Hoedong Reservoir

Character

Hoedong Reservoir is still part of Busan’s drinking-water system, but its shoreline now carries long public walking routes through forest, cliffs and small villages; the protected water-source zone kept ordinary access restricted for decades before the area reopened in 2010

The reservoir spreads across about 2.17 square kilometres, with roughly 20 kilometres of shoreline. Oryundae rises above one section of the water, while Ttangmoesan adds red-clay paths, cypress forest and wooden deck sections closer to the lake edge

The long closure also changed what survived around the reservoir. Much of the shore remained wooded and relatively lightly developed, and the reservoir is still recognized as habitat for waterbirds, including mandarin ducks

The experience

The main walking experience is linear. One official reservoir route runs 8.7 kilometres from Dongdaegyo through the Hoedong branch water-treatment area, the dam, Oryundae and Sanghyeon Village; Galmaetgil routes extend the walking network farther in both directions

The terrain changes repeatedly. Forest road and earth paths give way to wooden decks near the water, then to village edges and open viewpoints. At Ttangmoesan, the red-clay trail passes through cypress trees before rejoining the reservoir path

Sanghyeon Village works as one of the clearest northern access points. From there, the trail follows the water and connects with other Galmaetgil sections, including routes toward Oryundae and the Ahopsan side of the reservoir

History

Work on the reservoir began during the Japanese colonial period in the 1940s, and the modern water-supply system was completed in 1967. Creating the reservoir submerged homes in the basin and permanently changed several older settlement landscapes along the Suyeong River system

In 1964, the surrounding area was designated as a water-source protection zone. Public access remained heavily restricted for about 45 years, limiting development around much of the shoreline while the reservoir continued supplying water to parts of Busan

The area reopened to general visitors in January 2010. Walking routes then became the main public use of the protected shoreline, and Hoedong was incorporated into Busan’s Galmaetgil network rather than converted into a conventional recreational lakefront

Later projects adjusted that access without removing the reservoir’s protected status. The 111-metre Hoedong Lake Nuri Bridge, opened in 2022, linked Sanghyeon Village more directly with the Ahopsan-side waterfront trail and cut a long detour between previously separated walking sections

Before you go

Hoedong is a large water-source landscape with several legitimate starting points. Sanghyeon Village suits the northern shoreline, while Oryun-dong gives quicker access to Ttangmoesan and Oryundae. A short walk and an all-day reservoir hike therefore begin from different places