Pyeongchang in Fall 2026: Sky Ranch and Woljeongsa
Checked Sept 27, 2026
For one autumn day in Pyeongchang (평창), go high in the morning and low in the afternoon. Daegwallyeong Sky Ranch (대관령 하늘목장) takes you up to about 1,000 m by tractor wagon for 10,000 won. Woljeongsa (월정사) has a flat 1 km fir forest path and has been free to enter since May 2023. The leaves around the temple should turn in the second half of October.
Koreans have an old saying for autumn: 천고마비, "the sky is high and the horses grow fat." We went over Chuseok this year, and the sky on the ranch was exactly that. This guide is what we did, and what we'd tell a friend going in October.
Jump to: The plan · Sky Ranch · Sky Ranch or Samyang? · Woljeongsa · When the colour comes · Getting there · FAQ
What does one autumn day in Pyeongchang look like?
Do the ranch first. It's the exposed, high part of the day, and a clear morning is when the sky looks the way it does in the photos. The tractor queue also grows as the day goes on, and from October the last ride leaves at 16:30.
Then drive down to Woljeongsa. The fir forest sits in a valley, so it's sheltered, shaded and still lovely in flat afternoon light. It's also the part that works in the rain. We know, because that's how we found it.
We actually did the two on different days. Chuseok itself rained all day and Sky Ranch had to wait until the next morning. With a car you can fit both into one day. By public transport, pick one per day or plan on taxis.
Daegwallyeong Sky Ranch: is the tractor wagon worth it?
Yes, and for some groups it's the whole reason to choose this ranch. Sky Ranch covers about 10 million square metres (3 million pyeong) of hill pasture. It was built as a working ranch in 1974 and only opened to visitors in 2014. The top is around 1,000 m up, and it's a long walk.
We chose it because of that walk. There was a three-year-old in our group, and walking a child that age up a 1,000 m ranch was never going to happen. Carrying one wasn't going to happen either. We needed something that goes to the top, and the tractor wagon does.
- Entry: 8,000 won for adults, 6,000 won for children. Under 36 months is free.
- Tractor wagon: 10,000 won for adults, 8,000 won for children. This is on top of entry.
- How often: once an hour on weekdays, every 30 minutes Friday to Sunday. The ranch itself says to expect a 30 minute to 1 hour wait.
- The ride: about 45 minutes round trip, with roughly 15 minutes at the summit viewpoint. You can get off partway and walk back down through the pasture.
- Hours from October: 9:00 to 17:30, tickets until 16:30, last tractor 16:30. Open every day.
The tractor is enormous. The trailer behind it holds a crowd, and it climbs the slope without any fuss. At the top the ridge is lined with white wind turbines, and it honestly looked like we'd been dropped somewhere in Switzerland for an afternoon. I couldn't stop taking pictures.
When I asked the adults in our group what the best part of the whole trip was, they all said the top of Sky Ranch. (The kids said the beach, but that's another post.)
Down at the bottom there are sheep, goats and horses along the fences. Many will take a handful of grass from you. If you want to feed them properly, the hay feeding ticket is 2,000 won. The ranch suggests doing it while you wait for your tractor time.
Sky Ranch or Samyang Round Hill?
Samyang Round Hill (삼양라운드힐) is the bigger, better-known ranch just along the same ridge. I was actually meant to go there. We switched to Sky Ranch for the toddler, so I'm comparing Samyang from its published details, not from my own visit.
| Sky Ranch (하늘목장) | Samyang Round Hill (삼양라운드힐) | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | About 3 million pyeong | About 6 million pyeong |
| Adult entry | 8,000 won | 12,000 won |
| Getting to the top | Tractor wagon, 10,000 won extra | Ranch shuttle bus up to the East Sea viewpoint |
| Feel | Smaller, animals close by, easy with kids | Longer trails, bigger views, more walking |
| Best for | Small children, older parents, one easy ride | Walkers who want the big ridge |
From the top of Sky Ranch you see the same line of turbines on the Daegwallyeong ridge. If you're travelling with someone who can't walk far, Sky Ranch gives you that view without the walk.
Woljeongsa: why go to a temple for the forest?
Because the forest is the best part. Woljeongsa sits at the foot of Odaesan National Park, and the path from the Iljumun gate (일주문) to the temple runs about 1 km through old fir trees. Around 1,700 of them (some sources say 1,800), with an average age over 80 years. The oldest is said to be about 370.
Our Chuseok day was pouring rain, and the cable car we had planned was pointless in the clouds. So we spread out the Pyeongchang tourist map from the café we were sitting in and picked somewhere else. My finger stopped on Woljeongsa. We went knowing nothing about it, and it became one of the best places of the trip.
- Entry is free. Temples like this used to charge a cultural heritage fee; Woljeongsa stopped on May 4, 2023. You pay only for parking. (On Chuseok day itself, even parking was free for us.)
- The fir path is flat and soft underfoot. We saw plenty of families pushing strollers.
- Not too long, not too short. It's a walk, not a hike.
There are squirrels, and they know the drill. People who've been before bring peanuts and nuts and try to get one to sit on their hand. The adults were far more serious about it than the kids. I didn't see a sign about feeding them either way, so check at the entrance.
Inside the temple, look down at the feet of the four guardian kings in the entrance gate. The little figures they're standing on all look deeply unhappy about it.
When will the leaves turn at Woljeongsa in 2026?
When we walked it on Sept 25, the maples along the path were still bright green. So here's what the forecasts say:
- The Korea Forest Service 2026 map (Sept 22) puts peak colour in late October across most of the country, with Seoraksan around Oct 20. It doesn't list Odaesan by name.
- The private forecaster WeatherEye puts Odaesan first colour around Oct 7 and peak around Oct 16.
Colour starts at the top of a mountain and works its way down. The temple and the fir path are in the valley, below the high ridges, so I'd aim for the second half of October rather than the first. The firs themselves stay green all year. The red and gold come from the maples and the other trees around them.
I think Woljeongsa is going to be something special once the leaves turn. If you can only pick one weekend, I'd pick Oct 17–18 or Oct 24–25. For how the two kinds of forecast differ, see our Korea fall foliage 2026 guide.
How do you get there from Seoul?
Woljeongsa by train and bus
- Take the KTX Gangneung Line from Seoul Station or Cheongnyangni to Jinbu (Odaesan) Station (진부(오대산)역). About 1.5 hours.
- Go to Jinbu and take bus 226 or 227 towards Woljeongsa (월정사). About 20 minutes, roughly once an hour.
- Get off at Woljeongsa and walk the fir path first, then the temple.
Sky Ranch by bus and taxi
- Take an intercity bus from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Hoenggye (횡계). About 2 hours 30 minutes.
- From Hoenggye, a taxi to Sky Ranch is about 12 minutes and roughly 10,000 won.
- Show the driver this: 대관령 하늘목장.
Between the two, it's about 30 km. A taxi is the practical option without a car. Book one with an app, because they don't wait around at the ranch.
FAQ
Is Woljeongsa free to enter?
Yes. It stopped charging the cultural heritage fee on May 4, 2023. Parking is paid.
Can you walk to the top of Sky Ranch?
Yes, but it's a long climb to about 1,000 m. Most people ride the tractor wagon up and walk part of the way down.
Which is better with kids, Sky Ranch or Samyang?
For small children, Sky Ranch. The tractor wagon does the climbing and the animals are close to the entrance.
When is the best time to see autumn colour at Woljeongsa?
Likely the second half of October in 2026. The firs stay green; the colour is in the maples around them.
Do I need a car?
Not for one place. For both in one day, a car or taxis make it much easier.
Things I could not confirm yet:
- Samyang Round Hill's current hours and shuttle times. Its site wouldn't load for me.
- Woljeongsa parking fees. Sources disagree, from 3,000 to 6,000 won by car size.
- The exact 2026 bus 226/227 timetable from Jinbu. Check at the station.
- The 30 km between the two is a map distance, not a measured drive.
- Whether feeding the squirrels is allowed.
Next time I want to come back in winter, when the whole ridge turns white.
Sources
- Daegwallyeong Sky Ranch, hours and fees and tractor wagon pages (checked Sept 27, 2026)
- Korea Forest Service, 2026 Korean Peninsula autumn foliage peak map (Sept 22, 2026)
- WeatherEye 2026 foliage forecast as reported by FT Sports (Sept 2026)
- Kyunghyang Shinmun on the end of the Woljeongsa cultural heritage fee (May 1, 2023)
- VisitKorea, Woljeongsa fir forest path
- Discover Real Korea, Odaesan transport guide (updated Sept 2026)
- Our own visit, Sept 25–26, 2026
— Aslan
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