Suraksan Mountain

Suraksan is a 638 m granite mountain on the border of Nowon-gu in Seoul and the cities of Uijeongbu and Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province. You can start hiking straight from a subway station, yet the summit area is a ridge of bare boulders that gives a proper mountain walk. Together with Bukhansan and Dobongsan it forms part of the chain of peaks enclosing northern Seoul.

The mountain of falling water

Su-rak (水落) means "falling water". The best-known explanation is that the name comes from the way water tumbles down the rock walls of its eastern valleys, and indeed on the Namyangju side three falls, Geumnyu, Eunnyu and Ongnyu, follow one after another. The mountain is made of Jurassic granite, the same rock that runs on into Dobongsan and Bukhansan. It was designated a park in 1977.

Kim Si-seup's mountain

The early-Joseon writer Kim Si-seup, who wandered the country in protest after King Sejo seized the throne, is closely linked to Suraksan. In the early 1470s he is said to have built a retreat here and stayed for nearly ten years, writing. The words "金流洞天" (Geumnyu Dongcheon) carved on a rock above Geumnyu Falls are also said to be his naming. Above the falls, Naewonam is a hermitage said to date back to Silla; in the late Joseon period it became known as a place where the royal family came to pray.

Routes to the summit

• Jangam Station – Gichabawi – summit – Suraksan Station: the most popular traverse. Start at Jangam Station on Line 7, pass Seongnimsa Temple, climb over Gichabawi to the summit and descend towards Suraksan Station. It is about 8.8 km and takes around 5 hours including breaks.
• Gichabawi ("Train Rock"): a long, steep slab, said to look like a train, that you climb hauling on fixed ropes. Gloves are a must. In 2025 Uijeongbu City installed new safety ropes, a viewing deck and rest areas here.
• Summit and ridge: from the summit boulders you see Dobongsan and Bukhansan to the west and Buramsan and north-east Seoul to the south. In spring, royal azaleas bloom along the ridge towards Buramsan.

Temples and valleys on the slopes

Several old temples sit on Suraksan's lower slopes. Heungguksa on the south side is said to date from Silla, and Seongnimsa in Jangam-dong to the west, founded in the Joseon period, marks the start of the Gichabawi route. Forest paths run through the Surak and Nowon valleys, so even without going to the top a valley walk makes a pleasant half-day outing. In summer many people come just to cool their feet in the streams.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: trails start right from Suraksan and Jangam stations on Line 7. You can also start at Buramsan Station on Line 4 and come over Buramsan.
• Best seasons: late April–May for azaleas and late October to early November for autumn colour. In summer the waterfall valleys on the east side are coolest.
• Safety: the summit rocks and Gichabawi are granite and very slippery when wet or icy. On wet days take the bypass path instead of Gichabawi.
• Time needed: 3–4 hours for a summit round trip, about 5 hours for the full traverse.