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Chiaksan Hiking Guide 치악산

Chiaksan (치악산) is a 1,282 m mountain in Wonju-si, Gangwon, South Korea. It is one of Korea’s 100 Famous Mountains chosen by the Korea Forest Service. Best known for azaleas, royal azaleas, valleys and waterfalls, forest trails.

Chiaksan mountain, Korea — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3 (attribution, no modification)

1,282 mHeight

HardDifficulty (approx.)

4 h 10 minShortest trail

−7.7°CSummit vs. base

🥾 Chiaksan hiking trails

Hwanggol Ticket Office (황골매표소) → Ipseokdae (입석대) → Ipseoksa Junction (입석사 삼거리) → Birobong (비로봉) → 1003bong (1003봉) → Bugok Ticket Office (부곡매표소) 4 h 10 min
Guryongsa (구룡사) → Gyegokgil (계곡길) → Birobong (비로봉) → Jwineomi Pass (쥐너미고개) → Beomgol (범골) → Beommunsa (법문사) 5 h
Bugongni (부곡리) → Godunchi (고둔치) → Hyangnobong (향로봉) → Namdaebong (남대봉) → Ssangnyongsu (쌍룡수) → Yeongwonsa (영원사) → Geumdaebunso (금대분소) 6 h 40 min
Guryongsa Entrance (구룡사 입구) → Seryeom Falls (세렴폭포) → Birobong (비로봉) → Ipseoksa Junction (입석사 삼거리) → Godunchi (고둔치) → Hyangnobong (향로봉) → Namdaebong (남대봉) → Sangwonsa (상원사) → Seongnam Ticket Office (성남매표소) 9 h 50 min

Times are from the Korea Forest Service and include short breaks. If you are new to hiking, plan for 1.3–1.5× longer. Korean names are in brackets so you can match them to trail signs.

🗓️ Best time to visit Chiaksan

What	Usual peak (estimate)
🌸 Azaleas	late April – mid May
🌺 Royal azaleas	late May – early June
🍁 Autumn foliage	mid–late October
🌾 Silver grass	early–mid October

Estimated from Korea Meteorological Administration long-term averages, adjusted for the mountain’s latitude and height. Actual dates can shift 1–2 weeks each year.

🪨 Trail surface

Share of surveyed trail points by surface type. Lots of stairs or rock? Bring hiking poles and gloves.

dirt path42%

paved33%

stairs17%

rock ridge3%

rocky scree1%

bridges1%

other3%

Surface data: Korea Hiking & Trekking Support Center (data.go.kr)

🌅 Sunrise & sunset by month

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sunrise	07:41	07:18	06:41	05:54	05:19	05:06	05:18	05:43	06:09	06:34	07:07	07:35
Sunset	17:32	18:06	18:34	19:02	19:28	19:49	19:49	19:22	18:38	17:52	17:19	17:11

Around the 15th of each month, Korea Standard Time. Be off the mountain at least an hour before sunset.

🗺️ Maps

Naver Map · KakaoMap · Google Maps

⛰️ Other mountains nearby

Sokcho-si, Gangwon · 1,708 mSeoraksan 설악산

1,565 m

Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon · 1,565 mOdaesan 오대산

Taebaek-si, Gangwon · 1,567 mTaebaeksan 태백산

🙇 Hiking etiquette in Korea

Greet other hikers with a short “annyeonghaseyo” — it’s common on the trail.
Keep to the marked trail; many areas are closed for nature protection (fines apply in national parks).
Cooking, smoking and drinking are banned in national parks. Take your trash home.
Read more: Hiking etiquette in Korea

🇰🇷 한국어로 보기 (치악산 등산코스)

Data: Korea Forest Service (data.go.kr) · 100 Famous Mountains: Korea Forest Service · Locations: © OpenStreetMap contributors