Gossigul Cave, Yeongwol

Site details

Gossigul Cave is a limestone cave located in the upper reaches of the Namhangang River. Its name comes from a story that a family in the Go clan who lived in this area took refuge in the cave with their family members to escape the Japanese Invasions of Korea. Because cave water drains out near the entrance along the banks of the Namhangang River, access may be restricted during the summer rainy season when rising water levels and heavy rainfall can flood the lowermost passage of the cave. Gossigul Cave was designated as a Natural Monument in 1969. It was developed as a show cave in 1974 and opened to the public. Until the late 1990s, visitors had to cross the Namhangang River by ferry to reach the entrance, but today the cave can be accessed on foot via a bridge. The cave extends for approximately 3.4 kilometers, including the main passage of about 950 meters. Of this, around 620 meters are open to the public. Within the public section are several small waterfalls about two meters high, while the closed section contains a multi-level maze of passages. Inside the cave are a wide variety of formations, including soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstone, rimstone pools, and cave coral, giving the cave both great scientific and scenic value. Gossigul Cave is also a good spot to observe bats. In summer, bats gather on the ceiling near the cave entrance before going out at sunset in search of food. From late autumn to early spring, hibernating bats can sometimes be seen along the viewing path in the public section. However, visitors are prohibited from touching bat habitats, shining lights on the bats, or making loud noises.