Chiaksan 1,282m

Why it is one of the 100 famous mountains

Selected for its scenic beauty anchored by the main peak Birobong alongside 1,000-meter-class peaks like Namdaebong (1,180m) and Maehwasan (1,083.1m), its widely dispersed mountain fortresses, temples, and historic sites, and its designation as a National Park (1984). It features Guryong Valley, Bugok Valley, Geumdae Valley, Sinseondae Cliff, Guryongso Pool, Seryeom Falls, and Sangwonsa Temple. It is famous across the four seasons for spring azaleas and royal azaleas, dense forests and clear waters around Guryongsa Temple in summer, autumn foliage, and winter snowscapes.

About Chiaksan

You know a famous mountain when you draw near. Passing Wonju on the Yeongdong Expressway, if you spot a tall mountain dominating the surrounding peaks, it is without question Chiaksan.

Seen from the plains of Wonju, it resembles a colossal barrier. A magnificent 17-kilometer main ridge rises directly past a thousand meters. Behind this overwhelming topography, the ridges of Maehwasan (1,083.1m) and Maebongsan (1,095m) extend solidly, forming overlapping folds of mountains. Deep valleys are carved between them: Guryongsa Keongol, the Bugok Basin, and Sangwongol. One side faces the open plains like a straight rampart, while the other side folds into profound, secluded depths. It displays an ideal balance between reveal and concealment.

What Guryongsa Keongol conceals is the king of pines, the royal hwangjangmok. Marked by this legacy, a historic pine-protection marker (Hwangjang Geumpyo) stands at the temple entrance. Sangwongol harbors a forest designated as Natural Monument No. 93, hailed as a "museum of deciduous broadleaf trees." The Bugok Basin sheltered the Goryeo scholar Won Cheon-seok, leaving King Taejong of Joseon, who founded a dynasty by the sword, to return empty-handed. Such is the enduring virtue of Chiaksan.

Chiaksan forms the boundary between Wonju-si and Hoengseong-gun in Gangwon-do. With its outstanding mountain landscape and convenient access adjacent to the Yeongdong and Jungang Expressways, it is a very popular hiking destination in the central region.

Public transport

The starting point is Wonju Station. Local bus No. 41 to Guryongsa Temple runs at 25-minute intervals, and buses No. 81 and 82 to Hwanggol run 18 times a day. Bus No. 21 to Geumdae-ri at the entrance to Yeongwongol runs every 30 minutes, 5 of which continue to Sillim-myeon at the entrance to Sangwongol. To reach Bugok, take bus No. 62-1 (runs 5 times daily) near the Intercity Bus Terminal. Buses to Wonju run 75 times daily from East Seoul Bus Terminal and 28 times from Sangbong Terminal. Buses from cities outside Gangwon-do run from Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, Pohang, Andong, Yeongju, Sangju, Gumi, Incheon, Bucheon, Seongnam, Ansan, Uijeongbu, Pyeongtaek, Goyang, Gwangmyeong, Yongin, Daejeon, Cheongju, Chungju, Jecheon, and Jeonju. Jungang Line trains operate 11 times daily.