Hiking to Baegundae – An Adventurous Day in Bukhansan Nation
Kriszco
19 hours ago
One of the things I really wanted to experience while staying in Seoul was hiking in Bukhansan National Park. We are currently completing sections of the Seoul Trail, so we already hike quite regularly and thought it would be fun to challenge ourselves with something a little more difficult. Our goal for the day was Baegundae, the highest peak of Bukhansan.
We live relatively close to Bukhansan, so it took us about an hour to reach the Bukhansanseong area by public transportation. We arrived at around 11 a.m. and spent some time looking around, buying coffee and preparing before starting the hike.
Before the hike, we also picked up the cute free mascot we received through the K-Trekking Challenge. We only had to show the QR code from our registration to collect it. It was a very cute souvenir to start the day with!
We had also planned to rent some hiking equipment. There was a large sign outside the visitor center advertising free hiking gear rental, including hiking shoes, trekking poles, backpacks and other useful equipment. Unfortunately, when we asked inside, we were told that rentals were no longer available. We had brought our own basic equipment, so this wasn’t a major problem, although trekking poles would definitely have been useful later!
One useful thing to know is that you can fill your water bottle at the visitor center. I definitely recommend doing this before starting, especially if you are planning to hike all the way to Baegundae.
The beginning of the trail was relatively easy. For a while we walked on a paved or stone path with a gradual incline. There were also several restrooms along the route, which was very convenient.
Eventually, we reached a junction where we had to choose between two routes to Baegundae: an intermediate 4.1 km course and an advanced 2.6 km course.
Feeling very confident because of all our Seoul Trail hiking, we chose the advanced course.
And yes… it was definitely advanced. :)
I still wouldn’t choose differently because it was the most exciting part of the experience, but the terrain became considerably more difficult. I had to pay close attention to where I placed my feet, especially on the rocky sections. My hiking partner is faster and fitter than me, so she often went ahead while I continued at my own pace and took short breaks.
Fortunately, there are plenty of places where you can step aside, rest and let faster hikers pass.
We hiked on a Saturday, so there were quite a lot of people on the mountain. The weather, however, couldn’t have been better: cloudy, dry and pleasantly cool. Even another Korean hiker told us that we had chosen a particularly good day for hiking.
The final section towards Baegundae was my favorite part.
Here the trail climbs steeply over exposed granite, with metal railings and cables helping hikers move safely across the rock. Some sections were slightly slippery, so good footwear is important. I wasn’t wearing proper hiking boots, but luckily my shoes had very good grip.
What surprised me was how much I enjoyed having to use my whole body. On some sections I wasn’t simply walking uphill anymore – I was using my arms to pull and stabilize myself while climbing. It made the final climb challenging but genuinely fun.
My hiking partner reached the top in approximately 1.5 hours, while I needed closer to 2 hours with my short breaks.
And then we reached Baegundae!
The views from the top were absolutely worth the climb. We could see the mountains stretching out around us and Seoul far below. We stayed at the summit for a while, took photos, rested and joined the line to take the classic photo next to the summit flag.
I was also very happy that I had packed an extra sweatshirt. After sweating during the climb, it felt surprisingly cool while sitting at the exposed summit.
On the way up, I had already decided that I did not want to descend via the advanced route. Going up the steep rocks was exciting; trying to climb down the same way sounded much less appealing!
So we chose a different route for the descent. It included more stairs and eventually brought us out at a different location, but this actually worked well for us because we could take a single bus home from there.
We even met a few cats along the way, which was an unexpected bonus. :)
According to my hiking tracker, our route was 7.43 km with 744 meters of elevation gain. Our moving time was about 3 hours 28 minutes, while the total activity took around 4 hours 17 minutes including breaks. We finished at approximately 4 p.m., tired but in the best possible way.
After reaching the bottom, we went straight into the first restaurant we found and ordered bulgogi. After several hours on the mountain, it tasted especially good!
Overall, I would definitely recommend hiking to Baegundae if you enjoy adventure, hiking or regular exercise. I wouldn’t describe the advanced route as an easy sightseeing walk – you should be prepared for steep and rocky terrain and some sections where you need to use your hands as well as your legs.
Take enough water, wear shoes with good grip, bring an extra layer for the summit and don’t be afraid to take breaks. You don’t have to be the fastest person on the mountain.
For me, the challenging sections were actually what made the hike so memorable. Reaching the top after working my way through the rocks made the view feel even more rewarding.
