Goseong Autumn Travel — Ulsanbawi Running and Seasonal Seafood Delights

Late autumn in Gangwon Province’s Goseong requires running busily between the mountains and the sea. Climbing to Sinseondae (645m) offers a panoramic, breathtaking view of Ulsanbawi draped in autumn foliage, while heading down to the port warms the heart with freshly caught sailfin sandfish. Enjoying a mountain hike infused with seasonal delicacies made for a delightful late autumn trip to Goseong.

In Goseong, the gaze naturally drifts eastward toward the ports and the sea. But in autumn, it is worth turning away from the ocean for a moment. True to its name “Goseong” (meaning “walled city with high mountains”), the scenery deepens the further inland you go.

On the 22nd, I climbed Sinseondae in Goseong, a rocky peak situated on the waist of Sinseonbong (1204m) north of Seoraksan. Because it offers a majestic view of Ulsanbawi through a relatively short hike, it has become quite famous among MZ-generation hiking beginners.

There are largely two ways to ascend: starting from the parking lot halfway up the mountain at Hwaamsa Temple, or following the walking trail from Kensington Resort Seoraksan Valley into the temple.

During peak foliage season, the entrance to Hwaamsa gets congested, making the resort route a great alternative. Though it requires walking about an hour longer, you get to soak in the autumn scenery instead of being trapped in a car. Unexpectedly, this walking trail sees more runners than walkers. Because it offers a scenic view of running against the backdrop of Ulsanbawi, running crews from all over the country visit steadily.

A representative from Kensington Resort shared, “With the increase in runners, the resort, which used to center around family travel, has grown much younger.” The fact that people now take running certification photos right beneath Ulsanbawi shows how quickly trends change, even in front of ancient, famous mountains.

I paused for a moment in front of the Iljumun gate of Hwaamsa. The signboard clearly read “Geumgangsan Hwaamsa.” Did you know? Sinseonbong is considered the southernmost peak of Geumgangsan’s 12,000 peaks. Daehyeon, the chief monk of Hwaamsa, offered a blessing, saying, “Looking at it today, the autumn foliage has descended quite nicely. Since this is located along the Geumgangsan mountain range and possesses extraordinary spiritual energy, please take good energy with you.”

Starting from the entrance of Hwaamsa and passing Subawi and Sirutteokbawi rocks, I reached Sinseondae in about an hour. The view, previously blocked by the forest, opened up instantly. Stepping onto the wide, playground-like rocky plateau, the six peaks of Ulsanbawi blocked the front view.

While it felt like a giant wall from the base of the mountain, different faces of each peak were visible from here. The wrinkles and deeply carved valleys on the rock face were clear. Turning my head, Goseong’s front sea beyond Hwaamsa unfolded all at once.

Due to lingering summer heat, many say Seoraksan’s autumn foliage isn’t as vibrant as usual this year. I left that disappointment behind at Sinseondae. After taking in both Ulsanbawi and the East Sea all at once, my mind stopped worrying about the color of the leaves.

The hunger at the end of a hike is welcome. Having arrived in the hometown of makguksu, I started with a bowl of buckwheat noodles. Late autumn and winter are the seasons awaited by “noodle enthusiasts,” as they can taste noodles made from freshly harvested autumn buckwheat.

I visited Sanbuk Sonamu Makguksu, a restaurant spanning three generations in Goseong. They serve 100% pure buckwheat makguksu (11,000 KRW). Because pure buckwheat lacks gluten and breaks easily, the dough preparation is tricky. After kneading firmly with hot water and letting it rest for over three hours, the noodles are kneaded again multiple times upon ordering.

Jeon Cheol-jae, the owner, explained, “By grinding the buckwheat with its hulls intact, the noodles take on a grayish hue, which is called ‘tomyon’ (earth noodles) in Goseong.” Pouring dongchimi broth over the freshly pressed buckwheat noodles and adding a bit of perilla oil and sugar, I took a bite. The difference in the noodles was evident from just a single chopstick full. The crumbly texture was followed by a savory flavor.

The next morning at 8 AM, I visited Ayajin Port. Fishing boats that had ventured out to sea in the dead of night returned to the pier, unloading cockfish (smooth lumpsucker) and cod. All around the pier, a familiar and welcome sight caught the eye: massive piles of sailfin sandfish.

Preferring cold water, sailfin sandfish flock to shallow coastal areas between late October and December, which is their spawning season. Fishermen set gill nets accordingly. Fisherman Park Young-chul said, “When the catch is good, a single boat can haul in 200 doorum (4,000 fish).” On this day, one doorum of sandfish traded around 42,000 KRW.

Eobubapjib, a restaurant in front of the port, sets tables with fish caught directly by the captain. I ordered sandfish stew and grilled sandfish (40,000 KRW each). At this time of year, sandfish are packed with more roe than meat.

Every time you bite into the roe, it pops in your mouth. The savory taste kept drawing my chopsticks back. Owner Yoo Young-mi explained, “Although sandfish are known as winter fish, the roe becomes firmer toward the end of the season, making late autumn sandfish much more tender and delicious.”

Lately, “octopus gukbap” has become popular among young travelers visiting Goseong. True to its name, it is rice soup topped with octopus. While octopus is caught year-round, the chilly winds make this the prime season to enjoy it as a hot gukbap. Thinly sliced boiled giant octopus is placed on top; the custom is to fish out the octopus and bean sprouts first like shabu-shabu before eating the gukbap. Finishing a bowl of gukbap made Goseong’s cold ocean breeze much more bearable.

The course starting from Hwaamsa, passing Subawi and Sirutteokbawi to reach Sinseondae, and returning via the Hwaamsa forest trail is about 3.2 km long. Taking it slow and easy requires about two to three hours. Despite the short hike, bringing hiking shoes is recommended. Both Hwaamsa and Kensington Resort Seoraksan Valley have free admission. Restaurants offering freshly caught sandfish are clustered in front of Ayajin Port.