Odaesan: a car to Sangwonsa for less-mobile visitors — to 15 Nov

The Seonjae-gil trail follows the Odaecheon stream between Woljeongsa and Sangwonsa, the two great temples of Odaesan, and it is the park's best-loved walk. It is also more than 9 km each way, which has put Sangwonsa out of reach for families with a wheelchair user or someone who walks slowly. According to a notice the Odaesan National Park Office posted on 2 October, this autumn that stretch can be covered in a park-service car driven by staff. The season overlaps with the autumn colour moving down from the ridges into the valley, which makes it a good time to bring along the people who usually stay behind.

Who can ride, and who can come along

There are four groups. Age is set by year of birth, so carry a passport or other ID that shows it — it makes on-site registration quicker.

How to book — online in advance, or first come on the day

There are two ways in. If your date is fixed, book through the KNPS reservation site: choose Odaesan and the 2026 vehicle service for less-mobile visitors (“[26년] 교통약자 대상 차량 이동서비스”). Without a booking, register at the Woljeongsa car park on the day — it is first come, first served, so you ride only if seats are left.

1. Open the KNPS reservation site (reservation.knps.or.kr) and choose Odaesan
2. Pick a date under the 2026 vehicle service for less-mobile visitors (“[26년] 교통약자 대상 차량 이동서비스”) and book
3. On the day, go to the Woljeongsa car park and board — or, without a booking, join the first-come queue there

The booking page describes the service as transport in a park-service vehicle driven by staff. No official page says whether it also brings you back down from Sangwonsa to Woljeongsa. If anyone in your party cannot walk the return, ask about the ride back before you book.

Will it run on autumn-colour weekends?

The booking page says the service may change or stop depending on the weather and conditions on site. The Odaesan office's leaflet adds peak-season crowding as a reason not to run. Weekends at the height of the autumn colour, when the access road jams, may be exactly that case, and no list of non-running dates has been published. If rain or strong wind is forecast, or you are going at a weekend, ring the office before you leave.

How far has the autumn colour come on Seonjae-gil?

In the photos the Odaesan office posted on 3 October, the lower Seonjae-gil is still mostly green, with colour starting around the log bridge; the upper slopes in late-September photos were already red. Colour in the valley usually arrives later than on the ridges, so if you want to pair the ride with the leaves, pick your date from the colour updates the office posts over the coming weeks.

Before you go — parking and the approach

The Woljeongsa car park, where the service starts, is paid, and the charge is collected by the Woljeongsa temple ticket office, not the national park. The office's autumn guidance lists rates by vehicle size and discounts for disabled drivers, but they can change, so go by the signs on site. The ticket office is also said to close earlier than the trail cut-off time, so avoid arriving late in the afternoon. For the parks in general, see Korea National Park Service.

Who this suits

If you have wanted to take a wheelchair user, a small child in a buggy or a parent who cannot walk far up to Sangwonsa, plan it before the service ends on 15 November. Several things are missing from the official information — the fee, the hours, the ride back — so a phone call alongside the booking can save a wasted trip.

Getting there, and what to expect if you do not read Korean

Woljeongsa is in Pyeongchang county, Gangwon province. Without a car, take the KTX Gangneung line from Seoul to Jinbu (Odaesan) Station (진부역) and continue by local bus or taxi to the Woljeongsa car park; check the bus times locally, as rural services are sparse. Everything about this service — the notice, the booking page and, most likely, the driver — is in Korean. The KNPS reservation site asks you to create an account, and we could not confirm that it accepts a foreign mobile number; if it does not, the first-come queue at the car park needs no account. A Korean speaker can make the phone call to the park office for you, or you can show staff the service name on your phone (교통약자 대상 차량 이동서비스).