Hwanseongul Cave (Daei-ri Cave System) (환선굴 (대이리 동굴지대)) - Area information - Korea travel information

Hwanseongul Cave (Daei-ri Cave System) (환선굴 (대이리 동굴지대))

16.1M    2025-06-10

800 Hwanseon-ro, Singi-myeon, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do

Hwanseongul Cave is the largest limestone cave in Asia, formed estimated 530 million years ago. The cafe features fantastic rocks in various shapes, stalagmites, and stalactites. There have been 47 new breeds of animals discovered in Hwanseongul Cave, with four of these being found to only live in this cave. In April 2010, a monorail was installed within the cave to make it more convenient for people to see all the natural habitat.

Daegeumgul Cave - Daei-ri Cave Area (대금굴 (대이리 동굴지대))

Daegeumgul Cave - Daei-ri Cave Area (대금굴 (대이리 동굴지대))

78.8M    2025-01-07

800, Hwanseon-ro, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do
+82-33-541-7600

Daegeumgul Cave is believed to be as old as Hwanseongul and Gwaneumgul Caves located nearby. The entrance to the cave was exposed during an excavation project, and after a long preparatory period, the cave was opened to the public. This newly opened, well-preserved cave is filled with limestone features such as stalactites, and a considerable amount of water flows through the cave, creating waterfalls, both large and small, along with numerous ponds.

Gwaneumgul Cave (Daei-ri Cave Caverns) (관음굴(삼척 대이리 동굴지대))

2.0Km    2021-04-23

557, Hwanseon-ro, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do
+82-33-570-3545

Gwaneumgul Cave has a reputation of being a must-explore cave by not only Korean scientists but throughout cave academia around the world. The entrance of the cave is 4.2 meters wide, 3 meters high and 1.6 kilometers deep. The underground water flows from the entrance all the way to end all year long producing approximately 15,000 ㎥ per day. The cave also has 4 waterfalls along the way with the largest being 9 meters high. The cave is full of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as straw soda, columns, flowstones, cave corals, aragonite crystals and more. The cave has a total of 24 different types of living organisms, making a desirable cave for academic research.

Deokangsan Mountain (덕항산)

Deokangsan Mountain (덕항산)

2.8Km    2021-06-15

Daegi-ri, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do
+82-33-541-9266

Deokangsan Mountain is where Hwanseongul Cave is located, and is part of the Samcheok Daei-ri Cave Area, designated as Natural Monument No. 178. The mountain has unique peaks and has a warm welcoming feeling from the entrance. There are various folklore relics within the mountain, leading to many visitors.

Samcheok Jungyeongmyo Royal Tomb (삼척 준경묘)

Samcheok Jungyeongmyo Royal Tomb (삼척 준경묘)

5.6Km    2020-04-02

333-360, Jungyeong-gil, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do
+82-33-570-3721

Jungyeongmyo Royal Tomb is the grave of the 5th great-grandfather of King Taejo of the Joseon dynasty. The grave as well as memorial monuments were built together with Yeonggyeongmyo, a grave for the 5th great-grandmother of King Taejo. Surrounded by a rich forest, it has a beautiful view. Every April 20th, an ancestral ritual is held by the Lee family (from Jeonju).

Gangwon Comprehensive Museum (강원종합박물관)

Gangwon Comprehensive Museum (강원종합박물관)

6.4Km    2024-02-16

3016 Gangwonnambu-ro, Singi-myeon, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do

Gangwon Comprehensive Museum boasts a collection of over 20,000 artifacts from various global cultures, encompassing fields like natural history, ceramics, metalwork, folklore, religion, woodwork, and stonework. Its mission is to collect and preserve these artifacts to enhance humanity's understanding of the environment they inhabit. The museum's building draws inspiration from historic East Asian architecture, adding to its cultural richness. Located in an inland area of Samcheok, the museum is about 25 kilometers from KTX Donghae Station, making it a 25-minute car journey away.

Samcheok Hwalgi Healing Forest (삼척 활기 치유의 숲)

7.2Km    2024-12-10

651-230 Jungyeong-gil, Miro-myeon, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do

Samcheok Hwalgi Healing Forest is nestled in the deep forest of Hwalgi-ri, Miro-myeon, Samcheok-si. It is a recreational and well-being facility that allows visitors to enjoy relaxation and vitality while being surrounded by the dense forest. It has a visitor center, therapy center, tree house, forest experience center, water therapy center, and therapy trails. It has a minimal number of visitor-convenient facilities to avoid damaging the forest. The magnificent forests here fascinate visitors, including the dense forest full of tall, old trees; a forest with beautiful autumn leaves; a forest with diverse trees; the beautiful white-barked birch forest; colonies of Chinese cork oak; a Mi-insong pine tree forest near Jungyeongmyo Tomb; and the millennium forest in Samcheok where a large pine tree stands. 

Dutasan Mountain (두타산)

Dutasan Mountain (두타산)

7.5Km    2021-04-02

Duta-ro, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do
+82-33-570-3424

Standing at 1,357 meters above sea level, Dutasan Mountain is a major mountain amid the Taebaeksanmaek Mountain Range. It is especially known for Swinumjeong Pavilion, plunge basin, azalea trees, nut pines, and colorful fall foliage.

Cheoneunsa Temple, where Lee Seung-Hyu resided during his exile, is located in the Samcheok region of the mountain. Lee was the author of Jewang Ungi, a historical poem written in the late Goryeo period. The name “Duta” is a Buddhist term that means "retiring from the world to go on a Buddhist retreat."

Samcheok Yeonggyeongmyo Royal Tomb (삼척 영경묘)

Samcheok Yeonggyeongmyo Royal Tomb (삼척 영경묘)

8.5Km    2022-09-15

Miro-myeon, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do
+82-33-570-3722

Yeonggyeongmyo Royal Tomb is the grave of the mother of King Mokjo and the 5th great-grandmother of King Taejo of the Joseon dynasty. During the 3rd year of King Gojong’s reign (1899), the grave as well as memorial monuments were built together with Jungyeongmyo, a grave for the 5th great-grandfather of King Taejo. Surrounded by a rich forest, it has a beautiful view. Every April 20th, an ancestral ritual is held by the Lee family (from Jeonju).

Bunjuryeong Wildflower Trekking (분주령야생화 트레킹)

12.5Km    2024-03-20

Hwajeon-dong, Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do

Bunjuryeong Wildflower Trekking is a trekking course that extends from Geumdaebong Peak in Taebaek's Daedeoksan Mountain to the source of the Hangang River, Geomnyongso Spring. The trekking section (6.9 km) from Dumundongjae Pass to Bunjuryeong Pass is renowned as a paradise for wildflowers and wildlife, including natural monuments like the flying squirrel and ichneumon wasp. Visitors can access this trekking course by making a reservation in advance.