks and trails to choose from in the park. Some trails are easy and some difficult, and there is also a cable car that you can book a time slot for and go to the top of a peak if you wish to skip the hiking. (Since we went during a holiday weekend it filled up pretty quickly so we opted to skip). The mountains are beautiful and the scenery makes you want to stop every time there is a valley overlook—both to rest and take a breath and to photograph. The nature there is truly breathtaking. At the time we went it was very cloudy, so we didn’t have a very good view except for what was directly below and around us as the clouds rolled in, but it was still enjoyable and worth the trek up.
We took the Ulsan Bawi trail (817m) with its mix of stairs, steep incline, and crossing rivers after you leave behind the large road-like trail at the base of the mountain. You pass over some rivers and small streams, in addition to the temples and other sites scattered throughout the park, so there is plenty to stop and look at, so you have to be careful of time if you get there later in the day. The park is huge, and some trails can take more than a day, so you can easily spend a good portion of your time there.
Fun fact, there is phone service at the top of the mountain. I was hiking up and our trio of friends ended up splitting (yes, the beginning of every outdoor horror story, but I promise it was safe in this instance haha) and I ended up getting texts and calls from our friend below while she waiting….. and from our campground. They called because of a mixup and I was catching my breath at the top of the peak as I was struggling through my broken Korean to inform the owner that we couldn’t come back because I was on top of a mountain, and it would be a few hours before we returned. It was an entertaining interaction, to say the least. In fact, our hike up Ulsan Bawi Peak was super last minute because we didn’t think we’d be able to do any hiking, so none of us were really prepared since we thought we’d go the next day (I had a go-bag all ready to go but it was back at the campsite). A rainstorm was coming the next day so we pushed it up in our schedule and went a day earlier since we wanted to see the mountains, but with the incoming rain, the views from the top were so cloudy. But still spectacular in the misty gray would that was sweeping the valley in a thick blanket.
If you love the outdoors, mountains, or any nature views Seoraksan is a must visit. Even though the weather wasn’t exactly ideal I still enjoyed my visit, and can only imagine how it is during clear skies. So hopefully I’ll be able to visit again.
Entry fee: 3,500won (excluding parking)
Cable Car: 1085, Seoraksan-ro, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
Location (Seoraksan Parking): Seoraksan-dong, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
강원도 속초시 설악동 114-2
