Biryong Falls

Biryongpokpo - flying dragon falls - is the gentle counterpart to the Ulsanbawi climb, and it takes the other branch from the same entrance. The path follows a stream up a wooded valley on stone steps and boardwalks for about two and a half kilometres, crossing a suspension bridge over the water, past Yukdampokpo, a set of six linked pools and small drops, before arriving at Biryong itself: a fall of around forty metres coming down a narrow cleft into a green pool, viewed from a platform below. Beyond it a much harder staircase continues to Towangseong Falls observatory, which looks across at a three-stage fall said to be the tallest in the country. The main walk is well made and manageable for most people, and the valley is thick with maple, which is why this is one of the most photographed autumn walks in Korea and why October here is shoulder to shoulder.

What you actually see

• Biryong Falls - the forty-metre drop into its pool.
• Yukdampokpo - the six linked pools on the way up.
• The suspension bridge - the crossing over the stream.
• The maple valley - the autumn colour the walk is known for.

When to go

May to June for water and green; October for colour, which is spectacular and extremely crowded. Winter freezes the falls and the upper steps.

Honest expectations

The main path is easy but the Towangseong extension is a hard staircase. October weekends bring queues on the boardwalks and full buses. Park fee applies.

Nearby

Ulsanbawi and Sinheungsa are on the other branch from the same entrance; Sokcho is twenty minutes away.