Hello, this is 속초어때 (Sokcho Eottae). It is 11 AM on Tuesday, September 29, and Sokcho (속초) is at 22°C with a few clouds. Today's high is 23°C, the low is 18°C, and there is a 49% chance of rain. The Chuseok holiday is over and this is the first weekday since, but the seaside is still busy. The Daepo Port (대포항) observatory is very crowded right now, and Oeongchi Port (외옹치항) and Expo Tower (엑스포타워) are crowded too. So today, instead of the coast, we'd like to introduce a place in Seorak-dong (설악동) where you can walk in peace: Seorak Hyanggiro (설악향기로), which 640,000 people have visited in the two years since it opened.
641,886 Visitors in Two Years
According to Sokcho City, Seorak Hyanggiro opened on July 19, 2024. It drew 198,838 visitors by the end of that year and 267,432 over all of 2025. Another 175,616 people visited from January to August this year, bringing total visitors to 641,886. By month, there were 35,775 visitors in April, 35,538 in May, and 32,298 in August. Visits held steady at over 30,000 a month during the spring and summer peak seasons.
The location is what makes these numbers meaningful. Seorak-dong was once busy with school trips and honeymooners, but empty shops and abandoned buildings piled up for years, and it came to be called a “stagnant tourist spot.” Sokcho Mayor Lee Byeong-seon called the results “a meaningful achievement that shows Seorak-dong tourism can be revived.” Tourists used to head straight up to Sogongwon Park (소공원) for the cable car. Now they have started parking in Seorak-dong and walking around for about an hour, which is welcome news for local businesses too.
The Course Is a 2.7 km Loop, and One Hour Is Plenty
Seorak Hyanggiro is a loop trail that Sokcho City built around Seorak-dong for about 10 billion KRW. It brings you back to where you started, so it's easy to leave your car and walk. The trail is divided into three main sections.
- Cherry Blossom Tunnel, 1 km: A flat path that fills with blossoms in spring and gives continuous shade in autumn, like now.
- Skywalk and Suspension Bridge, 0.9 km: The skywalk is 765 m long and 8 m high at its highest point. The suspension bridge is 98 m long and crosses 15 m above the streambed.
- Waterside Path, 0.8 km: The final section runs along the stream and is almost entirely flat.
Even at a slow pace, the full loop takes about 1 hour. You don't need hiking boots; sneakers are enough. The distance is especially good for parents who find climbing Seoraksan (설악산) too much but still want to see the mountain up close, and for families with young children.
No Admission Fee, No Closing Days
Seorak Hyanggiro is free and open year-round. Opening hours vary by season.
- Summer season (March–October): 6 AM – 10 PM
- Winter season (November–February): 7 AM – 9 PM
The key point is that the period when the trail stays open until 10 PM ends on October 31. That is 32 days from today. From November 1, closing time moves one hour earlier to 9 PM, and morning opening moves later to 7 AM. If you're planning a relaxed walk to see the night views after dinner, going in October will give you more time. For more information, contact Sokcho City (033-639-2077).
This Trail Is at Its Best After Sunset
Seorak Hyanggiro has nighttime landscape lighting along the skywalk and suspension bridge. There are gobo lights that project patterns onto the ground, and firefly lighting with small lights twinkling among the grass. The firefly lighting was newly added along a 205 m section near Seorak-dong District B, and unused land there was turned into a rest area.
These days the sun sets in Sokcho a little after 6:10 PM. If you set out around 5:30 PM, you can walk the skywalk while the sunset glows over the mountainside, and meet the lit-up path on the Waterside Path on your way back. You can see the trail both before and after sunset in one visit, so this is the time 속초어때 recommends most.
Four Things to Bring If You Go Today
Based on today's weather and traffic, we've picked out only the tips that will actually help.
- Bring an umbrella. The chance of rain is 49%, so it's fifty-fifty. The skywalk and suspension bridge have no roof, so the surface can get slippery if it rains. If rain starts, it's safer to hold the railing and cross the suspension bridge section slowly.
- You'll need a light jacket. The low is 18°C. Seorak-dong is closer to the mountains than downtown, so the temperature feels colder more quickly after sunset. For an evening walk, bring something to wear over a T-shirt.
- Seoraksan-ro is slow right now. Seoraksan-ro (설악산로), the access road toward Seorak, has slow traffic, and so do Misiryeong-ro (미시령로) and Donghae-daero (동해대로). Allow more time than usual to get from downtown to Seorak-dong, and if you're going in the evening, we recommend leaving before 5 PM.
- Use the free parking lots. There is free parking around Seorak-dong. The Seoraksan Sogongwon Park parking lot charges a fee, so be careful not to mix them up.
On Days When the Coast Is Crowded, Split Your Route Like This
On days like today, when the Daepo Port observatory is very crowded and even Oeongchi Port and Expo Tower are crowded, it's easier to split your route: the sea by day, Seorak-dong in the evening. Look around the busy port area first around lunchtime, head up to Seorak-dong around sunset, walk the trail loop, then come back down to town for dinner. You won't be traveling at the same time as the traffic going the other way, so getting around is less frustrating.
Sinheungsa Temple (신흥사) is a 10-minute drive from Seorak Hyanggiro. However, the Seoraksan trails and the temple area are hard to visit after dark, so if you plan to go to both, visit Sinheungsa first and walk Seorak Hyanggiro afterward.
Seorak-dong Gets Even Busier in October
Seorak-dong is expected to get even more visitors over the next month. Peak autumn foliage on Seoraksan is forecast for around October 20, and the Seorak Cultural Festival (설악문화제) runs October 2–4. On weekends at peak foliage, congestion on Seoraksan-ro gets heavy, so if you want a quiet walk, aim for a weekday evening in early to mid-October.
The changes in Seorak-dong don't stop at the trail. Sokcho City is working on a project to turn the Seoraksan Culture Facility (설악산문화시설), the former Red Ginseng Experience Center building, into a multi-purpose cultural center. The goal is to start construction at the end of this year, finish the interior in the first half of 2027, and open in the second half of the same year. With a good walking path and a place to spend time nearby, more tourists are likely to stay longer in Seorak-dong.
For Residents, a Nearby Evening Walk
For Sokcho residents, Seorak Hyanggiro is a walking path close to home before it is a tourist spot. It opens at 6 AM, so it's good for a loop before work, and there's no admission fee to worry about. When guests come from out of town and you're wondering where to go besides the sea, take them on the one-hour course before dinner. On the suspension bridge with the firefly lights on, conversation will come naturally.
Today we covered the course, opening hours, and tips for visiting Seorak Hyanggiro in Sokcho, which 640,000 people have visited in the two years since it opened. Did you find this helpful? There's just over a month left to walk it until 10 PM, so be sure to take a stroll on a cool autumn evening. We'll be back next time with even more useful information.
