Cheongyang County is known throughout Korea for the spicy Cheongyang chili peppers that they grow (also called Gochu or 고추). And so, because Korea is so incredibly extra, they built an entire suspension bridge honoring their famous chili peppers. If you’ve been here a while, you know that I have a thing for bridges. So when I heard about this massive suspension bridge with the giant chili peppers, you know I immediately added it to my bucket list.
Cheonjangho Suspension Bridge
Located just over an hour from Camp Humphreys, Cheongyang County is home to Chilgap Mountain (or Chilgapsan – with “san” meaning mountain in Korean), the Chilgapsan Observatory, and – in the winter – the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival. And, it’s also home to one of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges in the country.
Cheonjangho Suspension Bridge stretches across Cheoncheon Lake at a whopping 207 meters long. It is one of the longest CONTINUOUS pedestrian suspension bridges in South Korea. What I mean by that is that there is nothing halfway through grounding it – unlike the Yedangho Suspension Bridge which has a grounded observation tower in the middle of the bridge. And for those wondering, yes it swayed back and forth as we walked across it – moreso even than the Sogeumsan Suspension Bridge.
The giant chili pepper arch on the bridge is quite the sight (and if you’re thinking they look a little… weird… you’re not alone), but the whole surrounding area really stole the show for us. The recent rain had left the forests around the lake looking lush and full and green, and the air quality was good enough that we didn’t have any smog interrupting our perfect views.
We visited on a sweltering day in August, but we were sure to visit in the early evening when some of the heat had dissipated. Still, in the sun the heat was pretty unbearable, which was one reason we were grateful for the plentiful shade – especially after we crossed the bridge and made our way along the wooden walkway. And the views of the bridge from the walkway? Completely unmatched.
The kids loved being outside [mostly] in the shade, and they also loved seeing the variety of statues in the park. They had a great time climbing on the dinosaur statues (which are meant to be climbed on, according to the plaque in front of them) and seeing the giant tiger and dragon on the other side of the bridge. Even L, who tends to dislike most outings and adventures, enjoyed herself and simply said “this was fun” as we headed back to the car. Coming from her, that is some high praise.
Because of the heat, we weren’t really in the mood for a full-blown hike, so we skipped trying to get to the summit of Chilgap Mountain (maybe next time). Instead, we opted to walk around one side of the lake – turning left after crossing the bridge and continuing along the wooden walkway – until we reached a café where we helped ourselves to ice cream.
The Cheonjangho Suspension Bridge is the perfect way to spend a warm day, especially if you don’t mind driving for a bit. It is completely free to visit, which just shows, yet again, that you don’t have to spend a lot of money or travel too far to find something cool to do. I think that we’ve done a pretty good job exploring and adventuring, without spending insane amounts of money. My only hope is that our adventures may inspire someone else to get out and explore South Korea.
’til next time…
Ash
How to visit Cheonjangho Suspension Bridge
Directions & Parking: Paste 충남 청양군 정산면 into Naver or use this link for the Cheonjangho Lake Parking Lot to open the location up in Naver. Parking is completely free. The parking lot is not huge, but there is another small lot underneath the one I linked here – just follow the arrows around and it will take you to the lower lot. If both of those lots are full, there are multiple lots farther up the hill, they just require more walking to get to the bridge.
Cost: FREE! There is no charge for parking or to cross the suspension bridge and hike afterwards.
*Hours:
Bridge Hours
9:00am – 6:00pm daily
Park Hours
Monday – Thursday: 9:00am – 6:00pm
Friday – Sunday: 9:00am – 9:00pm
*Hours are subject to change at any time without notice. Times listed are true according to the information available at the time this post was written.
Amenities:
Bathrooms are located in the parking lot linked in this post. In addition, there are bathrooms located in other locations throughout the park.
Next to the parking lot are stands selling a variety of traditional Korean dishes, as well as some trinkets and souvenirs. After crossing the main bridge, turning to the left, and following the wooden walkway for 800 meters, you will come to Café Heidi where you can purchase a variety of drinks and treats, as well as some handmade soap that smells INCREDIBLE.
There is an obstacle-course suspension bridge in the park. We were unable to determine whether or not there was a charge to use it, as it was closing when we were passing by. But it’s available for people over 140cm tall to experience on their own (children under that height need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian). It is open from 9:00am – 5:30pm daily.
There is a playground down by the water, although all paths leading to it were roped off during our visit.
Know before you go:
Bring bug spray and sunscreen. While most of the hike around the lake is fully shaded, the bridge itself is not. If you’re visiting in the summer the bugs are pretty horrendous. There are bug spray dispensers just past the parking lot that are free to us, but consider bringing your own just in case.
Pets and strollers are not allowed on the suspension bridge.
