National Parks of Korea: Bukhansan

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Eric Burks
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Editor's Note: This is the second article in a series highlighting national parks in the ROK.

On Columbus Day, Oct. 11, I visited Bukhansan National Park in northern Seoul, moving one small step closer to my goal of visiting all 20 National Parks of Korea.

Or rather, one figurative step but several thousand literal ones, as I chose a hike to Jaunbong, also known as Dobongsan Peak, one of the two highest summits in the park. Bukhansan National Park is divided into two geographic areas, with Dobongsan to the north and Bukhansan Mountain to the south. Both mountains are part of ridgelines with several additional peaks, and Uiryeong Pass runs between them.

While the park covers just 81 kilometers of land, or 31 square miles, its proximity to Seoul makes it one of the most developed, as well as the most visited, national parks in the country. With around five million visitors each year, it's listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Visited National Park per Unit Area," according to the National Parks of Korea Web site.

This close proximity also makes Bukhansan the most accessible national park to reach from Osan - from Songtan station on Line 1 of the Seoul Metro, just catch a train headed north and you'll eventually reach the park, 48 stops later. Exit at the Dobongsan terminal, cross the street, and you're practically at the park entrance. A ticket from Songtan to Dobongsan is 2,100 Won, or 2,000 Won on a rechargeable transit card, and the trip takes about two hours. The park entrance fee is 3,000 Won, so a day trip can cost as little as 7,000 Won if you bring your own lunch and snacks.

If you want to save a little time, you can take a bus from the Songtan terminal to Nambu for 3,600 Won, then purchase a metro ticket to Dobongsan for 1,400 Won. You'll take Line 3 two stops north and transfer to Line 7 at the Seoul Express Bus Terminal station, but then it's just 24 stops to the park. This will save about half an hour each way, and the round-trip transportation cost is still inexpensive at 10,000 Won.

Once you're inside the park, a trails map in English is available at the information center. I simply asked where to find the best views in the area, and a park ranger highlighted a path to Jaunbong. It didn't look very far - just 2.2 kilometers - but one of the shortcomings of the map is a lack of marked elevation. The Dobongsan terminal is relatively close to sea level, but the short hike takes you to an elevation of 739 meters, or 2,436 feet. The path is not extremely difficult - there's no cliff-scaling or a need for any special equipment - just be prepared for a lot of "stair-stepping" to reach the summit.

When you do, the view should be worth it. On a clear day, you're overlooking a great deal of Seoul itself, but even under less than ideal conditions, it's quite a panorama of the surrounding peaks, valleys and ridges. Just as during my trip to Seoraksan National Park, I experienced overcast skies and a foggy mist settling in on the mountains, but it was still a great hike. The leaves were really beginning to turn, so the landscape was a patchwork or green, red and orange, contrasting with granite cliffs and grey clouds.

Bukhansan offers one of the best values of any national park I've visited, regardless of country. With plenty of trails to explore, great scenery, and a total cost around $10 for a day trip, there aren't many other better deals out there. Just don't plan for a hike in complete solitude... any time you can take a subway to a national park, you should expect a little company.

For additional information on the National Parks of Korea, visit http://english.knps.or.kr/Knp/AboutNP.aspx?MenuNum=1&Submenu=AboutNP.