Hyangjeokbong (향적봉)
High on a windswept mountain spine, everything in sight was frozen. The trail was hidden under a fresh layer of soft snow. The needles of pine trees were frozen into position and caked with ice. Directional signs were encrusted with patches of snow. Even the summit stele was coated in frost. My wish for a white Christmas came true on Hyangjeokbong (향적봉) in Deogyusan National Park (덕유산국립공원).
Getting to Hyangjeokbong started with a misadventure. From the village where we spent the night, we took a free shuttle to a ski resort – only to discover that the entrance to Deogyusan National Park was still several kilometers away. So the inauspicious beginning to our day involved some power hiking down the highway in the dark. Good thing it was too early for traffic!
We arrived so early that it was still completely dark in the park. But once again, things didn’t go exactly as planned. The long route we’d planned to take was roped off and closed for the season. So we set our sights on a climb straight to the main peak instead, and set off. The first blue hues of morning twilight lit our way up the slopes.
A brisk ascent brought us out of the autumnal brown of the forest and onto an icy crest. It was a silvery-white world, and we delighted in leaving the first footprints of the day in the fresh snow. We blew clouds of cold breath into the air and searched for icicles. The pine trees, dressed in white winter finery, were like seasonal sculptures.
Our solitude ended at the bald, windswept summit of Hyangjeokbong. The huge number of people on top came as quite a surprise after having had the forest below all to ourselves! We talked to a few of the brightly-dressed folks and learned about a cable car coming up from the ski resort on the other side of the ridge. The crowds and the increasingly cold wind made for a short stop at this peak.
But our day’s adventures weren’t over yet! The snowy spine of the mountain continued on after Hyangjeokbong. Thick grey clouds blanketed everything, muffling our voices and footsteps. The wind stirred up little flurries of snowflakes, and chased us along our way. We stopped to decipher iced-over signs, and to watch the wind rattle the branches of gnarled old pines.
Finally, we dropped out of the clouds and back into the forest below. We descended beside rivers that were half frozen-over. I found the best icicles of the day dripping from the ceiling of a little cave. Then we admired a temple before finding our way back to the entrance and the tourist village we’d missed in the dark. Our adventure in Deogyusan National Park had been a success after all!
Know and Go! Deogyusan
Transportation
Deogyusan National Park is pretty remote. Not the most remote park on the peninsula, but a little tricky to get to nonetheless. Muju, the access town, is pretty but very small, quiet and a little lacking in good transportation infrastructure. The closest major cities are Jeonju and Daejeon, with the former being slightly closer but the later possibly having more bus connections. Actually, Deogyusan is just west of Gayasan, so a combo trip could be a good way to check out two national parks at once!
Hike & Run
The crest of Deogyusan is very long indeed, and I regret not having been able to explore more of it when I was there! From the main entrance of the park at Gucheondong, there are three main routes up to the peak. This makes hiking a loop around the peak simple and speedy. But don’t be fooled by the scale of the map! Thanks to the long lead-in path, any loop you do choose could be upwards of 20 kilometers.
However, if you’re up for even more adventure, a massive point-to-point run or hike is your best way to maximize your park experience. The ridge beyond the main peak remains high, and there are several sizable summits along the ridge. Deogyusan is one of the few parks in Korea with shelters where it is possible to stay the night, so there’s a whole lot of potential here.
Stay & Eat
Muju has several motels and convenience stores, but it is a significant distance away from the park entrance. Taxis can be hard to find, and the bus schedule was limited. But, hikers arriving on public transit might not have another option. Your best bets for getting to the park from Muju are to either call a taxi (maybe in advance) or take the free resort shuttle (but be prepared for some extra walking or doing some pro negotiating in Korean). Alternatively, there is a campground near the main park entrance and Muju ski resort lies just outside the park.
The tourist village near the entrance has the usual array of snacks like potato pancakes and meals like rice with mountain vegetables. It might not be a bad plan to stock up on provisions before making the trip out to the park, especially if you’re planning a long ridgeline adventure!
Other Notes
I visited Deogyusan National Park in late December 2015. This was the 6th national park Kent and I visited during our mountain mission year. We arrived at the park using a complicated string of trains and buses, ultimately landing in Muju late at night. Then we enjoyed a 20.8 km hike within the national park, preceded by a 6.6 km hike to the park.
The summit of Deogyusan mountain is Hyangjeokbong peak at 1614m. There are several peaks above 1400m in the park. Black Yak and Korea Forest Service agree that this is a must visit peak if you’re climbing 100 of Koreas summits!
I used the Korea National Park Service website while planning our Deogyusan outing.
Head back to the Deogyusan main page to check out other great hikes in this great national park!
Next, discover more of Korea’s 120 summits and other national parks!