Bukhansan National Park.

The western side of Bukhansan Mountains, taken from PointVil Cafe

Bukhansan National Park (북한산국립공원) is the closest national park to Seoul, Korea’s capital. It is attached to the north west of Seoul and is easily accessible from a few subway lines (Lines 1, 3, 6, 7, and the Uisinseol and Uijeongbu Gyeonjeoncheol Lines), and by lots of busses (704, 143, to name a few).

This page is still being written. I’m adding descriptions and routes, plus links to connected posts. Click here to see all my blog postings connected to Bukhansan.

Trails

It’s a popular place, especially at the weekends, trails in the south being the busiest. There are trails to suit all levels of hikers! The park and trails are well maintained and signposted. There are lots of sections with steps, and other tricky sections with hand rails.

Popular summits

These are the peaks I’ve actually hiked. I’ve added a brief description plus some AllTrails guides and blog links to my related posts.

  1. Baegundae
  2. Dobongsan
  3. Munsubong
  4. Wonhyobong
  5. Uisangbong
  6. Sapaesan
  7. Jokduribong
  8. Obongsan

Baegundae

Baegundae Peak, Bukhansan National Park

This is the tallest peak in the park and the one that most first-time and repeat hikers head to. It’s challenging because of the distance rather than the technicality. However, the last section is a bit technically tricky and requires using care the handrails to get up safely.

An east/west AllTrails route that goes to Baegundae from Uidong. It also includes the hike to Wonhyobong which adds a further challenge!

Posts of my visits:

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Dobongsan

This section lies in the north eastern part of the park and has a lot of popular routes. This Dobongsan entrance is one of the main ways into the park and so there are lots and lots of hiking shops and restaurants.

Y-Valley section

The V-Valley section needs an introduction! This is tough, technically hard, and not for the faint-hearted! It is basically an extremely steep climb down then up vertical rock pillars! At weekends, the Y-Valley section is strictly one-way (north to south). Honestly, I can’t imagine anyone wanting the descend from south to north, but just so you know! The good news is that you can bypass the Y-Valley section with a detour route.

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Munsubong

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Wonhyobong

Wonhyobong

This is accessible from the Fortress Entrance on the west. It’s one of my favourites for a few reasons: it’s relatively short, and close to the entrance. It’s not technical either. The best part is that the peaks are huge wide beds of rock which afford unfettered views of the valley below, and Baegundae (the main peak), and Uisangbong across the way. One of the key features is a tiny peak which sits like a boulder at the top where you climb up using steps carved into the rock. It’s very exposed and there are handrails too. I think this is the only part that migh make some people nervous. There are also some sections of the fortress wall at the top, a few gates, and two temples (well, one is a small hermitage). This makes for a compact hike that doesn’t take up your whole day.

A loop route from AllTrails:

My Wonhyobong posts:

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Uisangbong

Uisangbong

Another challenging one because of some tricky technical parts, but not as scary as the Dobongsan Y-valley section. It’s a favourite of mine because once you get to the park, it’s quite a short hike to where the actual trail goes off-road, and relatively quick to get to some high peaks. At the top, you are amongst other peaks and can look at two valleys and taller peaks further east. The summit area has a lot of trees and shade and is perfect for a picnic. From the peak, you can go on further south east and deeper into the park for an epic three- four- or five-peak challenge! Alternatively, you can head north east and down to Gugnyeongsa (국녕사), a really cool temple with a massive golden buddha, or head south and west along a valley for an alternative route back to the park entrance.

A loop trail that starts at Bukhansan Fortress Entrance:

Posts of my visits:

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Sapaesan

Sapaesan peak 사패산

A relatively gentle hike in the far north west part of the park. It’s not particularly high but the best thing for me is the huge stone summit area. You can actually walk quite a long way down the sloping side of the top until you have to stop. It’s pretty epic. There are a few shady spots to rest, and even a few inquisitive cats and crows. I’d go more often, but it takes a while to get to the trailhead from where I live. A number 34 bus from Gupabal Subway station will get you to one trailhead.

A route I took on one of my rare hikes in the snow:

Posts of my visits:

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Jokduribong

This is a place I visit when I don’t have a lot of time. It’s probably the easiest peak to reach from the western part of Seoul, near the top of the Line 6 loop. From there, you can easily access a lot of routes like Hangnyeobong, Bibong, Munsubong, etc, plus sections of the fortress wall; this would result in a long hike. You can also keep it short by heading west and exiting near the apartments near Dokbawi Station, or round Jokduribong, the bearing east, and exit towards the southern entrance of the Gugi tunnel.

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Top

Main valleys

When you prefer to stay in the shade and perhaps have a paddle on a hot day, the valley trails will be a delight.

Other trails

The Bukhansan Dullegil Trail

This trail runs along the outer edge of the national and doesn’t go to any summits. It’s divided into # sections and is a mix of forest, rock, road and mountain paths. It’s a great, safe way to enjoy the mountain without having to set aside a whole lot of time, and some sections afford great views of the peaks you may have already climbed.

Jarak Trail

This is another set of trails that go along the outside of the park and are quite often feature wooden boardwalks.

Some entrances

Bukhansanseong Fortress Entrance

This is on the west side and is the main entrance and park headquarters. There are outdoor equipment, clothing, and camping shops, plus restaurants, cafes, and a convenience store. There is also paid parking.

The two main busses that stop here are the 704 and 34, which you can get from a few stops on Line 3 on the subway.

Dobongsan Entrance

Uidong

Eunpyeong Hankok Village

This entrance on the western side takes you through the Hanok Village with all it quaint looking guildings and cafes, plus past some streams and temples. It’s relatively gentle at the start of the trails. You can of course go onward to Bibong and other places for a longer through hike.

Temples

There are lots of temples and hermitages on the mountain trails, of all shapes and sizes.

Munsusa

Seungguksa

My trips to Bukhansan

I’ve been many times over the years and blogged about and photographed many of the trails mentioned above. Take a look below: