Where to Stay in Sokcho for Seoraksan Hikes: Entry Times, the Nov 15 Trail Closure and Local Buses
Hiking Seoraksan from Sokcho? Where to sleep, the new entry-time rule, and the trail closure that starts November 15
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Seoraksan National Park is one of the most visited hiking areas in Korea, and Sokcho is the city beside it. Where you sleep decides how early you can start, and the park now has a strict entry-time rule. We used the Korea National Park Service (KNPS) Seoraksan notices, the cable car operator and Sokcho’s tourism page.
Seoraksan National Park · Photo: Douglas Perkins / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
The November 15 – December 15 closure
The official 2026 trail map, attached to a KNPS notice posted October 30, shows these trails open during the closure:
| Open during the closure | Closed |
|---|---|
| Sogongwon – Sinheungsa – Heundeulbawi – Ulsanbawi | Every Daecheongbong route |
| Sogongwon – Biryong Falls – Towangseong Falls Observatory | Gongnyong Ridge |
| Biseondae | All other trails shown in red on the map |
| Heullim-gol / Osaek yaksu section |
The map also says trails close during natural hazards such as heavy rain, typhoon or heavy snow. Information line: 033-801-0900. We found a third-party claim of a spring closure (March to mid-May), but it is not in the official pages we read, so check KNPS before a spring trip.
The entry-time rule (in force since July 11, 2026)
| Trail area | Entry window |
|---|---|
| Sogongwon entrance (Ulsanbawi, Towangseong observatory, Biseondae, Gwongeumseong) | Restricted from sunset until 2 hours before sunrise next day |
| Osaek toward Daecheongbong | Nov–Mar 04:00–11:00 · Apr–Oct 03:00–12:00 |
| Biseondae toward Yangpok and Huiungak | Nov–Mar 04:00–12:00 · Apr–Oct 03:00–14:00 |
| Biseondae toward Maneungnyeong | Nov–Mar 04:00–10:00 · Apr–Oct 03:00–11:00 |
The penalty for entering during restricted hours is KRW 200,000 for a first offense, KRW 300,000 for a second and KRW 500,000 for a third. An older Visit Korea page gives different Ulsanbawi hours, so follow the KNPS notice above.
Ulsanbawi, seen from Gongnyong Ridge · Photo: Ashy Minivet / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Popular routes from the official course guide
| Route | Distance and time | Notes from KNPS |
|---|---|---|
| Ulsanbawi via Sinheungsa and Heundeulbawi | 3.8 km one way, about 2 h (round trip about 7.6 km, 4 h) | Steep steps from Heundeulbawi to Ulsanbawi, and rockfall is possible |
| Biryong Falls and Towangseong observatory | Sogongwon to the falls 2.4 km, about 1 h; to the observatory 0.4 km, about 30 min | 1.2 km is stroller and wheelchair accessible; the last part is steep deck stairs |
| Daecheongbong from Osaek | 5.0 km up in about 4 h (about 10 km, 8 h round trip) | Steep, the shortest route. Closed Nov 15–Dec 15 |
The cable car
The operator sells round-trip tickets only: adult KRW 16,000, child KRW 12,000, under 36 months free, seniors 65 and over KRW 14,000. Tickets are sold on the day, with no advance booking, and may stop in strong wind or bad weather. The ride is about 5 minutes one way, the upper station is about 699 m above sea level, and the lower station is about a 5-minute walk from the park entrance. Hours are posted daily on the operator’s site, so check before you go. Phone: 033-636-4300.
Where to stay
| Base | Why | Getting to the trail |
|---|---|---|
| Seorak-dong, at the park entrance | Earliest start for Ulsanbawi and Biryong Falls | The Sogongwon entrance and the cable car lower station are a short walk |
| Sokcho city and beach | Beach, restaurants, Jungang Market (now “Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market”), Abai village (reached by the hand-pulled Gaetbae ferry) | Local bus 7 or 7-1 from Sokcho Intercity Bus Terminal to the Seoraksan entrance |
| Daepo Port area | Seafood port complex | We found no official distance, so check a map app |
Sokcho Beach · Photo: Mobius6 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sokcho’s tourism page says Sokcho Beach is a 5-minute walk from the Sokcho Express Bus Terminal. Official distances between Sokcho’s areas and the park are not stated, and we could not find an official taxi fare.
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From Seoul
The cable car operator says the express bus takes about 2 hours 30 minutes and the intercity bus about 2 hours 10 minutes to Sokcho, with departures roughly every 30 minutes. We could not confirm official fares or timetables, so check kobus.co.kr or a ticket app. From Sokcho Intercity Bus Terminal, bus 7 or 7-1 runs past the Express Bus Terminal to the Seoraksan entrance, the visitor center and the car park at the end.
Bottom line
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New to hiking in Korea? Read Hiking in Seoul for beginners.
We have not hiked these routes for this guide. Information comes from the official pages below and may change. We could not read the English KNPS site, so trail data comes from the Korean KNPS pages. As of October 31, 2026.
Cover: AI-generated illustration created for this site.
