Pocheon campground swimming guide: Damteo Valley depth at Byeolbit

Pocheon Damteo Byeolbit Camping

I visited Byeolbit Camping Site (별빛캠핑장) in Pocheon, a well-kept campground where you can swim in the valley. It's run jointly by young owners and is a hygienic valley campground where you play in Damteo Valley, with water that comes up to an adult's waist!

The sinks, shower room and toilets are kept clean, and the shop sells all kinds of camping gear, which makes auto camping and car camping easy. There are also day-use platforms and a picnic zone, so it's great for a day trip from Seoul to swim in the valley. I'll cover everything: the basic Byeolbit map, the facilities, and tips for the valley pool. Let's go~

Where is Byeolbit Camping Site in Pocheon, and how do you book?

Byeolbit Camping Site is a valley campground right in front of Damteo Valley in Pocheon, and you can book through Naver Booking or by phone. The grounds are large compared with the number of campsites, so it feels relaxed and unhurried, a mountain campground in the Pocheon valley.

The grounds are bigger than I expected, but you just head straight to the white two-story management building. I booked on Naver and then visited. All the sites for auto camping and car camping are crushed stone.

There's also a picnic zone for day use. The platforms at Damteo Byeolbit are available 10 AM–6 PM, and you need to reserve by phone or text.

What facilities are in the Byeolbit management building?

The toilets, shower room, shop, sinks and recycling area are all in the white two-story management building. As soon as you check in, go straight there and the friendly camp-keeper owners will greet you. After they confirm your reservation, pick up your general trash bags and recycling bags.

Can you see Damteo Valley from the sites?

What's great about Byeolbit as a Pocheon valley campground is that, except for the two-family sites C1 and C2, every picnic zone and campsite faces Damteo Valley.👍🏻 It's so easy to go down for a swim and come back up for snacks, and from the platforms and tents you can see the whole valley, so you can watch the kids playing safely.

Check-in and check-out times and rules

Check-in is 1 PM and check-out is by 12 noon, which is very generous. Quiet time starts after 10 PM. Since it's in the mountains, fireworks are banned.

Are the toilets and showers at Byeolbit clean?

The toilets and showers are both inside the management building. Going to the toilet at night alone can be scary when it's somewhere remote, but here everything is gathered in the biggest, brightest building.👍🏻

I didn't photograph the toilet interior, only the women's shower room. The toilets feel similar to the showers. The shower room was very neat and hygienic, with no hair and no dead bugs. The hot water comes out strong and warm like at home. There are 4 showers, and you need to bring your own toiletries and towels.

Are dish supplies provided at the sinks?

Dish supplies are provided at the sinks, so you don't need to bring a scrubber or dish soap!! Like the showers, the sinks are in clean condition, with plenty of hot water, and very convenient.👍🏻 There are 8 sink basins.

What does the shop sell?

The shop at Damteo Byeolbit, which sells iced Americano, also carries ice cream, ice cups, cube ice, bottled water, alcohol, drinks, ramyeon, snacks, instant rice, seasonings and all sorts of camping gear. For those "Oh no, I forgot this!!" moments, everything is sold at the shop, which is reassuring.

How does trash sorting work?

Tie up the general trash bag you got at check-in and leave it at one side of the recycling area; recycling is self-service. Food waste also has a big, clean bin, so you just open the lid and toss it in. From the toilets to the showers, sinks and recycling area, I love how clean it all is.🥹

The outdoor sink for tidying and washing fire pits is at the back left of the management building.

How deep is the Damteo Valley pool?

The most important part: the Damteo Valley pool!!! I call the valley in front of Byeolbit a pool because, like a real pool, the path down to the valley is well kept, and stone banks have been built to make the water a depth adults can enjoy too!

They've made several sections like that. I don't know if I guessed the owners' intention right, but there was a spot good for kids, the deepest spot, and a spot good for splashing your feet.

On the left is the deepest spot, and on the right is the spot good for kids. The deepest spot comes up to the waist of an adult who is 180 cm tall. For elementary school kids it's about chest height. For younger children, the shallow valley pool looks safer. The water is clear and the depth is just right for kids on their own, which is such a shame for the adults...🥹 Adults, bring your swimsuits too!!!

What should you bring for Damteo Valley swimming?

For swimming in Damteo Valley you need a tube, a pump, clothes to block the sun, and sandals that can get wet. Below are swimming tips that read more like a Damteo Valley review.

• A tube is a must: it's fresh water, so floating is hard. With a tube around an adult woman's waist, you move by paddling your feet along the bottom. You can rent one at the shop for ₩5,000.
• There's no air pump, so I recommend bringing a camping or portable pump.
• There's no shade at the valley pool, so I recommend a swimsuit plus long sleeves or a rash guard, and a wide-brimmed hat is even better.
• The valley bottom has more small stones than big ones. Out of the water there are lots of sharp-edged stones, so sandals that can get wet, like Crocs, are safer than aqua shoes.
• The water is reeeeeeally cold. It's a hot day but the valley water feels like ice water, about the temperature of the coldest setting on a shower. By my foot-sole thermometer, I'd guess 12–14 degrees. For small kids, I recommend dressing them warmly in layers like rash guards and life jackets.
• Lastly!! The water is really clear and clean, yet oddly I didn't see any fish or river snails.

How do the day-use platforms at Byeolbit work?

The day-use platforms at Byeolbit are platforms with a shade roof, available 10 AM–6 PM. You can use the same management building facilities, and there's a parking area at the campground entrance, so park and carry your things over.

What are parking and the site layout like?

For campsite parking at Byeolbit, you park right in front of the camping zone. It's one car per site, and extra cars cost extra.

Seen from the side, Damteo Byeolbit is lined up in the order valley (🏊🏻) | tent (⛺) | car (🚘). The cars block the big central road, which naturally gives some privacy, but in exchange you're right next to the neighboring site. It's easy to join up with the next site, so it's great for group camping!!

What about electricity and lighting?

The site markers at Byeolbit are lamps, so the lights stay on from sunset until 10 PM, and there's an electrical outlet in the middle of every two campsites. You can use 2 cords per site. To pull power closer to your tent, bring an extension reel or power strip.

You only sleep in the tent, and from electricity to the management building facilities, everything is well equipped with no inconvenience. Byeolbit is a clean Pocheon campground.👍🏻

Is Damteo Valley camping a good alternative to a water park?

The best thing about Byeolbit was that the Damteo Valley water is really clear and clean..👍🏻👍🏻 According to someone who drank it, it tastes no different from bottled water(?). I'm confident that flowing, clear valley water is cleaner than a stagnant pool full of bleach. haha

The water is also super cold, so you can float a watermelon or makgeolli (Korean rice wine) in the valley! Just bring a basket or a strap so they don't drift away!!!

With a peak-season campsite fee of ₩60,000, clean and hygienic facilities, and above all a clear, clean valley pool, I felt Damteo Byeolbit, the Pocheon valley campground, is a better summer getaway than a ₩50,000-per-person water park!! I recommend Byeolbit in Pocheon, with day-use platforms and car camping available too.👍🏻