Wonju Sogeumsan Suspension Bridge

It was a beautiful October day. Bright and sunny! Such gorgeous weather did call for spending it outdoors. So, we decided to head to Wonju Sogeumsan Suspension bridge to enjoy the day with the breathtaking views out there. Situated on the Sogeumsan mountain loop, it is under 2 hours of drive from Seoul and an easy walk on the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in South Korea. I wanted to do an outdoor activity which was not strenuous but manageably moderate. So to Wonju it was!

The Sogeumsan loop is in the Ganjyeon tourist area located in a canyon at the confluence of two rivers – Seomgang river and Samsancheon river. The location is picturesque with abundant greenery, hills and rivers flowing in the canyon. There are other activities too that one can choose to indulge in at the Ganjyeon tourist area. Rock climbing, camping and a few other sports facilities are available in the tourist area for an additional entry fee. (You can check the website given below for more details)

However, on that day, I just looked forward to the beautiful walk on the Sogeumsan mountain; and also wanted to try the gamjajeon found at the base of the mountain. Wanted a delish ending to a lovely outing!

Getting there:

We drove to the Wonju suspension bridge from Seoul in little under 2 hours (approx. 85 kms from our house). There are many different options apart from driving but all of the other routes need connections/transfers. So driving was our best bet.

• Address : Inside Ganhyeon Tourist Area in Jijeong-myeon, Wonju-si (12, Sogeumsan-gil, Jijeong-myeon, Wonju-si)
• Entry timings:
  • Operating hours
    • Summer season (May – October) 09:00 ~ 18:00
    • Winter season (November – April) 09:00 ~ 17:00
  • Ticketing times
    • Summer season (May – October) 09:00 ~ 18:00
    • Winter season (November – April) 09:00 ~ 16:00
• Entrance and admission fees
  • General public
    • KRW 3,000 (age 7 & above)
• Website for inquiries and phone numbers: www.wonju.go.kr

Parking:

It has approximately 261 parking spaces

Sunny days in October are far and few, so you can imagine the crowds everywhere on weekends. The parking lots near the entrance to this suspension bridge were overflowing with vehicles. Hence, we had to park a bit further down the road , but nevertheless, we found a parking spot and were happy about it.

Time Required:

Approximately 2-3 hours for the 3.5 km loop, including the time at the eateries but not including the travel time.

The Suspension Bridge(s) Loop:

The Sogeumsan Suspension Bridge is one of the main attractions of Wonju and for pretty good reason too. It is the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in South Korea with a height of 100 m, length of 200 m and a width of 1.5 m. The thrill of walking midair on a swivelling bridge is lots of fun. The scenery added to the excitement and made it a pure fun experience.

Similar was the experience of walking on the glass skywalk which is the 2nd suspension bridge on the loop. That too is exhilarating especially when you look down straight into the valley and the river below from the glass floor. Sure to give you the goosebumps!

As you start walking towards the entrance from the parking lot, one can see a lot of shops and eateries along the way to the ticketing centre. One starts the loop from the ticketing area and climbs about 578 steps to reach the 1st suspension bridge. Further, the loop takes you to a ledge walkway and then to a 360-degree view observatory from where you can get sweeping views of the canyon. You climb down the observatory to reach the 2nd suspension bridge or the glass skywalk above the Seomgang river.

Vegetarian food options:

Being vegetarians, we did not want to solely rely on the restaurants on the way, so we did pack some fruits and munchies for ourselves. But we definitely wanted to try out the gamjajeon served at the base of the mountain.

For those who are wondering what I am referring to, ‘gamjajeon’ is nothing but a delicious potato pancake, served with a dipping soya sauce, perfect for vegetarians like me. I tried it for the very first time and relished it 🙂 There was some corn bread too from a nearby vendor to go along with it.

Finally, we ended our sojourn with a smooth honeycomb ice cream. The lady cut a scoop out from the fresh honeycomb and served it on the ice cream. It tasted good but was a bit fibrous. However, I am glad we could taste something new and nice.