Seoraksan Mountain

Seoraksan spans Sokcho, Yangyang, Inje and Goseong in Gangwon Province, and its highest peak, Daecheongbong (1,708 m), is the third-highest in South Korea after Hallasan and Jirisan. Sharp granite ridges and deep valleys make it one of the country's signature mountain landscapes. The eastern side lies close to the sea and can be reached straight from Sokcho, so plenty of non-hikers come too.

History and nature

The name "Seorak" (snowy peaks) is said to come from snow that starts falling around Chuseok in early autumn and only melts in summer. Right after liberation in 1945 the mountain was in North Korean territory, but it became part of South Korea after the Korean War.

The area became Seoraksan Natural Reserve, Natural Monument No. 171, in 1965, and was designated a national park on 24 March 1970. In August 1982 it was listed as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. About 1,013 plant species grow in the reserve, and protected animals such as the long-tailed goral and the Asiatic black bear live here.

The mountain falls into three parts. Naeseorak (Inner Seorak) on the Inje side has deep forested valleys such as Baekdam and Suryeomdong; Oeseorak (Outer Seorak) on the Sokcho side has rock peaks and waterfalls and is the easiest to reach. Namseorak (South Seorak) on the Yangyang side has routes up to Daecheongbong from Hangyeryeong Pass and Osaek.

What to see

• Ulsanbawi: a huge wall of rock reached by more than 800 steps. On the way you pass two temples and Heundeulbawi, a boulder that rocks when you push it.
• Biseondae and Cheonbuldong Valley: about 3 km from Seorak-dong you reach Biseondae, rock slabs in the stream. Above it runs Cheonbuldong, the "Valley of a Thousand Buddhas", lined with rocks that look like rows of Buddha statues.
• Dinosaur Ridge (Gongnyong Neungseon): a ridge of spiky peaks like a dinosaur's back, designated a Scenic Site in 2013. Signs give it as about 5.1 km and 5 hours, and even reaching the ridge is a hard climb, so it is counted among the toughest routes in Korea.
• Towangseong Falls: a tall waterfall in Outer Seorak, seen from a viewing platform.
• Biryong and Yukdam Falls: reached on foot along the valley south of the main car park.

More of Inner and South Seorak

Inner Seorak gathers famous valleys and ridges such as Suryeomdong, Baekdam, Gayadong and Gugokdam valleys, the Twelve Fairy Pools (12 Seonnyeotang), Daeseung Falls and Yongajangseong, a ridge of rocks like a dragon's teeth. The forest is deeper and the slopes gentler, so walking here feels different from the east side. Besides Ulsanbawi and Cheonbuldong, Outer Seorak has rock-cliff sights such as Gwongeumseong and Geumganggul cave.

More hikers now also use the routes from Hangyeryeong and Osaek in South Seorak, a relatively easy way up Daecheongbong. The path from Hangyeryeong follows part of the Seobuk ridge, a long ridge that is rare on this valley-rich mountain.

Rock and weather

The outer parts of Seoraksan are Precambrian gneiss and the core is Jurassic and Cretaceous granite. Rock that eroded at different rates along joints and cracks produced rugged peaks such as Dinosaur Ridge and Ulsanbawi. Daecheongbong is covered in snow for five to six months a year, and the average annual temperature stays below 10 °C. The seaward Outer Seorak gets more rain (about 1,300 mm) than inland Inner Seorak (about 1,000 mm). The reserve has recorded 1,562 animal species, including protected musk deer, otters and flying squirrels.

Did you know

• Legend says Ulsanbawi was a rock from the city of Ulsan travelling to a rock contest at Geumgangsan; it arrived too late and settled down in Seorak.
• Heundeulbawi is a round boulder about 5 m high; countless people have pushed it, but it only wobbles and never falls.
• Some creatures are named after the mountain: a cicada and several annelid worms carry "seoraksan" or "seolagsana" in their scientific names.
• The Cheonbuldong route to Daecheongbong runs from Seorak-dong to Biseondae (3.0 km), Yangpok Shelter (3.0 km) and Huiungak Shelter (2.0 km).

Tripto tips

• Trail closures: every spring and autumn, during the forest fire prevention periods, high-altitude trails are closed. In autumn 2025 Dinosaur Ridge and the route from Hangyeryeong to Daecheongbong were closed from 15 November to 15 December, while low-lying areas such as Biseondae, Ulsanbawi, the Towangseong Falls viewpoint and Jujeongol stayed open. Always check the Korea National Park Service website before you set off.
• Safety: accidents from exhaustion are common on Dinosaur Ridge; in December 1993 two university students lost their way at night and died of hypothermia. Take extra care in winter and in rain.
• Fines: entering a closed section by a side path can cost KRW 200,000–500,000, and smoking or carrying flammable materials KRW 600,000–2,000,000.
• Time needed: Biseondae or Ulsanbawi take half a day; a round trip to Daecheongbong or a Dinosaur Ridge traverse can take more than 10 hours.
• When to go: autumn foliage season is the busiest. Summer is good for the valleys and winter for snow scenery, but winter hikes at altitude need gear and experience.
• Getting there: Seorak-dong, the entrance to Outer Seorak, is close to central Sokcho.