Seoraksan · Strenuous · There and back

Daecheongbong from Osaek

The shortest and steepest way to Daecheongbong (대청봉), the 1,708 m summit of Seoraksan, from Osaek on the south side.

Distance
9.5 km (5.9 mi)
Ascent
1,232 m
Time
About 7 h 45 min
High point
1,692 m
Grade
Strenuous

Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.

0 km2 km4 km6 km8 km1,690 m438 m
Move along the height chart to see each point on the map.
Daecheongbong from Osaek
Olga Lipunova · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

From the Namseorak Visitor Support Centre on the road at Osaek, the path climbs at once on stone steps through the forest. It keeps climbing, steeply and with few breaks, up the ridge and valley past Seorak Falls, then on through thinning trees and dwarf pines to the open summit of Daecheongbong (대청봉). On a clear day the view takes in the East Sea, the jagged Dinosaur Ridge and Ulsanbawi. Return the same way.

It is 9.5 km there and back with 1,232 m of ascent; allow about 8 hours. The grade is Strenuous: a relentless climb on stone steps and rocky path, hard on the knees coming down.

Walkers may set off from Osaek only until 12:00 from April to October (from 03:00) and 11:00 from November to March (from 04:00). KNPS closes this trail during the spring fire-prevention period (in 2026 from 3 March to 15 May) and usually again from mid-November to mid-December. In winter the upper trail holds snow and ice and the summit is very windy: carry crampons and warm clothes.

Intercity buses on road 44 stop at Osaek; there is limited parking near the trailhead.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • Daecheongbong, 1,708 m, is the summit of Seoraksan and the third-highest peak in South Korea
  • From Osaek it is the shortest way to the top, and the steepest
  • Seorak Falls is passed about halfway up
  • From the summit the view takes in the East Sea, the Dinosaur Ridge and Ulsanbawi

Summits on the way

  • Daecheongbong 1,708 m

Getting there

Start: Namseorak Visitor Support Centre, Osaek. 38.08481, 128.44876

Directions to the start

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KakaoMap and Naver Map, the maps Korea uses, give public transport from where you are.

Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Namseorak Visitor Support Centre: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →

Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.

Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.