Ocheon
Bicycle Path
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.
Goesan County
(괴산군)
6 hours
Sejong City
(세종시)
- Time 6 hours (1 to 2 days)
- Length 105 km (65 miles)
- Elevation 236 m | 20 m (774 ft | 66 ft)
- Difficulty 🚲🚲
- Certifications Ocheon, Grand Slam
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.
- Oh (오) means five using Sino-Korean numbers.
- Cheon (천) translates to stream.
The name literally translates to “Five Streams.”
- Ssang Stream (쌍천; map)
- Dal Stream (달천; map)
- Seonghwang Stream (성황천; map)
- Bogang Stream (보강천; map)
- 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.
- North Chungcheong Province (충청북도) is Korea’s only landlocked province. Before tunnel boring machines and airplanes, the Sobaek Mountain Range, cutting across its midsection, formed separated warring kingdoms. Find old forts and battle sites among the province’s peaks and national parks.
- Goesan County (괴산군), shrinking from urbanization, boasts several natural tourist spots, from rock valley streams to Songni Mountain National Park. Koreans visit the rural county to buy sacks full of their famed red peppers.
- 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.
- Haengchon Crossroads (행촌교차로 인증센터; map)
- Goegang Bridge (괴강교 인증센터; map)
- Baekro Park (백로공원 인증센터; map)
- Musim Cheon Bridge (무심천교 인증센터; map)
- 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.
Trains
