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Sobaeksan Hiking Guide 소백산

Sobaeksan (소백산) is a 1,440 m mountain in Yeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. It is one of Korea’s 100 Famous Mountains chosen by the Korea Forest Service. Best known for royal azaleas, valleys and waterfalls, sea views.

Sobaeksan mountain, Korea — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1 (attribution)

1,440 mHeight

HardDifficulty (approx.)

2 h 40 minShortest trail

−8.6°CSummit vs. base

🥾 Sobaeksan hiking trails

Samga Ticket Office (삼가매표소) → Birosa (비로사) → Birobong (비로봉) → Hasan (하산) 2 h 40 min
Cheondong Ticket Office (천동매표소) → Darian Falls (다리안폭포) → Daegwolteo (대궐터) → Minbaegijae (민백이재) → Birobong (비로봉) → Hasan (하산) 3 h
Jungnyeong (죽령) → Je2yeonhwabong (제2연화봉) → Cheonchegwancheukso (천체관측소) → Birobong (비로봉) → Hasan (하산) 4 h 30 min
Huibangsa Entrance (희방사 입구) → Huibangsa (희방사) → Yeonhwabong (연화봉) → Birobong (비로봉) → Samgari (삼가리) 5 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 Sobaeksan

What	Usual peak (estimate)
🌺 Royal azaleas	late May – early June

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.

🌅 Sunrise & sunset by month

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sunrise	07:38	07:16	06:39	05:53	05:19	05:06	05:18	05:42	06:07	06:33	07:04	07:32
Sunset	17:31	18:05	18:33	18:00	19:26	19:47	19:46	19:20	18:36	17:51	17:18	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

Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do · 1,241 mGajisan 가지산

Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do · 977 mGeumosan 금오산

Sangju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do · 1,058 mSongnisan 속리산

Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do · 722 mJuwangsan 주왕산

Gunwi-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do · 1,192 mPalgongsan 팔공산

🙇 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 (소백산 등산코스)

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