Donnaeko trail, Hallasan, Jeju

The Donnaeko trail was the final main Hallasan trail on my list! I runs south-north and finishes under the south wall of the crater. This was the fourth day of a 5-day trip to Jeju where I also did a full summit Hallasan hike a few days earlier, rented a scooter on my ‘rest’ day, and finished Course 4 of the Ollegil trail.

Day 4 of a 5-day trip to Jeju

I was up super early to get the first bus around 6:30 to the trailhead. From downtown Seogwipo, the best bus is the 611 or 612 and you need to head to Chunghon Cemetery (충혼묘지광장). Most trails on Hallasan have an entry cut-off times (10:00 for Donnaeko) and though I wasn’t in any danger of being too late, I also wanted to get back down early enough to enjoy the rest of the day!

I got to the trailhead at about 7:30 after a 20 minute walk past the cemetery from the bus stop. I’d been to the cemetery earlier this year and it’s quite a large, impressive place, and worth a visit.

There are some nice grassy views back to the sea before you get into the trees, so remember to look behind you occasionally! The weather was quite cloudy with moderate wind. Some trees had some bright autumn foliage remaining, but most leaves were dark or had fallen. Long sections of the trail are set with volcanic rocks which can make the trail a bit uncomfortable at times and care is needed to protect your ankles! Among the trees the rocks are sometimes moss-covered so be careful of slipping.

I got past the treeline at about 10:20 where to views started to open up. You could eventually see the crater up ahead and the town and sea behind you to the north, while standing among the rocky, yellow grassed and bushy plains. Very pretty. Along the way were a large group of people sweeping up leaves and a bit further on, the source of engine noises I’d notices about twenty minutes earlier, people with strimmers cutting back the green leaves of some of the plants. I have no idea why this is necessary; perhaps a fire hazard?

I reached the south wall of the crater at 11:10. There’s a wooden observation deck and ranger hut there, with signage about continuing on to another trail; this is where you’d be sent back if you’d arrived later than 14:00, too late to continue on. From here you can hike past the south west of the crater to Witsae Oreum then the three-way intersection that will take you either along the Yeongsil or Eorimok trails down to the ends, both of which I did on previous trips. My next trip to Jeju, I will probably hike from the Yeongsil or Eorimok trailheads, then down the Donnaeko trail to Seogwipo.

I sat on the decking eating my packed buns and resting. I asked another hiker to take picture of me. Then started to make my way down. I was a little anxious about my knee as it had ached a bit after my full Hallasan hike a few days before so didn’t want to be rushing at all. I was able to appreciate the southern view more on the way down before the treeline.

By the time I got to the forest, I’d started to use my hiking pole. By the time I was approaching the end, my knee was aching a bit! I had also seen a bus I wanted to catch since there isn’t really anything else to do in that area, so made a faster attempt to get there in time.

I finished at 14:30 in time to get the 14:44 bus back to Seogwipo, so all in all pretty good time! I just hoped my knee would forgive me!

Back at the hotel, I showered and rested, then looked for dinner options. I walked to Over the Window cafe for a cappuccino then to 88 Burger for a black pig burger and fries. Next I returned to the Seogwipo Everyday Olle Market branch of Jeju Beer Fountain for my final night here. I’d noticed that they had seating inside the bar on a raised bar counter BEHIND the bar area! So I sat in that cosy little spot and had myself three glasses of various beers to finish the evening while posting a few pic to Instagram and making plans (hiking and booking a flight) for the next day. A very pleasant day.