Seoraksan is famous among Koreans and expats alike, and for good reason. You’d be hard pressed to find a more breathtaking place in South Korea than Seoraksan National Park.
Walking up at 2:30am, I got ready, double checked by bag and went outside to meet my waiting 3am taxi after staying in Blue Door Hostel Guesthouse. Skip to other Accommodation options
I started my trek at 3:30am, and surprisingly enough I was not alone. 5 other hikers were preparing to start when I arrived. For the first 1 hour to 45 minutes the hike is very flat and cuts through temples and monuments along the flowing stream, though much of this isn’t clear in pitch black darkness Since the Dinosaur Ridge trail is a loop, if started from the main entrance, I was able to see this part of the trail again in the light.
After 1 hour, I reached Biseondae Rock (비선대), at this point you have to decide whether you want to hike Dinosaur Ridge clockwise or counter clockwise. I opted for counter clockwise (I went to the right).
I decided to go right because I preferred to have a very steep beginning and to save my knees at the end of the hike. The beginning part of the trail was a path defined by randomly sized rocks with an incline of 48.5%. I was worried that at the end of the hike I was going to be tired and that incline might hurt more and increase my likelihood of injury, compared to the left which is a smoother path with what felt like a million stairs.
I would later discover that the view of the easier path was very beautiful so I was happy that it was day time when I saw it.
It was hell
I can’t sugar coat it, there were parts of the trail (hour 2 of the hike) that I completely hated. Also, I was alone, so I was trying to channel all my internal strength which added to the difficulty. It didn’t help as well that my first attempt at night time photography just wasn’t working and I couldn’t figure out why.
Views during the steep climb section weren’t numerous, blocked by too many trees. So as sunrise approached, I found myself a comfortable rock and waited at this view point.
As the hike continued, since the leaves had already fallen I was beginning to see some of the remarkable views. I was honestly just thrilled that the second hour of the hike was over and I didn’t have to hike up an incline of 48.5% anymore.
I found that Dinosaur Ridge is like hiking three different hikes. Aside from the first hour of flatwalking, the second part is hell, until you come to the 미등령삼거리 turn off point. Then you enter into a hike filled with aggressive (Dino like I would say) looking cliff with sheer drops. I think the view became that much more dramatic because all the soft green trees were dead, leaving only the color brown, cliffs and a couple evergreens.
As the trail continued I came to appreciate how different this course is from other mountains. It’s no secret that Koreans love to hike, and as a result so many of the trails are extremely well designed and taken care of by the park service and hikers. But not the ridge, it felt sort of wild and more natural. There weren’t many additions added to the path, instead of metal rods and ropes at times there were only signs saying ‘danger’ in Korean and English in front of steep drop offs.
By now, I’ve hiked all the major mountains in Korea and a fair number of the less known mountains, but this trail has stayed in my memory. Not only because there were steep drop offs that scared me, nor was it because it was the most intense hike I’ve ever done, but rather because I felt like I couldn’t capture the intensity and brilliance of the hike with my camera.
I did this hike in October of 2018, and wrote about it then so I wouldn’t forget it but I’ve always felt that I needed to go again and try to capture the feeling of the mountain. Hopefully in 2019, I can find more successful.
Around 40% into my hike I ran into a group of guys who adopted me as one of their own. It was a bizarre experience where I tried a wide variety of random Korean snacks and got to practice my Korean with an adorable kid who kept calling me ‘Noona’. They described this journey as their 9th go at this trail and they hiked like they lived on the trail. It was nice to have such professional hiking company, they really made the hike a lot of fun.
Although I think it’s possible to do this hike solo, it was better with other people. Aside from feeling safer with them than alone, it’s an intense experience and doing it with other people really helped me stay motivated.
The most relaxing part of the hike was the journey down. Complete with waterfalls, a little bit of fall color and a million stairs. Oh the stairs, so many.
Once we got to the bottom we all went out for Makgeolli and pajeon. We have earned it. But of course we also earned the spa treatment afterwards as well. Damn, I’m tired just thinking about that day.
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Recommended Accommodations
I booked two nights at the Blue Door Hostel Guesthouse.
In order to do the Dinosaur Ridge hike or Ulsan Bawi sunrise hike, you need to order a taxi for 3am and the owners arranged the taxi for me on both days.
If you are looking for something a little more comfortable I would recommend the beachside Ramada – letting you relax out of the beach with a beer after your post-hike shower! 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.
If possible go on a weekday. The weekends (especially during the fall) book out accommodation rather quickly, leaving only really expensive options. Additionally, the mountain is much more populated during the weekend leaving you waiting in line on the mountain to get up a hill.
End Thoughts
Even though Dinosaur Ridge is an unforgettable experience, don’t forget to do other things at Seoraksan as well. I would recommend either the cable car or Ulsan Bawi (especially for a sunrise hike). Be careful with planning for the cable car especially on weekends, the tickets sell out fast so you might be stuck waiting for hours to get to the top. Check out my blog post on Ulsan Bawi for my advice and my experience with that hike.
I had wanted to tackle this mountain range for a long time, and I decided to make my first outing at the end of the leaf changing period. I was a bit too late for the top of the mountain but the base of the mountain was in peak season. If you want to do Ulsan Bawi, the base camp area or a smaller hike, late season is more ideal for a fuller autumn color. But for peak color on the ridge, it’s best to go in an earlier part of autumn.
Dinosaur Ridge is not for inexperienced hikers nor is it for people who aren’t confident about their hiking ability. There are numerous hikes in the national park which are also rewarding, without the 12+ commitment.
Accommodations
To do this trip right I would recommend staying in Sokcho the previous night and then taking a taxi or the first bus to Seoraksan National Park (it’s only 20-30 minutes away). This method allows you to combine a mountain adventure with a beach getaway.
My deal trip for Sokcho is a Friday nigh arrival, Saturday hike with a great dinner on the beach and a Sunday return to Seoul. It allows you to relax after hiking, and not then immediately jump into the 3-5 trip back to Seoul.
Booking.comThere are a number of cheap options that are decently friendly to English speakers. Listing their hotel on a website like Booking.com tends to indicate that they are at least decently comportable with English / foreigners.
Happy Trekking 🙂
