This is one of the first things we did in Seoul for our three-month stay. Although a little far from our home in Songtan, the hike is one we wanted to make sure we did while still autumn because the park is absolutely beautiful at this time of year. We also didn’t want to try it during the winter which was fast approaching as it was cold enough already and would then become dangerous.

Bukhansan National Park – Hike Dobangson Mountain

Bukhansan is a national park just north of Seoul. There are many trails and peaks to climb with several starting points. We chose to climb Dobongsan Mountain because it would mean we would not have to transfer on the Metro or take a bus.

At this point so far we had only taken the metro to Pyeongtaek from our home in Songtan and did not want to get lost on the way to the park. The most popular and highest peak is Baekundae, and we look forward to getting to hike them during our next visit to Seoul. We would also like to see the Bukhansanseong Fortress which is located in another area of the park.

Our Journey there:

Starting with the Metro

First, we walked to the Songtan Station – ~20 minutes. Around 6 am we got on line 1 heading towards Seoul. Luckily for us, we were able to sit. We thought it would take us straight there but even though this was not the case, it wasn’t too difficult. The train – for reasons unknown to us – just stopped at a station. I believe it stops at Kwangoon University at which point we got on another train on Line 1 and followed it to our exit: Dobongsan Station. You can also get off at Dobong Station or Mangwolsa Station but saw more people recommend Dobongsan as it puts you closer to the trail.

I had found directions online for getting from the station to the park but we could not figure out how to interpret them. Later, when we did get close to the area, I realized the directions would have applied to what seemed to be an entirely different station – a while down the road and on the other side. It is possible the train switch threw us off.

Which Way to the Mountain?

After exiting the station, Kyle thought we should head beyond the buses towards the mountains at first. I voted against it – this is a popular mountain to climb and no one was heading this way. There are also supposed to be lots of places to eat and shops at the base, also not true of this way but we checked it out, anyway. Well after we walked a while and I convinced him this was wrong, we walked another direction which also turned out to be wrong.

Finally, we turned around and went in another direction and found an area with food vendors – though most were not open yet. This was the right direction. We saw some people in hiking gear heading down another road past this area and followed. They know how to market here. A good deal of the way to the park is filled with shops and street vendors selling all kinds of hiking gear ranging from clothes and shoes to backpack and sticks. The Koreans on the mountain all looked like they must have shopped in this area.

*  Check out our guide to which travel pack is right for you.

And So We Begin

We continued heading up the brick paved road and eventually reached the official entrance.

We decided to go the Jaunbong Peak Trail because we wanted to do a peak.

At the very beginning, the trail was paved and we wondered if it might be that way the whole time (nope.) In the beginning, we took a couple detours on little side trails and then would return to the main trail. It just felt like a good place to do yoga.

We saw Cheonchuksa Temple but did not go inside.

Multiple Trails

We eventually got to an area where there were two ways to go to the peak and we accidentally took the way which was longer and more difficult. Though there were areas with regular stairs, most of the way up was basically climbing rocks. Most people had hiking sticks and we could see why. Jaunbong Peak is 740m tall.

The hike up was quite the leg workout and very exhausting, but there was lots of nice scenery along the way to distract us.

We really got to see all the beautiful colors of Autumn

We took turns passing this person who was carrying a lot of tech gear. I am not sure what they were doing.

Cats Near the Peak

As we were getting closer to the top we saw a kitten and then as we got closer came upon even more kittens with their mother. They appeared to be domestic cats as they were small and came up to Kyle because he acted like he had food for them (he was filming them) but we did not have any food for them, unfortunately.

We brought peanut butter sandwiches, chips, cookies, and a nut candy, most of which we had eaten, and none of which cats enjoy. We also could not just run down the mountain and grab something and bring it back. I think future travelers should bring some suitable snacks for the cats.

At The Peak

Anyway, the peak was just a little bit farther past the cats and for the final part, we had to use handrails. The rocky path which had been very steep up to this point became even steeper!

It was a great climb and the top had gorgeous views. We could see mountains, rocks, and even Seoul – though it was a bit hazy through the smog. We sat up there for a while before heading down.

People were pretty friendly the whole time. Many would try to speak to us in Korean but we didn’t really know what to do. There are quite a few translator apps that you can choose from, but at this time of this hike, our phones couldn’t work with them and we had no wifi. We were supposed to have data here, but unfortunately, that turned out to not be true.

We just tried to communicate the best we could. One man spoke some English with us for a time – it is common for locals to want to practice speaking English tourist. Then he and gave us some gum – gift gifting is a prominent part of Korean culture.

The Descent

Usually, on a pure ascent-descent/peak hike like this, the way down takes somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 the time for us. In this case, the descent took just as long, if not longer. It was difficult climbing down the rocks covered in gravel and not slipping.

We both slipped many times but we luckily were not injured. As we neared the end we were about out of drinking water but passed an area where clean spring water was flowing with cups nearby. We were not sure if the water was safe to drink so we sat and waited for someone to do something with it. The first person came and filled up a cup and then poured it on his hands.

Figuring that it was probably safe this point, we went up and did the same thing. The water was cool and refreshing. When we went to leave we saw a group of people come up to the area and some were filling up their water bottles with the water so Kyle did that too and drank it. It is nice to have water available for cases where you forget to bring yours or run out.

We then found our way back to the metro station and tried to make another stop which ended up being unsuccessful because we were too tired to find our destination off of the stop and so we proceeded back to the Songtan station. The metro was extremely crowded and we had to stand the rest of the way back until we were about two stops from Songtan.  Can’t wait for our next trip up! The metro was pretty new to us at this time, but we would eventually figure it out.

Prepare to hike Dobangsan Mountain

Even though we had been a little conditioned to hiking from our time in California, this trail kicked our ass, frankly. A big reason is that we were not prepared. We were newbies back then, but we’ve learned a lot since then. We still hike all the time, but we’ve got a few tricks to making the most of a hike. Below are a few ways you can help ensure that your trek is good.

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• Water Bottles – Collapsible Water Bottles – These are some of our favorite items to bring with us. They’re really light-weight and you can also roll them up so you can store them away easily. If there is one item that is most important to bring with you, it is water.
• Hiking Clothes – It can be really tempting to just throw on your regular day clothes and march up the mountain, and I won’t lie, we’ve done this more often than not. It was cold when we went, so we had on many layers and jackets, but if you’re hiking in warmer months, you’ll want to dress right too. For him | For her
• Headlamps – Getting caught on a mountain at dark can be frightening, or downright deadly especially here. We’ve gotten caught in the dark on trails that went longer than expected, and headlamps are essential so that you can see where you’re going and keep your hands free. This trail is steep, with rough footing, and is long. It is easy to get caught past dark, or you may even be starting early to catch a sunrise – so we recommend these just in case. Foxelli Headlamp Flashlight
• Raingear – The weather is unpredictable in the mountains. Keeping dry can mean the difference between happy and miserable. I really like this jacket because it’s light enough to wear without getting hot, but if it’s cool out it will also keep you from getting chilled. As a plus, it can be folded into itself making it very easy to carry around or pack. For him | For her
• Trekking Poles – The trails here are pretty steep – and rocky – and a helping hand or in this case pole can really make a difference. You see all the locals using them on this trail and there is a reason why. These are great because they can support a lot of weight, and when not in use they can collapse down for easier carrying. Trekking Poles
• First-aid Kit – You really need to be prepared for anything when hiking, which means you need to be prepared for injury. We don’t often get hurt, but we have. You never know what could happen so you should always carry a basic first aid kit to be able to patch up whatever may happen. First-Aid Kit
• Bug Repellant – We were surprised to find that South Korea is full of mosquitos. No one wants to come down with any of the awful diseases these bugs can bring. Unfortunately, there is no way to deal with these really other than to be proactive. Off! Deep Woods Towelettes
• Sun Screen – We were pretty well covered because of the cold, but if hiking in the summer you could easily get burned as there are plenty of exposed patched on the mountain. We’ve started using these and we haven’t been burned since. TSA Approved Sunscreen

Hike Dobongsan Mountain in Bukhansan National Park – Pin It!