Attractions

In the center of the Sobaek mountains, Songnisan National Park (sometimes spelled "Sokrisan") lies in the border between Chungcheongbuk-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do. Due to its numerous trails, the park attracts hikers all year, with its southern portion being the most crowded. Its most popular attraction is the temple, Beopjusa. Most people enter the park in the Beopjusa area in Boeun-gun, but you can enter the park from the Hwabuk area, if you want to avoid the crowds. Although the Hwabuk section of Songnisan has fewer famous locations and relics, its valleys are more beautiful, with larger waterfalls. Admission to the park from the Beopjusa area is W3,800 adults, W1,500 teens, W1,000 children. From the Hwabuk/Ssanggok area, admission is W1,600 adults, W600 teens, W300 children.

From the Boeun Intercity Bus Terminal, take a bus to Songnisan. Buses run every 30 to 40 minutes, daily from 6:30am to 8:10pm, and the ride takes about 20 minutes. There are also buses from Seoul's Nambu Terminal to Songnisan three times daily and from the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal 12 times a day. Both buses take about 3 hours and 30 minutes. Buses from Cheongju run 26 times daily, 6:40am to 8:40pm, taking 90 minutes. There are also direct buses from Dong Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan.

About a kilometer below Beopjusa is the Songnisan tourist village. It has restaurants, teahouses, souvenir shops, and drinking establishments. The one first-class hotel is the rather aged Lake Hills Hotel (tel. 043/542-5281). The lower-class hotels or the handful of yeogwan in the area are better, more economical choices. The village also has a small post office, a police station, and the park's main office.

The area is usually the most crowded during the popular autumn months when crowds of visitors come up to see the gorgeous scenery and buy giant bags of dried mountain vegetables gathered from the slopes. The rest of the year, you can expect it to be quieter, although it never loses its "tourist" feeling. There are also a few yeogwan and smaller restaurants near the entrance to Osong Falls. Try the trout, which are caught fresh from the valley near the falls.

Hiking Trails 

Past the temple complex, hiking trails continue up the various peaks of the park. The trail that leads up to the Munjangdae peak is a relatively easy one, and by far the most popular in the park. The entire hike, which offers some fantastic views, should take about 5 hours round-trip on foot. If you want a little variety on the hike back, take the trail down to Shinseondae and then down past the Geumgang hut. That will lengthen your trip another 2 hours. If you want to start early in the morning, take the trail up to Munjangdae and follow the ridge trail to Chonhwangbong, coming back past Sanghwanam and Sanggoam. This itinerary will take about 10 hours, so plan ahead and bring plenty of water.

North of Beopjusa is the middle section of the park, which is split into two sections. The largest is the narrow valley of Hwayangdong Gugok. A beautiful area with white rocks lining the bottoms of clear streams, a small temple, Chaeunsa, sits overlooking the valley from its rocky perch. At the eastern end is a nature preserve.

From Osong Falls, on the slopes of Shinseondae, there is a shortcut to climb up to the summit of Munjangdae, which takes about 2 hours to reach the top. On the way to Osong Falls from Jangamgyo (bridge), you will find an old mountain fortress, Geyonhwon Sanseong, if you walk about 25 minutes along the trail to the right. Originally measuring 650m (2,133 ft.) around, only parts of the fortress remain today.

The other waterfall in the area is the Janggak Falls that descend to a deep pond below. The waters are actually a bit dangerous and about three people drown here every year, so it's best not to swim in the pond (though you may be tempted in the summer heat). Nearby is the pretty Geumranjeong Pavilion sitting on a cliff covered with pine trees. About 1.5km (1 mile) up from the falls is the seven-level Sangori Pavilion, which was originally built during the middle of the Goryeo Dynasty. Destroyed during the Japanese colonial period, it was restored in 1977. A large temple is said to have been in the area, but there are no remains of its structure today. The trail that leads directly to the peak from Janggak Falls had been closed for years to help preserve the natural environment, but was opened again recently. It takes about 5 1/2 hours round-trip to the peak and back down to the waterfall.