Motorboat A-course at a Chuncheon riverside campsite: Urban Slow City

Urban Slow City check-in and check-out times

• Caravan, glamping, full-option glamping → Check-in 3pm ~ Check-out 11am next day
• Auto camping → Check-in 1pm ~ Check-out 12pm next day

Why we chose Urban Slow City for early-autumn camping

Camping season is back! The breeze is a bit cooler now, even if midday temperatures are still hot... it's slowly turning into early fall, which is not bad weather for camping at all! So off we went, to a popular spot that's easy to reach without a long drive — we visited "Urban Slow City."

A friend had already been there, and the reviews were full of praise, so I went with high expectations. In the end, it was a successful camping trip ^^

Driving along the highway toward the campground, you head into what feels like the middle of the mountains? After a long stretch on that narrow road, this huge sign suddenly appeared! Whoa, the sign alone made the place look impressive haha

Check-in and the 24-hour self-service store

Following the road, you'll see the store and management building.

This is the management building. The owner wasn't there when we arrived, so we called the number posted on the notice to check in. Guess the owner was busy haha

They gave us trash bags and food waste bags at check-in haha, no need to buy them separately — they just hand them over.

The store was run unmanned via kiosk, and open 24 hours, they said. Though there was a sign asking guests not to buy alcohol after 10pm.

To the left of the entrance are the men's and women's restrooms and, haha, an arcade room. (Toilet paper is always stocked in the restrooms, by the way.) I wanted to try the claw machine but... I know my own skills, so I held back.

On the right side there was a spot to rest for a bit, plus a microwave, electric kettle, and more.

Everything you'd need is here. Lots of variety, and prices are about what you'd expect for a campground store. For reference: firewood ₩15,000, 2-liter water ₩2,000, watermelon bar ₩1,500, ice cup ₩1,000.

In front of the management building and store there's a playground and a trampoline. Most of the guests were families, and the kids tended to be on the younger side.

The riverfront G4 site, sinks and shower rooms

We picked the Urban Slow City G4 site, right in front of the river. While my husband pitched the tent... I wandered around and checked out the surroundings.

The building up top has sinks, a fridge, a microwave, a spin dryer, restrooms, showers, and a recycling area — everything. The left entrance leads to the sinks, the right entrance to the women's restroom.

The sinks were kept clean, and I noticed a sign about quiet hours above the microwave. We ended up with really considerate fellow campers, because right at 10pm everyone actually quieted down and kept their voices low — it made for a relaxed evening.

There's even a kids' restroom stall. Cleanliness was great! I couldn't get a photo of the women's shower room separately, but the stalls were nicely divided and there was a hair dryer too, which was convenient. They even had shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

There was a separate spin dryer too, though we didn't go swimming so we didn't use it. There's a recycling area off to one side of the building — food waste, recyclables, and general trash all go there.

The weather was so nice that even the riverside breeze and the green of the trees looked pretty.

They said water leisure activities were possible too... though we didn't get to try them. The water playground had already closed and was being packed up.

My daughter having a blast running around haha. After just a few jumps she came back completely drenched in sweat hahaha.

While we were resting for a while... a praying mantis flew in haha. She was scared but still crept closer to watch it... it felt like a good chance to experience nature while camping! (Some nature study on the side haha)

The 50,000-won motorboat A-course: why 10 minutes felt too short

All the Urban Slow City motorboats are for up to 4 people, and we simply took the A-course. It cost ₩50,000. The midday sun was so intense that we envied the wakeboarders out there... so, haha, we went with the motorboat instead.

Once it came time to actually board... my heart was pounding haha.

Fishing seemed to be possible too, though I didn't ask about the price.

The boat flew across the water so fast hahaha, and in the sunset light haha the photos turned out gorgeous too haha. My daughter had a blast (no fear in that kid at all...). It went so fast hahaha, our hair was a total mess hahahaha. It was genuinely so much fun. Totally recommend it!!!!!!!

Even watching the video back feels refreshing haha. It was one loop around the course... about 10 minutes total? I actually regretted not going for longer. Everything was great, but if I had to name a downside? The next day my daughter kept insisting we ride it again hahahaha, over and over.

Dinner and staring into the campfire at night

After playing all day, dinner was beef, vegetable gopchang (grilled intestines), and odeng-tang (fish cake soup)... and the next morning was ramyeon haha.

At night, Urban Slow City turned incredibly romantic. We ended the first night of camping with fire-gazing and marshmallows ^^