Siheung Gaetgol Ecological Park, Where the Sea Flows: Traces of Sorae Salt Fields and How to Get There

How Gyeonggi Province’s Only Inner-Bay Tidal Creek Became the Sorae Salt Fields

Siheung Gaetgol Eco Park is home to Gyeonggi Province’s only inner-bay tidal creek. The Sorae Salt Fields area was developed between 1934 and 1936, spreading across approximately 1.45 million pyeong around the tidal creek.

At the time, most of the salt produced at the Sorae Salt Fields was transported by train along the Suin Line and Gyeongbu Line to Busan Port, then shipped to Japan. Today’s walking area is not simply a wetland; it is a place where traces of the salt industry and logistics during the colonial period overlap.

The Ecology of a Tidal Creek Designated a National Wetland Protection Area in 2012

Siheung Gaetgol was designated a National Wetland Protection Area in February 2012. Seawater flows like a stream through the tidal creek channel winding around the park, allowing visitors to observe an environment where seawater and freshwater meet.

Halophytes such as glasswort, Suaeda glauca, and Salicornia, along with red-clawed fiddler crabs and milky fiddler crabs, inhabit the area. At the Dune Plant Garden, visitors can see reeds, cogon grass, beach angelica, and umbrella grass, while the Succession Ecology Learning Center showcases changes across marine, freshwater, and brackish-water zones.

If you are hoping to see vivid colors, September is a suitable time to visit. Information for the park notes that glasswort colors various parts of the park a reddish purple during this period, offering seasonal scenery different from the green wetlands.

The 22-Meter Swaying Observatory and the Two Remaining Salt Warehouses

The park’s landmark Swaying Observatory is a six-story wooden observatory standing 22 meters high. Although it sways in the wind, it is described as structurally safe. The route to the observatory has some inclines, so it is best to allow ample time for the journey.

The old salt fields once had 40 salt warehouses arranged from north to south, but only two remain today. Inside the salt warehouses, artifacts and materials illustrating the former salt fields are displayed, making it easier to understand the context of the industrial heritage than by viewing the tidal creek alone.

How to Choose the Salt-Making Experience and Multi-Passenger Bicycles at the Entrance

The Salt-Making Experience Center is a facility where visitors can make salt using a restored section of the old salt fields. Individual use is available on weekends and public holidays, and the fee is 5,600 won per session. Individual travelers visiting on weekdays may find it difficult to include this experience in their itinerary.

Next to the Salt-Making Experience Center is a salt playground filled with salt instead of sand. Multi-passenger bicycles can be rented at the bicycle rental station at the park entrance, and tour electric vehicles departing from the entrance are also available. Since the park covers more than 1.5 million square meters, bicycles are useful for connecting several areas.

Open 24 Hours, but the Information Desk Starts at 09:00

The park is open at all times, daily from 00:00 to 24:00, and is open year-round. However, the information desk operates from 09:00 to 18:00, so if you need facility access or on-site assistance, it is safest to arrive during these hours.

Admission is free. For park inquiries, call 031-488-6900; the main number for Siheung Urban Corporation is 031-488-6800. Facility information is provided on the official Siheung Urban Corporation website. The official address is 287 Dongseo-ro, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do (724-32 Janggok-dong).

• Park hours: Daily 00:00–24:00
• Information desk: 09:00–18:00
• Closed: Open year-round
• Admission: Free
• Park inquiries: 031-488-6900; Siheung Urban Corporation main number: 031-488-6800

Practical Bus Routes from Gwangmyeong Station, Ansan Station, and Jeongwang Station

Visitors from outside the area can choose a bus according to their departure station. From Gwangmyeong Station, take bus 11-3; from Ansan Station, take 30-7 or 61; from Jeongwang Station, take 26 or 26-1; and from Wolgot Station, take 63. Bus 61 is listed from Bucheon Station, while bus 63 is listed from Sosa Station.

After getting off at Dongyang Dexville APT Stop or Soksot Maeul APT Stop, you must travel 1.3 km, or about 15 minutes on foot, to reach the park. In other words, the bus does not stop directly in front of the park entrance, so families with children or travelers carrying large luggage should take this final walking segment into account.

For drivers, the recommended route from the Third Gyeongin Expressway passes through Yeonseong IC and Dundae Intersection. Another route is described as follows: take the Third Gyeongin Expressway, turn left at the Yeonseong IC intersection, turn left at the Hajung Intersection, then take the 11 o’clock direction at the roundabout. The parking lot accommodates 266 small vehicles and 18 large vehicles, and parking fees could not be confirmed in the publicly available official information.

Barrier-Free Facilities Developed as an Open Tourist Destination in 2018

Siheung Gaetgol Eco Park was selected as an Open Tourist Destination in 2018. The entrance has a tourist information center and a tactile-audio information board. Wheelchairs and strollers are reportedly available for free rental opposite the tourist information center.

The park has accessible parking spaces, accessible restrooms, a nursing room, wide pedestrian paths, and barrier-free wooden deck trails. However, the route leading up to the Swaying Observatory is inclined, so access to the observatory should be planned separately from the level deck sections.

Planning an Approximately One-Hour Walk Together with the Siheung Gaetgol Festival

Reviews based on walking the Gaetgol Forest Trail and visiting the Swaying Observatory indicate that the visit takes about one hour. If you want to explore the entire park more extensively or visit the Dune Plant Garden, Succession Ecology Learning Center, and salt warehouses, it is more efficient to consider using a bicycle or tour electric vehicle from the entrance first.

The Siheung Gaetgol Festival is held here every year. The park was selected in the Korean Tourism Star awards’ Open Tourist Destination category in 2024, and during the festival, visitor routes may differ from a typical wetland walk as they focus on eventgoers and programs. If nature observation is your goal, first check whether your visit overlaps with the festival schedule. To experience the local event, call 031-488-6900 for festival-related information.

• Recommended basic visit: About 1 hour
• Getting around the large park: Bicycles are useful
• Seasonal highlight: Reddish-purple glasswort scenery in September
• Festival inquiries: 031-488-6900