Manisan hike info

Manisan is the highest point on Ganghwa Island. At 472 m it sounds like a town hill, but the top is the point of the walk: Chamseongdan, a stone altar, round below and square above, where Dangun is said to have made offerings to heaven. The national sports festival lights its torch here.

The trails are short but not gentle. The stair route climbs close to a thousand stone steps, and you soon see how Heolddeok pass got its name, "panting hill". The Dangun-ro route takes a longer line and is easier on the lungs. On the rock ridge near the top you can see the Gimpo plain, tidal flats and distant islands. Descend the far side to find Jeongsusa temple and the Hamheo-dongcheon valley.

Snow makes the rock slick and falls do happen. On a clear autumn afternoon the sun drops toward the Yellow Sea, but the last entry is at 16:00, so go early. Chamseongdan was closed for a few years and reopened to the public in 2023.

From Seoul (BUS)

From Busan, Daegu and elsewhere (BUS)

To the trailhead (LOC)