Quiet Korea · Goseong, Gangwon · Temples & Mountains

Hwaamsa to Sinseondae: Ulsanbawi, Face to Face

An hour's climb from a small Geumgangsan temple puts you level with Seoraksan's most famous rock wall. Few trails in Korea give this much for this little effort.

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Sunrise over a sea of clouds seen from the granite top of Sinseondae, with the jagged ridge of Ulsanbawi on the right

Start: Hwaamsa Temple 화암사
Destination: Sinseondae 신선대, also called Seonginde
Climb: 1.2 km steep or 2.0 km gentle
Full loop: 4.1 km · about 2 hrs, plus summit time
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Entry: Free · parking about ₩4,000

Why this trail

Most people meet Ulsanbawi from Seoraksan's Sokcho side, after a long climb and a crowded queue of stairs. From Sinseondae, on the northern edge of the same range, you see the whole wall at once and from the front: six granite peaks lined up across the valley, close enough to read the cracks.

The summit is a broad, open slab of granite rather than a narrow peak. There is room to sit, and on summer mornings the cloud often fills the valleys below, so Ulsanbawi rises out of white like an island.

A hiker in a red shirt sits on the edge of the summit rock, facing Ulsanbawi above a sea of clouds — Ulsanbawi from Sinseondae, about 6:30 a.m. in late July.

The route

Goseong County's trail sign calls the whole circuit the Geumgangsan Hwaamsa Forest Trail: 4.1 km, about two hours. It comes in three parts.

Parking lot to the temple, 0.8 km. Two lots sit below the temple. The temple path crosses Sesimgyo, the “mind-washing bridge,” and reaches Hwaamsa, where the trail signs begin. 대표 주소: 강원특별자치도 고성군 토성면 화암사길 100
Up the hiking trail, 1.2 km. The short, steep way. It climbs past Subawi, the huge split boulder above the temple, then Siruttek Rock, layered granite named for a stacked Korean rice cake, where the ridge opens.
Sinseondae summit. Open granite with rain pools, the East Sea horizon behind you and Ulsanbawi in front.
Down the forest-healing trail, 2.0 km. A longer, gentler path that curves back through pine and oak to the temple. It is easier on the knees going down, or take it up if you prefer an even grade.

Schematic, not to scale, redrawn from the county trail sign with north at the top. Climb the steep 1.2 km trail and come down the 2.0 km forest path, or the reverse.

Sesimgyo, a stone bridge lined with lantern posts, with the carved marker 洗心橋 at its end — Sesimgyo, the mind-washing bridge below the temple.

The great split granite boulder Subawi above the forest near Hwaamsa — Subawi, the first big rock on the climb.

Tall stone cairns in a forest clearing along the trail — Cairns along the trail.

Red sun rising over clouds, reflected near a still rain pool in the granite — Sunrise over a rain pool on the summit rock.

Go for sunrise

The summit faces east, so the sun comes up over the sea of clouds and lights Ulsanbawi from the side. Starting from the temple around 4:30 a.m. in summer gets you to the top before sunrise. Bring a headlamp; the lower path is forested and dark at that hour.

Hikers photograph the sunrise from granite ledges above a sea of clouds, with Ulsanbawi on the right — The summit ledges a few minutes after sunrise.

Back at the temple

Hwaamsa was founded in 769 and sits in a quiet fold at the foot of the mountain. It is smaller and far calmer than the big temples of Seoraksan. Inside the grounds is Ranyawon 란야원, a traditional teahouse. After an early hike, a cup of jujube or omija tea on its veranda is the best part of the morning.

Hwaamsa's tiled roofs and pagoda seen from beside the Subawi boulder, with misty forested hills — Hwaamsa from beside Subawi, on a misty May afternoon.

Getting there

By car: search “화암사” (Hwaamsa, Goseong) in Naver Map or Kakao Map. The temple is a short drive north of Sokcho.
Without a car: take an intercity bus to Sokcho, then a taxi to the Hwaamsa parking lot. Public buses toward the temple are infrequent, so check the current timetable before relying on one.
From Seoul: Sokcho is about 2.5 hours by express bus from Seoul's Express Bus Terminal or Dong Seoul Terminal.

Check before you go. Like many Korean mountain trails, this one closes during the spring and autumn wildfire-prevention periods. Confirm it is open by calling 033-633-1525. On the summit, the open rock catches strong wind and the cliff edges have no railings, so keep well back from the drop.

What to bring

Shoes with good grip; the granite slabs are smooth and slick when wet.
A headlamp for a sunrise start, and a light jacket for the wind on top.
Water. There is nothing to buy between the temple and the summit.

GoseongSeoraksanUlsanbawiHwaamsaSunriseSummer