Pocheon Lake and Forest

A 526 km loop

Open this ride in the planner →

Why this ride

Built for flow, views and useful stops rather than navigation busywork. 526 km round from Icheon-si - plan on about 9 h 45 of riding. It goes by way of near Seonghwan, Scenic stretch near Hwaseong-si, near Gyodong and Kwangmyŏng. It crosses from South Korea into North Korea - carry ID and check vignette or toll rules.

Roadbook

1. Fuel stop near Icheon-si fuel

   Fuel at 0 km.

2. High point near Seonghwan swim

   High point near Seonghwan comes up 105 km in.

3. Scenic stretch near Hwaseong-si swim
4. Photo stop near Gyodong swim

   Photo stop near Gyodong, about halfway.

5. Kwangmyŏng finish

   Gwangmyeong is a satellite city on the south-western edge of Seoul, a place of high-rise apartment blocks, shopping centres and a high-speed railway station, and it is the finish point for rides that have spent the day in the mountains of Gangwon Province or the lakes and forests north of the capital. Arriving here after Seoraksan, with its granite peaks and Buddhist temples, can feel like a sudden return to the modern world.

   The city does have one genuine curiosity. The Gwangmyeong Cave is a former gold mine, worked from the early twentieth century until the 1970s, that has been transformed into a tourist attraction, with lighting displays, an underground aquarium, a wine cellar storing Korean wines and exhibitions about the mine's history. It is cool inside even on the hottest summer day, and it makes an unusual end to a ride.

   Riding in Korea comes with an important rule: motorcycles are not allowed on the expressways, so all long-distance travel has to be done on national and local roads. This means longer journeys, but it also means you see more of the country. The roads to Seoraksan cross the mountains of Gangwon Province, with passes like the Hangyeryeong and the Misiryeong, winding through forests with fine views. The roads around Pocheon, north of Seoul, are quieter, passing lakes, forests and farmland.

   Coming back into the Seoul metropolitan area is a challenge. The traffic is dense, the roads are complicated, and some major roads and bridges are closed to motorcycles. A good navigation app that knows the motorcycle restrictions is essential. Gwangmyeong itself has plenty of fuel, food and services, and Korean barbecue restaurants, where you grill your own meat at the table, are the classic way to celebrate the end of a long day. The shoulder seasons are best; summers are hot and humid, and winters are bitterly cold.

6. Back to Pocheon Lake finish

   Icheon is a quiet, rice-growing city in Gyeonggi Province, to the south-east of Seoul, and a good place to learn how Korea has treated clay for a thousand years. The city is known for its ceramics, and its kilns have produced celadon and white porcelain since the Goryeo and Joseon eras. UNESCO named it a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2010, and the ceramic village of Sagimakgol, with its working kilns, shops and a museum, is a pleasure to walk through. Local potters will often let you try the wheel, and the pieces they make are used on tables across the country.

   The other pride of Icheon is its rice. Grown on the broad fertile plain of the region, the grain was once reserved for the king, and it is still sold as a premium product, with the flavour of fresh nuts. The surrounding land is a patchwork of paddies, orchards and low hills, and the hot springs in the area make it a popular place for a weekend soak. In autumn, the rice fields turn golden and the fruit trees are heavy with pears and persimmons.

   The ride this stop belongs to goes north, toward the lake and forests of Pocheon, a longer journey through the capital region. The roads from Icheon run through farmland and small towns, with plenty of traffic lights and a mix of rural and suburban scenery, before the expressway links bring you to the hills. It is not a technical ride, but it has a calm rhythm, and the countryside has a gentle beauty, particularly in the morning when mist lies on the paddies. Watch for tractors, farm trucks and elderly farmers on slow motorbikes.

   Fuel is simple to find in Icheon, with stations on every main road and in town, and the restaurants serve local rice with a variety of side dishes, a meal that suits a rider. Korea drives on the right, and tolls on expressways are paid by card or at the gates. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons, and the roads are quieter on weekdays. Look out for the ceramic shops by the road, where a single bowl makes a lasting souvenir.

Where this sits

Rides near here