One of the highlight hikes of South Korea, that is even on the to-do list of non-hikers is Cheonhwangbong Peak, which is the tallest peak in mainland Korea (excluding North Korea) and is located in Jirisan National Park. Bordered by Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do
provinces, Jirisan was the first park to be designated as a national park in Korea. It is also home to a conservation program for the Asiatic black bear and has around 4,989 species of flora and fauna within a variety of habitats. The name Jirisan means the “the mountain of the odd and wise people”, perhaps because of this, many hermits devoted themselves to Jirisan.
Jirisan is accessible via bus and car, many tour groups run day hikes from Seoul that remove trying to figure out logistics. The closest hop off cities for Jirisan National Park are Gurye, Hadong and Namwon, and there are also a handful of pensions located within the national park itself and you can find information for them here , and campsites that operate on a first come, first served basis. There are also several festivals that take place nearby Jirisan National Park, such as the Wild Ginseng Festival in nearby Haman, and the Baemsagol Autumn Foliage Festival in Namwon.
There are numerous hiking courses in
Jirisan National Park and camping is permitted for multi-day hikes with a reservation via the KNPS website, the English site is linked here. Jirisan has several temples worth visiting, most notably Sanggyesa temple and Hwaeomsa temple, which is on the bus route from Gurye to the park. There are numerous natural attractions such as Buril waterfall, Banyabong Peak (1,732m), Nogodan Peak (1,507m) and of course the main attraction Cheonhwangbong Peak. Sitting at 1,915m it is the highest peak in mainland South Korea, Hallasan, which is located on Jeju Island holds the record for being the highest peak in South Korea. Seeing sunrise from the peak of Cheonhwangbong is truly a special sight, to make sure you’re at the top to catch this sight it’s best to start hiking at 3am from the entrance close to Naewon campground. It’s fair to say this is quite a steep hike, the first part of the hike is illuminated only by your headlamp and the fleeting beams from other hiker’s headlamps. While this is great for ignoring how steep the climb is, but the downside is that you don’t get a good look at the scenery. I completed this hike in mid-June, and while I couldn’t see the different ecosystems of the mountain: warm-temperate forest, temperate-central
forests, cold forests, I could feel how the temperature changed as I hiked through them. About 1km below the peak, you pop out into the cold forests and if the weather is clear you’ll be above the clouds for a dreamy view the as the sun starts to rise. No matter the time of year a jacket is a good idea for the peak as it is open and windy, which is great for basking in the sun, eating breakfast and making some instant coffee while you finish watching the sunrise and snap some photos.
Once you’ve finished soaking up the sun and the amazing views of the Maya valley, it’s a short hike across the ridge line before you begin your descent to the Yupyeong Information Center, this is a one day point-to-point hike. On the way down you can detour to a nearby, which provides a refreshing swim or foot-paddle if the weather is hot…or you just like to jump in any body of water regardless of
temperature. The day hike is about 10 kms and with hanging out for an hour plus it took me about 7 hours, I was one of the fastest ones to complete the hike from the group I went with, which gave me the chance to enjoy a post hike meal at one of the many restaurants at the bottom of the mountain with my favorite post-hike meal: pajeon and makgeolli.
Whether you go with a group, make a weekend in one of the nearby cities, or take a few days to enjoy the park via hiking and camping, Jirisan National Park is must for nature and outdoor lovers traveling in, or visiting Korea.
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