Catch the Sunrise at Shinumsan: Night Trek to Osipjeong in Samcheok
Creatrip Team
7 months ago
Travel writer Jin Wooseok trekked Shinumsan (683m) and nearby Dutasan in Samcheok, Gangwon Province to greet the New Year at Osipjeong, a huge rock platform known historically as a place of sky rituals. Starting before dawn from Cheoneunsa temple on Dutasan with headlamps, the author describes a star-filled night hike, rugged pine-clad ridgelines, and dramatic pre-sunrise red bands over the East Sea. Osipjeong (literally “Fifty Wells”) is a perforated rock formation mentioned in historical records and was once the site of seasonal rites. Hikers can continue along a scenic ridge toward Dutasan’s Battel Rock (a sharp, blade-like rock formation) and descend via Cheoneunsa and Mureung Valley. The area is noted for its majestic black pine (geumgang sonamu) growing on exposed rock. After the hike the author walked the coastal Haepallyang Trail (section 33) at Hanseom Beach and explored Mukho, now a trendy spot with a travel bookshop and lighthouse village. Practical info: Cheoneunsa to Osipjeong is about 2.5 km (~1 hr 40 min); to see sunrise from Osipjeong, start about two hours before sunrise from Cheoneunsa; there are three daily buses from Samcheok to Cheoneunsa.
