If you are looking to do your first sunrise hike or just want a recommendation for a hike with a great view in Seoraksan National Park, there isn’t a more perfect option than Seoraksan’s Ulsanbawi course.
This hike is accessible from the main entrance of the national park and is made up of 6.2km of hiking and 1.4km of walking. From the main entrance you can expect to reach the peak within 2-3 hours at an average pace of 2-3km/hour.
Jump to my review and tips for hiking Ulsanbawi or jump to recommended lodging options near Seoraksan National Park!
If you want to support my blog or get yourself some cool Korean national park swag, please consider checking out my Etsy shop! I make Korean camping and hiking souvenirs!
Hiking to Ulsanbawi in Seoraksan National Park!
From the main entrance, its 700 meters of flat walking until you reach Sinheungsa Temple. Along this 700 meters, you will pass the famous bear statue, a number of bathrooms, a couple cafes and restaurants, the cable car and the big Buddha statue. Arriving at the 3-way intersection you will need to turn right, officially starting the ‘hiking’ component of this adventure.
From the temple, its 3.1 kilometers to the peak, making the round trip 6.2km. This 3.1km is broken down into 2.1km of medium difficulty hiking, and then1.0km of advanced trail – but luckily much of the advanced section is just steep stairs!
After you turn off for the trail to Ulsanbawi, the hiking trail follows the river for roughly 45 minutes before beginning an uphill incline made up of a combination of stairs and randomly spaced rock pathways.
The end of the trail (the 1km of advanced course) is an impressive staircase that hugs the edge of a large rock face and ends on top of the rock. From here, there are three view points. These views are of the ocean, the Seoraksan mountain range and of the rest of the Ulsanbawi formation.
If you opt for a sunrise hike, you will experience the sun rising over the ocean casting a yellowish and orange glow over the rocks and trees at the peak.
A murder of crows have made their home atop this rock formation. I would recommend bringing either a zoom or set lens at a higher focal length, as the crows appear to be quite photogenic.
It isn’t until after sunrise that you are able to take in the true beauty of the trek you have just taken – as you have likely missed the fantastic views, such as the one below, while hiking in the dark. Luckily its a there and back style hike, so its a great course to do as a sunrise hike because you don’t end up missing any of the views!
If you do decide to do a sunrise hike, its important to note that the park opens to hikers at 3:00am during peak season and 4am the rest of the year. When I did the sunrise hike shown in these images, I departed the main entrance at 3:30am and I was able to reach the summit before sunrise at an average pace. At this time of morning, your only option is to arrange for a taxi to bring you to the park’s entrance. Your accommodation staff should be able to do this for you.
I hiked this course in the fall, so I was blown away by the breathtaking coloring of the trees and their contrast with the rock faces. But having since done this hike in other seasons, the rich greens of summer and spring are also lovely along this trail.
My Review and Recommendations for Hiking Seoraksan’s Ulsanbawi
Overall this wasn’t a super demanding hike, but it’s far from flat and easy. I’ve been able to come to Seoraksan National Park about 10ish times over the last years, and I can confidently say this is the hike I most recommend for families, people carrying babies in the baby backpacks and for people who are reasonably fit but aren’t big mountain hikers.
Hiking boots aren’t necessary for good sneakers could get the job done. The trek down isn’t too difficult, since the incline is fairly gradual and the stairs have railings.
I would also recommend saving time afterwards to explore the main area (the 700 meter area you walked through to get to the start of this hiking trail). There are many things to do, including walking along the river to Biseondae, taking a ride on the cable car, exploring the temples or enjoying a couple bottles of Makgeolli with some delicious mountain food!
Accommodations near Seoraksan National Park
When I stayed in Sokcho, I stayed with Blue Door Hostel, its a cheap hostel by the beach. But if you are looking for something a little more comfortable I would recommend the beachside Ramada. For the most convenience, I would recommendation staying in a location with easy access to the park, either at the Kensington Hotel or the less expensive Smile Resort. Both of these options let you walk to and from the park, saving you from the hectic taxi rides.
Additionally, if possible I would recommend going on a weekday rather than a weekend. Weekends, especially during high traffic times (fall and summer), are incredibly busy. This can causes the cable car to sell out and it makes it harder to take in the beautiful views when you have to shove people out of your way to walk anywhere.
hey, thanks a lot for the recommendation! i read elsewhere (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/south-korea/gangwon/ulsanbawi-trail if you search for Jason Corbett’s review) that a group were not allowed to go up the trail at 3.30 am, which was strange. do you have any idea if certain months of the year they close the trail in the morning?
Yes, the do have different start time based on the time of year. It’s either 3 or 4am. Typically November – March has the 4am start and April to end of October has the 3am start (or the + / – 1 hour so 4am/5am depending on the location).
Hi. Is it possible to do this Day1 and then do the Seongindae for Day2? I’m planning on going this April but I’m afraid that some trails might be closed as per your article.
If doing the sunrise Ulsanbawi hike, would you recommend to stay at a nearby hotel or staying on Sokcho would be okay?
Thank you!
Yes totally possible. Neither are crazy difficult, so you don’t a recover time or anything after each on.
I think the appeal of Sokcho is Beach + Mountain, and if you are fine paying an extra bit of money 15,000won ish for a taxi, I would go with the beach accommodation – you are also then in walking distance of more restaurants and closer to the public transport points. It just means you need to depart your hotel sooner and take the taxi for the sunrise hike, which your accommodation can arrange for you or you handle yourself.
Also, the beach is the middle point between these two hiking courses
Thank you, Aurora. Your blog has helped me plan my trip. I’m doing this trip to Sokcho alone (it’s okay to hike these two trails alone right?). Going solo before meeting my friends in Seoul.