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Ocheon
Bicycle Path

Cruise five valley streams beneath towering peaks.

Hate hills? How about looking at them? 

The Ocheon Bicycle Path (오천 자전거길; map) follows a series of five streams (오천; /ō-cheon/) from the central Sobaek Mountains (소백산맥) to the Geum River (금강; map) in Korea’s west.

Though not filled with landmarks, the cycling route features holy sites, bird parks, and stoic bridges mixed with a procession of mountain vistas and murmuring waterways.

The Stats
Start
Goesan County
(괴산군)
← 105 km →
6 hours
End
Sejong City
(세종시)
Ocheon Bicycle Map
Checkpoints Logo
Stamps (5)
Bus Icon
Bus Terminals
Link button to Kakao Maps directions.
Directions
Link button to Kakao Maps Highlights.
Highlights

Cycle from a holy site down mountain valley streams.

Pedal under cable-stayed bridges to Korea’s second capital.

Learn about North Chungcheong Province’s mountainous Five Streams.

Discover the top highlights along the Ocheon Bicycle Path.

Find out how to take a bus or train to the Ocheon Bicycle Path.

Bike Path Overview

How did the Ocheon Bike Path get its name? Let’s break it down.

The name literally translates to “Five Streams.”

  1. Ssang Stream (쌍천; map)
  2. Dal Stream (달천; map)
  3. Seonghwang Stream (성황천; map)
  4. Bogang Stream (보강천; map)
  5. Miho Stream (미호천; map)

Starting in the east, the path shoots off from the Saejae Bike Path between its two highest climbs.

Ocheon Bike Path’s elevation starts around 236 meters above seat level. As the path heads west, plateau before hitting another 231 peak. Then wind downwards until you meet the Geumgang Bike Path on the Geum River.

Municipalities

The Ocheon Bicycle Path crosses one province, one metropolitan city, two counties, and one city along its run. Check out these short profiles of each.

    • Jeungpyeong County (증평군), Korea’s second smallest district, carved its 82 square kilometers away from Goesan County in 2003. With a variety of industries, from solar panels to ginseng, the county also holds a recreational forest with Korea’s largest refracting telescope.
    • Cheongju City (청주시) is the capital of North Chungcheong Province, assuming Chungju’s old duties in 1908. On the Geum River, the city gained economic traction when the first transnational railroad and expressway flow through its borders. Cheongju boasts historic forts and a growing population.
  • Sejong City (세종특별자치시), named after Korea’s most important ruler, is the nation’s second capital. Why? Like London and Paris, some Koreans thought Seoul wielded too much influence. (And, it sits in North Korea’s artillery range.) So the government founded Sejong in 2012 by seizing a South Chungcheong Province county, erecting giant government complexes, and moving dozens of national ministries within its borders.

Certification

There are five certification centers on the Ocheon Bicycle Path.

Collect all stamps and receive the Ocheon Bike Path certification. The stamps also count towards the Grand Slam certification.

Certification Centers

Here is a complete list of certification centers (red stamp booths) along the Ocheon Bike Path.

  1. Haengchon Crossroads (행촌교차로 인증센터; map)
  2. Goegang Bridge (괴강교 인증센터; map)
  3. Baekro Park (백로공원 인증센터; map)
  4. Musim Cheon Bridge (무심천교 인증센터; map)
  5. Hapgang Park (합강공원 인증센터; map)

How To Get There

How do you get you and your two wheels to the Ocheon Bicycle Path? It’s harder than most.

Well, that’s only half true. The finish line dwells near Sejong City and its bus and train terminals. But its start line in Goesan County offers two bitter pills: hills or distance.

Here are your transportation options.

Intercity Bus

Intercity bus terminals offer cyclists and their bikes the most hop on and off points along the Ocheon Bike Path.

The settlement at the end of the cycling route provides a large, nearby terminal. However, Ocheon’s opening village lacks bus access.

A picture of a mugunghwa train arriving at a station in South Korea.
Though limited and require reservations, trains offer an alternative way to get you and your bike to Korea's bike paths.

Trains

Want to ride the rails? The Gyeongbu Line (경부선), which travels from Seoul (서울역) to Busan (부산역) Stations, crosses the Ocheon Bike Path.