Hwaaksan Mountain

Hwaaksan Mountain in Hwacheon is a mountain on the border between Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do and Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, with an elevation of 1,468m. Hwaaksan is the highest peak in Gyeonggi-do, and with Maebong to the east and Jungbong to the west, it is also called Samhyeongjebong (Three Brothers Peak). The 38th parallel crosses the summit, so it was a fierce battleground during the Korean War, carrying a tragic history. Hwaaksan, one of the 100 Famous Mountains selected by the Korea Forest Service, is known as the most rugged among the Five Famous Mountains of Gyeonggi, along with Unaksan, Gwanaksan, Chiaksan, and Songaksan.

Hwaaksan has many tourist attractions such as the beautiful Samil Valley, Beopjangsa Temple, Hwaeumdongjeongsaji (temple site), and Chotdaebawi Rock. Chotdaebawi Rock is one of the representative landmarks of Hwaaksan, with a pine tree growing on top of a long rock about 20m high. There are several hiking trails on Hwaaksan. The most representative course is the circular course starting from Hwaak Tunnel, which consists of Hwaak Tunnel ~ Silunhyeon Pass ~ Jungbong ~ Hwaak Tunnel and takes about 4 hours. If you use a private vehicle, you can drive to Hwaak Tunnel. Along this course, you can enjoy the autumn foliage and scenery. From Jungbong, you can see Sinseonbong and Eungbong, the summits of Hwaaksan, and to the south, Aegibong and Sudeoksan, and to the southwest, Myeongjisan. The area around the summit is a military zone and access is prohibited.