Seoraksan National Park | Hiking the Biryong Falls Trail (비룡폭포)

When our original 4th of July plans were canceled due to weather, we scrambled to find a last minute getaway. The problem: it was the beginning of rainy season and the weather report for pretty much all of Korea indicated high wind and torrential rain. Everywhere except the Northeast corner of Korea, home to Seoraksan, one of Korea’s most beautiful national parks.

Seoraksan National Park has been on our to-do list for a long time, however, we have put off visiting because we wanted to hike along one of the ridge trails and stay overnight at a mountaintop shelter.  The level of time, planning, and motivation required to visit often meant that whenever the opportunity arose, we chose other, closer, less involved, locations that didn’t require long drives and multiple days of backpacking. That Seoraksan National Park was the only place in all of Korea with blue skies and sunshine felt like some sort of cosmic sign.

We didn’t end up backpacking, but instead considered our extended weekend trip something of a trial run, a way to get a feel for the park and determine if it was a place we saw ourselves returning for more intensive hikes. After a day of driving we arrived mid-afternoon, stopped at the visitor center to take cheesy photos, changed into our hiking shoes, and set off on one of the easier valley trails to Biryong Falls.

We were immediately blown away the moment we set foot on the trail by the beautiful mountains and clear streams that surrounded us. It felt as if we had stepped into a completely different world, a land lost in time. Despite the cable car that zipped over the stream, Seoraksan still felt rugged and wild, with clusters of large, pointed, granite rocks, reminding us of Yosemite, one of our most favorite parks in the States. I think we must have muttered “WOW!” and “Oh my gosh!” and “Who knew?” at least a million times — and all before we even set foot on the trail.

One of the main reasons we chose Biryong Falls trail was that it seemed short and easy, something we could knock out in an hour or two before being on our merry way back to the park’s restaurants and gift shops. At first, we had no reason to believe otherwise. The trail began with an easy stroll across an arched bridge and then continued along a mostly paved path through a shady forest. We made great time as we crossed several more smaller bridges and streams.

And then we saw the stone steps and knew playtime was over.

The stone steps grew increasingly steeper and more slippery as we climbed higher and higher. Soon we could hear the sound of rushing water and, thinking we had arrived at the end of the trail, rushed to reach the top of the steps…

…only to be greeted by even more steps. Or should I say, a massive staircase nailed precariously into a slab of rock that led to a suspension bridge that hovered over Yukdam Falls.

Yukdam Falls was actually a series of six small waterfalls that led to a deep pool. We saw a few people hanging out on the rocks a little further downstream and were more than tempted to do the same. While the weather report had been correct about the lack of rain, it was wrong about the cooler temperatures. We had been expecting to hike in brisk mountain air and even packed a warmer layer just in case the temperature dropped without warning. I don’t think the temperatures ever dropped below a very humid 85 degrees.

As for the suspension bridge – it was recently restored and reopened after about 30 years. The moment I stepped on the bridge, someone on the other end had to jump, sway, and rock the bridge back and forth, creating as much motion as possible so that it made the bridge difficult to cross. Never (ever) fails.

A million photos later we finally made it across the suspension bridge and continued hiking for another 30 minutes or so until we reached Biryong Falls. 

The falling water of the loud and magnificent Biryong Fall looks very much like dragons flying up towards the sky, which is why it was named Biryong (flying dragon) Falls.

I’m not so sure about flying dragons, but the waterfall, and especially the tantalizingly clear pools, were a nice payoff at the end of our hike. We joined the other tourists in taking a million more waterfall pictures, forever immortalizing our hike with photos of us looking hot, sweaty and tired.

The waterfall spilled into a clear pool which then flowed over large boulders through a ravine that cut through the mountains. On either side and on both ends of the resulting stream, people gathered to picnic, lounge on folding floor pads (brought all the way up the mountain), and splash in the water. A smooth, flat rock provided a make-shift beach and served as the spot where a good number of hikers sunbathed.

Eventually we found a nice, somewhat private, spot to kick off our shoes and soak our feet in the refreshingly cold water.  We didn’t think to bring any snacks, but we did have warm sodas in our backpacks. Relaxing on our rock, warm drinks in hand, while kicking around the icy water was probably one of my most favorite moments of this hike.

When our feet grew numb and the sun sunk behind the mountains, we packed up our things and hiked back down the same way we came up – through the ravine, past a bamboo forest, beside Yukdam Falls, across the suspension bridge, and down a million steps until we found ourselves once more on the valley floor. 

While the trail was not long, we took our time reading all the informational placards (or at least the ones that were in English), taking lots of photos, and lounging by our sweet little waterfall oasis. The setting sun cast Ulsanbawi in soft pink and purple pastels, illuminating the jagged rocks against a blue and green backdrop. By the time we made it back to the start of the trail, the crowds had long-since dissipated. The park felt empty, as if it, in that precise rosy-hued moment, belonged to only us.

DETAILS

Biryong Falls Trail | DIFFICULTY: Moderately Easy | TRAIL DESCRIPTION: Approximately 5km, 1-3hrs RT.  The trail begins close to the Outer (Oe-Seorak) entrance of Seoraksan National Park, or the entrance closest to Sokcho. From the parking area, enter through the park gates and you should see a well-marked trail on your left-hand side right before all the restaurants and gift shops. If you have passed the cable cars or the Buddha, you have gone too far. The path leads to a bridge, which leads to the start of the trail. The first third of the trail is rather flat and shady as it meanders through the forest. If you need to use the restroom, this will be the last place to do so. Once you start climbing on boulder steps then you know the incline portion of the trail has begun. The stone steps continue until you reach the suspension bridge staircase to Yukdam Falls. After crossing the bridge and even more steps you’ll soon arrive at Biryong Falls. From here you can choose to continue to the observatory. | VERDICT: The perfect hike if you don’t have much time in the park. It’s scenic, not *too* difficult, and short. Given this, it’s also a very popular hike so either go early or late in the day. Recommended.

Seoraksan National Park Visitor Center | DESCRIPTION: Located outside the Outer Seoraksan gate, or the entrance closest to Sokcho. Inside the visitor center you’ll find bathrooms, a very tiny souvenir stand, a walk-through educational exhibit (in Korean), and maps in multiple languages. TIP: We really loved the room-sized photo booth inside the visitor center! For ~$1 you can pose in front of a selection of digital backgrounds, all depicting Seoraksan’s famous landscape. It’s a cheap and fun souvenir, and totally worth a quick stop.