Sogeumganggyegok Valley (오대산 소금강계곡) – Homepage odae.knps.or.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) – Tel +82-33-332-6417 Sogeumganggyegok Valley is located on the east side of Odaesan Mountain. The valley is also referred to as Cheonghak Dongsogeum because the scenery resembles a crane (cheonghak) spreading its wings. The rock formations standing in between the lush valley forests will…

Hwajinpo Lake (화진포(화진포호)) – Homepage www.gwgs.go.kr hwajinpo-lake.co.kr – Tel +82-33-680-3677 Hwajinpo Lake is the largest lagoon in Korea with its sand made from seashells and rocks that were broken down over thousands of years. With soft sand and shallow waters, it is a popular beach location. In winter, various migratory birds and swans can be…

Center of Korea Observatory (국토정중앙천문대) – Homepage www.ygtour.kr – Tel +82-33-480-2586 The Center of Korea Observatory in Yanggu-gun is named for its location at the center of the Korean Peninsula. It is equipped with an 80-centimeter reflecting telescope. There is also an exhibition hall providing the most recent astronomy news, a planetarium showing the night…

Hwacheon Bimok Park (화천 비목공원) – Homepage tour.ihc.go.kr – Tel +82-33-440-2225 Peace Dam was built over a period of 15 months from February 1987 to May 1988 with funds donated by the general public in response to North Korea’s construction of Geumgangsan Dam and a potential flooding attack. The flood control dam has proved its…

Gyeongpo Provincial Park (경포도립공원) – Homepage www.gn.go.kr – Tel +82-33-640-4537 Gyeongpo Provincial Park was officially opened on June 26, 1982. It houses many cultural assets and memorial sites centered around Gyeongpodae Pavilion, Gyeongpoho Lake, and Gyeongpo Beach. One of the eight scenic spots in Gwandong (old name of Gangwon-do), Gyeongpodae is famous for viewing the…

Cheongchoho Lake (청초호) – Homepage chungchoho.co.kr – Tel +82-33-639-2690 Located in the heart of Sokcho, Cheongchoho Lake is a vast natural lagoon with a 5-kilometer circumference. Fed by the Misiryeong Valley of the Taebaeksan Mountain Range via Cheongchocheon Stream, the lake acts as a scenic bridge between the river and the East Sea. At its…

Gossigul Cave [National Geopark] (고씨굴-강원고생대 국가지질공원) – Homepage www.paleozoicgp.comwww.yw.go.kr – Tel +82-33-560-2379 Gossigul Cave was designated as a Natural Monument on June 4, 1969, getting protection from the government for its educational and natural values. In 1974, the cave was opened to the public. The cave has various levels with underground water flowing on the…

Sutasa Temple (수타사) – Homepage www.sutasa.org – Tel +82-33-436-6611 Gongjaksan Mountain (887 m), home to Sutasa Temple and named for its resemblance to a peacock proudly displaying its tail feathers, gives visitors a bird’s-eye-view of Hongcheon. From the bottom, Gongjaksan Mountain looks like a giant laying on his back, looking up to the sky. The…

Taebaeksan National Park (태백산 국립공원) – Homepage taebaek.knps.or.kr – Tel +82-33-550-0000 Taebaeksan Mountain range encompasses several peaks such as Yeongbong Peak (alt. 1,560 m), where in the past, people would conduct rites to venerate Heaven at Cheonjedan Altar; Janggunbong Peak (alt. 1,567 m), Munsubong Peak (alt. 1,517 m), and its summit of Hambaeksan Mountain (alt….

Jiktangpokpo Falls [National Geopark] (직탕폭포 (한탄강 국가지질공원)) – Homepage www.hantangeopark.kr – Tel +82-33-450-5534 Jiktangpokpo Falls is location in the middle of Hantangang River, which runs through town of Dongsong-eup in Cheorwon. Unlike other falls, Jiktangpokpo Falls is not tall, but wide instead as the 3 meter-high falls stretch almost 60 meters from bank to bank….