The Seasons of Mt.Seoraksan

In spring on Mt. Seoraksan, the yellowish green skirt of the mountain is covered with pink blossoms, while in summer every valley rings with the refreshing sound of running water as the streams meander through luxuriant green foliage. In autumn, the golden leaves create a riot of color, and in winter, all is blanketed with silver snow.

Third in height within South Korea after Mt. Hallasan and Mt. Jirisan, Mt. Seoraksan is known as the Second Diamond Mountains because its beautiful setting is said to rival the famous Diamond Mountains of North Korea. Mt. Seoraksan stands at the northern tip of the Taebaek Mountain Range, and merges into other mountains to the west, while to the east beckons the sea.

The 15th-century Augmented Survey of the Geography of Korea reports that the name Seorak or "Snowy Peak" was given because the snow that began to cover Mt. Seoraksan during the autumn harvest festival would not melt until the following summer solstice. Another account indicates the name is derived from the idea that the summit was covered with snow for so long that the rocks themselves became snow white. The mountain is also known as Seolsan or Seolbongsan,implying a "Sacred White-Capped Mountain." With the highest peak, Daecheong-bong, as a dividing point, the eastern part of Mt. Seoraksan is known as "Outer Seorak" and the western part as "Inner Seorak" If Inner Seorak shows an elegant, feminine beauty, Outer Seorak is more masculine in its precipitous .

slopes and fantastically shaped outcrops. Besides Buddhist temples and hermitages of historical importance, Mt. Seoraksan is abundantly provided with recreational facilities including ski resorts and beach resorts, and in 1970 it was designated a National Park.

Comprising Southern Seorak as well as Inner and Outer Seorak, the Mt. Seoraksan National Park attracts a year-round stream of visitors from Korea and abroad who come to enjoy the stirring harmony of its majestic peaks and pristine valleys, its snug temples and hermitages, and its weird wind-sculpted boulders.

Seoraksan Hiking Trails

Route #2 (8km; 8hr 50min)
Biseondae Rock → Madeungnyeong Ridge→Osaeam Hermitage
→Yeongsiam Hermitage→Baekdamsa Temple→ Ticket Office

Route #3 (11km; 10hr 40min)
Biseondae Rock→Madeungnyeong Ridge →Gongnyong Ridge
(1275m summit)→ Huiungak Pavilion→So-cheongbong Peak
→Daecheongbong Peak

Route #4 (8.5km; 6hr 20min)
Biseondae Rock→Gwimyeonam Rock→ Yangpok Valley
→Mangyeongdae Cliff →1253m summit→Daecheong-bong Peak

From Baekdamsa Temple
Route #1 (13km; 7hr)
Baekdamsa Temple→Suryeomdong Gorge→Ssangpok Waterfall→
Bong-jeongam Rock→Socheongbong Peak→Daecheongbong Peak

Route #2 (14km; 8hr 30min)
Baekdamsa Temple→Suryeomdong Shelter→Gayadong Gorge
→Huiungak Shelter→Socheongbong Peak→Daecheongbong Peak

Route #3 (13km; 12hr 30min)
Baekdamsa Temple→Suryeomdong Shelter→Yonga Jangseong
→Bong-jeongam Rock→Socheongbong Peak→Daecheongbong Peak

Route #4 (9km; 4hr 50min)
Baekdamsa Temple→Daeseunggol Rest Area→Daeseungnyeong Pass
→Daeseung Waterfall→Jangsudae Cliff

From Namgyori
Route #1 (12km; 6hr 50min)
Namgyori→Twelve Fairy Pools→Daeseungnyeong Pass
→Daeseung Waterfall→Jangsudae Cliff

Route #2 (35km; 12hr 20min)
Namgyori→Twelve Fairy Pools→Daeseungnyeong Pass→1408m Summit
→Gwiddaegi-cheongbong Peak→Hangyeryeong Pass→Ggeutcheong
→Daecheongbong Peak

From Hangyeryeong Pass
Route #1 (11km; 6hr)
Hangyeryeong Pass→Seobungneung (turning for Gwicheong)
→Ggeutcheong→Daecheongbong Peak

From Osaek Mineral Spring
Route #1 (5km; 4hr)
Osaek→Seorak Waterfall→Daecheong-bong Peak

From Sogongwon Park
Route #1 (11km; 7hr 45min)
Sogongwon Park→Gwongeumseong→Hwachaebong Peak
→Daecheongbong Peak

Route #2 (17km; 7hr 30min)
Sogongwon Park→Jeonggopyeong→Neulmongnyeong (Jeohangnyeong) Pass →Gilgol→Baekdamsa Temple

From Misiryeong
Route #1 (21km; 14hr 30min)
Misiryeong→Hwangcheolbong Peak→Neulmongnyeong (Jeohangnyeong)
Pass →Madeungnyeong Ridge→Gongnyong Ridge→Huiungak Pavilion)
→Socheongbong Peak →Daecheongbong Peak

Scenic Sports on Mt.Seoraksan

Ssangpok Waterfall : Originally named Ssangnyongpok or "Twin Dragons Waterfall," this cascade marks the confluence of two streams, the Gugokdam Pool of the Bongjeonggok Valley with its Yongseon and Yongjang Waterfalls, and the twelve waterfalls of the Cheongbonggok Valley. Nestled deep around the Gugokdam Pool, it is one of the renowned sites of Inner Seorak.

Madeungnyeong Ridge : This lofty ridge stands at an altitude of 1327m and forms part of the Taebaek Mountain Ridge that divides Inner from Outer Seorak. From this single spot, one can admire a panorama of Inner Seorak to the west, or turn to the southeast to look down on the dramatic scenery of Outer Seorak backed by the rugged east coast.

Hangyeryeong Pass : Also known as Sodongnaryeong or Osaengnyeong (the "Five-Colored Pass"), the Hangyeryeong Pass straddles the Taebaek Mountain Range between Inner and Outer Seorak. During the reign (1567-1608) of King Seonjo of the Joseon Dynasty, the poet Jeong Cheol (pen name Songgang) crossed this pass after being appointed Governor of Gangwon Province, and wrote of its beauty in his Song of Gwandong Area.

Cheonbuldong Gorge : The deep valley that runs from Biseondae Rock to Daecheongbong Peak is known as the Cheonbuldong Gorge after the Cheonbul Waterfall. Many of the scenic landmarks of Mt. Seoraksan lie within this valley, including Waseondae and Biseondae Rocks, Munsudam and Samhodam Pools, Gwimyeonam Roak, and the waterfalls of Oryeon, Yangpok, and Cheondang.

Osaek Mineral Spring : In the mid-Joseon dynasty, a monk from the Osaekseoksa Temple is said to have discovered this spring flowing from under a huge boulder and named it after his temple. Another story relates that the name came from a strange tree growing in the garden of the temple (then called the Mangwolsa) that produced blossoms of five colors (osaek). Near the spring flows a whole string of waterfalls, large and small.

Towangseong and Biryong Waterfalls : To the southeast of Sinheungsa Temple towers Seokgabong with a host of other tall peaks in a row, and bet-ween these peaks, as if caught in the gaps, flow the famous waterfalls Towangseong and Biryong. Also known as the Singwang Waterfalls, they are considered more impressive even than the celebrated Bagyeon Waterfall in Gaeseong.

Daecheongbong : The main peak of Seoraksan stands 1708m above sea level, and from it one can take in the whole mountain range at a glance. Said to be so high that it looks down on the rising and setting sun, the summit is marked by a monument inscribed with the motto, "Fond of Mountains, Fond of Water."