Songnisan hike info

Songnisan straddles Boeun in Chungbuk and Sangju in Gyeongbuk. Cheonwangbong sits in the middle with Munjangdae, Sinseondae and Birobong curving around it like a bow. At 1,058 m it is not huge, but every summit wears a pale rock crown, so it looks bigger than the number. The name means a mountain apart from the world. From Beopjusa temple below, the rock ridge rises straight over the old tiled roofs.

Most people head for Munjangdae. A broad slab on top seats dozens of hikers and the ridges open out in every direction. From the Hwabuk side it is only 3.3 km one way, a half-day outing. Cheonwangbong is a longer haul from Beopjusa past Sesimjeong, and the forest on the Sanghwan-am approach is deep and quiet. Autumn colour peaks in late October, from the ginkgo at the temple gate down the forest path.

The summit runs 5-10 C colder than the base because of wind. In winter the shaded Hwabuk side holds ice and you will want crampons. As a national park it closes some routes in the autumn fire-prevention period, so check dates first.

From Seoul (BUS)

From Busan, Daegu and elsewhere (BUS)

To the trailhead (LOC)