Gamaksan Mountain (Paju)

Rising on the border of Paju, Yangju and Yeoncheon, Gamaksan (675 m) has long been counted among the five sacred peaks of Gyeonggi. Its name means "dark-blue rock mountain", from the black and blue sheen said to shine from its rocks. A suspension bridge at the trailhead, the near-vertical Ungye Falls and, on clear days, a summit view as far as Songaksan in Kaesong give it a character that belongs to a mountain this close to the DMZ.

History: holy mountain and battlefield

Gamaksan was sacred to Korean shamanism from Silla times, and in the Joseon era the royal court held rites to the mountain in spring and autumn. It was fought over in the Three Kingdoms period and again during the Khitan invasions.

In the Korean War it was known as Hill 675 and became a key point of the Imjin River line. In April 1951 the British Gloucestershire Regiment famously held off a Chinese offensive in the Seolma-ri valley below the mountain, which is why Paju nicknamed the suspension bridge the "Gloster Heroes Bridge". Military bases still surround the mountain.

What to see

• Gamaksan Suspension Bridge: a 150 m-long, 1.5 m-wide pylonless mountain suspension bridge reconnecting the Seolma-ri valley after it was cut by a road. It hangs about 45 m above the Seolmacheon stream and opened in 2016.
• Ungye Falls: an almost vertical waterfall, used for ice-climbing training in winter.
• Summit stele: a stone stele worn completely blank. Theories range from a boundary stone of King Jinheung of Silla to a monument to the Tang general Xue Rengui.
• Im Kkeok-jeong Cave: below Janggunbong peak; legend says the outlaw Im Kkeok-jeong hid here from government troops.
• Beomnyunsa: a temple on the trail up from the bridge.

Good to know

• Gamaksan is one of the 100 famous mountains chosen by the Korea Forest Service.
• The bridge became an instant hit: more than 670,000 people visited in its first full year.
• Gamaksan sits on a spur of the Hanbuk Range, which branches off the Baekdudaegan, the peninsula's mountain spine, and splits again at Yangju towards Jeokseong.
• Besides Beomnyunsa, the mountain holds temples such as Suwolsa, Bongamsa and Mitaam, and a farm at its foot offers tastings of wine made from wild Korean grapes.

Nearby

• Hantangang River: a basalt-cliff gorge about 8 km northeast towards Yeoncheon, easy to combine by car.
• British Seolma-ri Battle Memorial Park: in the Seolmacheon valley near the bridge, continuing the Korean War story.

Tripto tips

• Suspension bridge: open 09:00–18:00 and free; closed in bad weather.
• Parking: first 20 minutes free, then KRW 2,000 for cars and KRW 4,000 for large vehicles.
• Hiking: from the Beomnyunsa trailhead to the summit is about 3.4–3.9 km (Courses 1 and 2). Allow 3–4 hours return. Stay on marked trails and keep away from military areas.
• Views: Songaksan in Kaesong is only visible in very clear air; autumn, with less fine dust, is the best bet.