Shimhaksan Mountain Barefoot Trail 



Simhaksan Mountain, located in the southern part of Gyoha District (Sannam-dong, Dongpae-dong, and Seopae-dong) in Paju City, Gyeonggi-do, is relatively low at 194 meters above sea level. It was considered one of the five most challenging mountains in Gyeonggi Province during the Joseon Dynasty. Therefore, it is also called Simaksan Mountain. Due to its relatively gentle ridge and well-maintained perimeter trail, it is popular as a walking course rather than a strenuous hike, and the summit offers a spectacular view of the West Sea sunset.

A. Main Features

Location: It is located in the southern part of the Gyoha area (Sannam-dong, Dongpae-dong, and Seopae-dong) in Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do.

Height: At 194m above sea level, the peak provides a great place to enjoy the sunset over the West Sea.

Hiking trails: There are well-maintained hiking trails and circular paths that take 1 to 2 hours. The trails include gentle uphill and downhill slopes, making it ideal for a family walk.

View from the Peak: At the peak, you can view the Jayuro expressway, the Han River, Gimpo, and the Gwansan Peninsula.

Old place name: The mountain is named Simhaksan (Deep Crane Mountain), stemming from a legend about a white crane that escaped from the palace and was found there during the Joseon Dynasty. It was also called 'Simagsan', which means 'the mountain goes into deep water'.

B. A Good Place to Visit

Yakcheonsa Temple: Yakcheonsa Temple was rebuilt in 1932 on the site of a Gonyeo Dynasty temple. Its name comes from a character for Healthymineral water spring, which symbolizes the character for this spring and refers to the spring water that gushes out in front of the main hall. It serves as one of the starting points for many hiking and walking trails on Simhaksan Mountain.

Gyoha Reservoir: The midpoint of the perimeter road features facilities including a pavilion, restrooms, and sports amenities. The adjacent Gyoha Reservoir, a metropolitan water supply facility for Paju City, is a major stop along the Simhaksan Mountain Trail.

Simhaksan Observatory: This offers scenic views of the Imjin River estuaries, Ilsan City, Paju City, and Ganghwa Island.

C. Simhaksan Barefoot Trail Summary

C-1) Date and Duration:October 29, 2025. The round trip took approximately two and a half hours.

C-2) Course Length:The course ran from the Paju Baesuji Public Parking Lot to Yakcheonsa Temple and then to Simhaksan Peak (194m above sea level). The entire round-trip distance was approximately 9.5 km (13,000 steps).

C-3) Location of Parking Lot:383, Dongpae-dong, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.

C-4) Course Explanation:

I parked the car at the Paju Baesuji Public Parking Lot (Water Distribution Center), which took about an hour to reach from the West Seoul Area and was free of charge.

As shown in the attached photo, I crossed the street and immediately turned right, where I saw a trail sign for Simhaksan Mountain and a grey rock road. I began the hike by ascending a few stairs at this point. This mountain offers two main courses: the Simhaksan Mountain Trail and the Simhaksan Mountain Loop Trail. I chose the former this time and plan to take the latter next time.

There are a few trail options to reach the peak, but I chose the popular course via Yakcheonsa Temple. From Yakcheonsa Temple, the trail road was somewhat steep for about 20 minutes before easing into the ridge road. I turned right at the junction between the Yakcheonsa Road and the Simhaksan Ridge Road (as seen in the attached photo) and headed toward the peak.

After trailing for about 20 minutes from the junction, I reached the Simhaksan Peak. A pavilion stands at the top, from which I could look down upon the Imjin River and Gaepung District in North Korea. Please note that this river serves as a border line between South Korea and North Korea. You could see this great landscape in the attached photo. I returned to the starting parking lot using the same course I took to reach the peak.