Seoraksan in the Fall

Seoraksan National Park (설악산국립공원) is my favorite place to ride in Korea throughout all seasons.

16 Photos

The mountainous terrain provides great views when going down the windy roads and also great distraction when going up them.

I recommend riding in early spring and late fall.

There is also fantastic hiking in the area which I like to do in the winter months.

My favorite place to stay is a little village called Osaek, (오색) famous for it’s hot springs and mineral water that you can drink right out of the ground.

As Seoraksan is a famous place for Koreans to visit and hike in the summer and fall months making it an extremely busy place, plus prices double. In the late fall Oct/Nov I stay in a hotel for 50,000 (approx $50 USD), or a bigger room for 4 people for about 80,000 (approx $80 USD)

My Bike Routes

Seoraksan Mountain Loop (67 km)
Seoraksan Mountain Loop (115 km)

Getting There with a Bike

Places mentioned are on the Google Map below.

Buses run frequently from Seoul to Sockcho (속초) the closest major city to the park entrance.

However I would suggest staying away from the city I would suggest heading to YangYang (양양) and staying on Naksan Beach (낙산해) which is about 5km from the town of YangYang. There are plenty of cheap hotels (in the off-season) that line the beach front. Not to mention that after a great days ride in the mountains you can sit on the beach front and enjoy a good feed.

You can also camp near on or near the beach for free or there is also a National Parks camp ground which you can pay a couple of dollars to use.

Getting to my favorite spot Osaek, (오색) is a little more difficult if you don’t have a car. There are less frequent buses that will drop you off on their way to YangYang (양양) although I am not sure if all buses will do this.

For more information check out the Korean Express Bus Line site. Alternatively (and easiest) call 02-1330, the English help line in Seoul. They are brilliant and will let you know your options.

More Pics from Previous Seoraksan Rides

WarmShowers.org is the couch surfing equivalent for cycle tourists with the slogan ‘Hospitality for Touring Bicyclists Worldwide’ and a great way to meet some new people.

Here is my Warm Showers experience from the road.

Back in April 2009 I received an email from a gentleman named Mark Swain asking for a few details about cycling in Korea. He was cycling with his son Sam from Ireland to Tokyo and as all routes do had made a last minute change which brought them via South Korea. Unfortunately I was just days from departing on my own adventure and as much as I would have offered up my apartment for them to crash at was only able to provide them information to help as they cycled from Incheon ferry port to Busan.

A few weeks later while on the road in China Mark replied. He had not realized that we were headed in the opposite direction to England. He kindly offered up some very valuable information about cycling Turkey which ultimately changed our route and also offered us a place to stay in Canterbury, just half a days ride from Dover.

It wasn’t until Tibbs and I found ourselves nearing the cliffs of Dover that I thought about the offer again. By this point we were sick and tired of the wet gray autumn weather that was Europe, so on the off chance I emailed Mark. It turned out that he was out of the country but he said just contact his wife Lorna and come on over.

Cold dreary last days in Europe

We did, and after figuring out that the U.K still uses miles on their signs (very confusing) pulled up smelly and sweaty to their house only to be greeted with open arms. Lorna’s hospitality was nothing short of spectacular as she whipped up pizza and poured glasses of wine. Not more than 24 hours before I had been sleeping hidden away on a French farmers property and now here I was enjoying a home cooked meal, the first in months.

Camping the night before a warm shower

A week later I popped back down to Canterbury and stayed with them again so I could meet Mark and chat about life on the road.

Long story short both Tibbs and I had a great experience, meet an amazing couple and all thanks to Warm Showers. So to anyone out there heading my way look me up so I can pay the favor forward, and you, yeah you, cycle tourist in South Korea. Why aren’t you a member of Warm Showers yet?

Find me on Warm Showers under the user name BrakingBoundaries

This post is dedicated to Lorna & Mark who made my last night on the road such a memorable one. If you are heading through Canterbury on a bike after a long ride from who knows where, make sure you look them up. Mark has more than a few tails to tell of his time on the road with his son.

As with any hiking trail in Korea the start of the track has a bunch of small restaurants, shops and Pension houses with rooms for rent.

Other Information

Province : Chungcheongbuk-do 충청 북도
National Park Name : Woraksan 월악산
Facilities : Field Kitchen, Toilets
Online Map : Naver Maps (Korean)
Getting There : A public bus regularly goes up the valley from Danyang.

This campsite and images can be viewed on our GPS map of campsites.

Pictures of the Campsite

Compared to the other two campsites in the area it is very small and is hidden just off the valley road next to the river. There are toilets across the road an a small field kitchen, but other than that not much else. This would be a great campsite to escape as there were no campers there when I last visited it in September. It is also very close to the start of all the hiking trails in the Woraksan National Park.

Other Information

Province : Chungcheongbuk-do 충청 북도
National Park Name : Woraksan 월악산
Facilities : Field Kitchen, Toilets
Online Map : Naver Maps (Korean)
Getting There : A public bus regularly goes up the valley from Danyang.

This campsite and images can be viewed on our GPS map of campsites.

Pictures of the Campsite

Located about 500 meters up the road it has more a of a camping feel to it with slightly over grown grassy areas, no assigned camping spots and little to no lighting at night. There is however a small convenience store (매점) at the campsite, but it wasn’t open when we were in the area (September). Like the first campsite it is located in a very nice valley beside a clean river about a 15 minute drive (45 min bike ride) from the city of Danyang. Other facilities include a field kitchen and toilets.

Other Information

Province : Chungcheongbuk-do 충청 북도
National Park Name : Woraksan 월악산
Facilities : Field Kitchen, Toilets
Online Map : Naver Maps (Korean)
Getting There : There is a public bus that regularly goes up the valley from Danyang. The Danseong train station (one stop from Danyang Stn) is also only 5 km / 1 hours walk away.

This campsite and images can be viewed on our GPS map of campsites.

Pictures of the Campsite

Other Information

Province : Chungcheongbuk-do 충청 북도
National Park Name : Woraksan 월악산
Facilities : Field Kitchen, Toilets
Online Map : Naver Maps (Korean)
Getting There : While camping at this campsite I noticed a public bus regularly come up the valley from Danyang. The Danseong train station (one stop from Danyang Stn) is also only 5 km / 1 hours walk away.

This campsite and images can be viewed on our GPS map of campsites.

Pictures of the Campsite

Unfortunately camping in Korea is not one of the easiest things to do. Most campsites are limited to the National Parks with limited English information available, and forget finding a small place to pitch a tent for the night. I tried this when I rode from Seoul to Busan.

So I have taken it upon myself to start collecting some information about campsites/areas that I have visited, stayed at, or plan on checking out to help others in the future.

I plan on GPS mapping the places I have camped as well as all the National Park Campsites and collecting information about each site.

For starters here is a link to the Korean National Park Map that I have created. All the markers are still currently in Korean. I will also provide this at a later date

GPS map of Korean National Park Campsites

More to follow soon…