Mt. Soraksan Nature Reserve

On my first visit to Korea over Christmas in 2004 we did two excursions to sites outside Seoul. We went to Gyeongju for Korean history. And we went to Seoraksan for Korean nature.

Seoraksan is the most popular National Park in Korea. It is situated on the Eastern coast, roughly a 3h drive by bus from Seoul (depending on the traffic in Seoul). Coming from modern Seoul it's quite a contrast to see the rural side of Korea and the mountains from the bus window as you venture to Sokcho, the gateway to Seoraksan.

The National Park itself is surprisingly close to the coast. Essentially, it starts directly on the city limits of Sokcho, maybe a kilometer off the coast, and then climbs fast.

In the park, the most known sites are a giant buddha at the entry. And the unmovable stone. We did some hiking and site seeing. I wish we had had more time to venture deeper into the park as the nature was great, even in winter.

OUV

Having been to Korea twice, I feel that the country has two defining features:

• The coast
• The mountains

Both are not really represented on the list and in my eyes deserve to. For the coast, the tidal flats are nominated. For the mountains, I would be perfectly fine with adding Seoraksan. To me, this is one of the great national parks of the world and deserves inscription. I could …

Being practical, there are important options to consider for any traveler to this national park. You could spend 1-2 hrs, take a cable car to a splendid view, check out a Giant Buddha statue, and grab a snack. For 3-5 hrs you could do all of the later, and add the Ulsanbawi hike (enormous granite rock formation), and perhaps even a waterfall. If you have a full day, or better yet 2 days, you can hike into the isolated interior of the park to see an expansive wilderness. Seoraksan is one of those national parks (like Yosemite) that pays off if you stay and explore.

The entrance of the park, and nearby facilities are quite busy, full of families and serious hikers in equal measure. Don't be discouraged, this park does have wild areas, you just have to invest a bit more time to see this iconic Korean landscape. Seoraksan is notable for its rugged peaks, numerous waterfalls, and huge granite boulders. The park also has some pleasant Buddhist temples.

When considering world heritage, Seoraksan National Park has only 2 options. It will not be inscribed by itself, this is clear (already rejected twice). Now, there is one encouraging development that might yet bring world heritage status to this iconic landmark in Korea. If you are not familiar with the Baekdu-daegan Range, than it might be worth researching for any outdoor-minded traveler to Korea. The Baekdu-daegan is the mountain range that spans the Korean peninsula from Mt. Baekdu (North Korea/China …