Sanjang Gwangwangji

The following is a review of the campsite Sanjang Gwangwangji (산장관광지). Please see related posts (The Lightning Overnighter) for additional thoughts and information.

Things to Do: small river within 2-min walk, deep enough for swimming in places but mostly shallow for wading and splashing; fishing (in theory, although there was no evidence of anything worth catching); soccer fields (overrun at the time with tents and cars).

Location: Gyeongsgi-Do, Gapyeong-Gun, Sang-Myeon, Deokhyeon-Ri 21 (경기도 가평군 상면 덕현리 21번지), 55 km northeast of central Seoul.

Getting There (from Hannam-Dong,Seoul): by car, shortest route is 55 km, about 40 km on highway; 1.5 hours of drive time; both distance and time may vary depending on route (various highway combinations possible) and traffic (departing Seoul on Friday evening or returning on Sunday afternoon may result in as much as additional hour each way); easy road access to campsite (no need for 4-wheel drive or SUV).

Type of Site: public recreational park.

Grounds: soft dirt with sparse grass growth in designated camping areas; camping permitted on asphalt parking lots; some shade in small park.

Environment: semi-rural but surrounded by signs of civilization (e.g., bridges, buildings); adjacent to main road; access to various towns/villages within 5-km radius.

Predators: surprisingly--happily--nothing (slept without a mosquito net and, perhaps for the first time ever, came home with only a single mysterious mosquito bite on my ass).

Capacity: main campsite is relatively small, enough for about 20 family-sized tent+tarp setups; overflow for another 80 or so setups can be accommodated in various additional locations, including small park (in fact, this is the best place to set up, in terms of tranquility and centrality, and it even has decks and picnic tables in places, but it can accommodate only 8 or so setups at most, and small ones at that (e.g., 3-person tents, mini-tarps), parking lots (this is where we were forced to go, setting up on the asphalt, regretfully at first, but we were ultimately quite happy with the arrangement, being away from the crowds on an elevated perch overlooking the park), along the riverbank (may seem like a good idea, but the grounds are too rocky and uneven for a proper setup), and soccer fields; modern bungalows/pensions are also available for rent onsite.

Fees: KRW 2,000 per person per night, plus KRW 5,000 per car per night (didn't get around to asking about the cost for renting bungalows/pensions).

Restrooms: several separate mens' and womens' facilities with sit-down toilets; toilet paper provided; clean but not immaculate.

Showers: none.

Water: 6-tap sink for general washing and cooking purposes; inadequate for size of campgrounds (lines form after mealtimes); lack of waste bins in immediate area results in food scraps being dumped into drain and blockage; water, drawn from local well, is potable; cold water only.

Supplies: adequately stocked store sells packaged food, cold drinks, ice, gas canisters, clothing

.

Electricity: sporadic outlets require reel extension cords; no extra charge for use.

Communications: strong signals for mobile phones and 3G network; no wi-fi signal detected.

Staff: on site 24 hours; English proficiency unknown.

Contact Information: none.

While I wouldn't recommend this place as a campsite per se, I wouldn't object to a return trip. It's relatively close to home, offers the comforts of civilization (e.g., electricity and store), and the small river provides a few hours of fun (especially for kids) and a welcome escape from the heat. As a consequence of these positive attributes, of course, swarms of vacationers descend upon the site during the peak season and render the camping experience somewhat uncomfortable due to the crowding conditions. Still, if a group of close friends were to propose a night of BBQ and drinks there (which is pretty much how this trip came about), I'm in.