Hallasan (한라산)

In November 2011, I had my first taste of Hallasan National Park (한라산국립공원) – and it was a winter wonderland! I flew to Jeju for a quick weekend getaway to visit two dear friends who live there. They had promised to show me around the island, and they were terrific hosts who took me on a short Hallasan hike, as well as to an oreum (a small but steep volcanic cone), Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) and many other pretty places.

An image of the author, standing braced against a strong wind that is whipping her clothes and hair backwards. She stands on a patch of bare earth on the rounded top of a volcanic cone. Behind her, several other volcanic cones rise above the flat farmland. The sea is just visible through mist. — Against the wind, on top of an oreum

A surreal image of a gnarly tree on Hallasan. The tree's trunk is pale, almost white, and bent over, with branches splaying out at odd angles. The tips of the branches are painted bright white with hoar frost. Other trees entering the frame from the sides are also tipped with white, as are smaller bushes underneath the featured tree. — Fantastical tree

An image of the small orange leaves of ground plants, growing in groups of two or three or four. Each leaf is individually ringed by coarse, sparkling ice crystals. Brown grass and some long green leaves underlie these pretty plants. — Ringed in ice

On that trip, my friends opted to show me the enchanting Yeongsil trail. They chose it for it’s beauty and serenity, and I was suitably awed. But I knew one day I’d have to come back for Hallasan’s summit!

That was our plan when I returned with Kent in October 2014. We visited the same dear friends and spent one day hiking together on one of the Jeju Olle courses. The following day, we hiked up to Hallasan’s summit for the first time! We had an incredible day for our hike: crisp, clear and sunny autumn weather. Combined with light packs, this made for a joyful and speedy day of mountain exploration!

We followed the recommended route for our Hallasan adventure: up Seongpanak trail and down to Gwaneumsa temple. The climb was gradual, and we took it easy, appreciating the forest and stopping for picnics with new friends along the way. Our summit featured bright, warm sunshine and a glorious cloud inversion! But best of all was the descent. The Gwaneumsa trail was so stunningly scenic: dramatic valley vistas, fall foliage at it’s finest, and mists that melted away as we approached. We spent the whole day on the mountain, and it was still over too soon.

An image of Kent (the author's husband) on the shady lower part of the Seongpanak trail. He is wearing green sunglasses and a blue backpack, and he is surrounded by tall Korean pine trees. Some sunlight filters through them, making the background bright. — On the Seongpanak trail

An image of the bowl-shaped crater on Hallasan's summit. The rim is mainly covered in small green plants, while the bottom of the crater is mostly dry brown grass. There is also a small blue lake, split into two parts by some brown rocks. — Hallasan summit and Baekrokdam

An image of the author standing on an observation platform just after the summit. Below her is the spectacular ridge that bounds Tamra Valley on the Gwaneumsa descent. The author is wearing pink sunglasses and a grey sweater and smiling brightly at the camera. — Overlooking Tamra Valley

Another image of Tamra Valley, taken further down from the observation deck. This image features a large suspension bridge over a stream. To either side are steep mountain slopes. The near slope is covered with dense, light green plants. The far slope is covered by trees, some pines and some wearing the bright oranges and yellow colors of fall. — What a view!

An image of the author and her husband on the Gwaneumsa trail. They are looking at the camera and smiling joyfully. Behind them, a bridge is visible behind some bright yellow leaves. Immediately behind the pair is a rocky riverbed. — Appreciating the Gwaneumsa trail

Satisfied, but never satiated, we began planning our next trip to Jeju as soon as we returned home. And we did go back: exactly one year later, in October 2015! But this time, instead of summiting Hallasan, we circled it. We spent 12 days walking around the edge of Jeju island on a whole different adventure.

An image of Hallasan, taken from a lookout above Seogwipo city. There many trees and buildings lining the edge of the frame, while the grey bulk of Hallasan dominates the middle of the image. — Hallasan from Seogwipo

An image of the author's husband, intently focused on placing a stamp in the Olle passport. He is bent over, holding the blue passport open with one hand and applying the stamp with the other hand. An ink pad sits open above the passport. Behind him, there is a wide paved road and a house. — An Olle ritual

We went back yet again in October 2016 – this time thinking to sneak in a second summit. However, Hallasan eluded us on this trip too: the weather took a turn for the worse after we completed the our bikepacking journey on the Jeju Fantasy Path. We managed to bag the Olle course that had been closed during our circumnavigation – but not Hallasan.

An image of the author and her husband during their Jeju Fantasy bike trip. The author's husband stands in front of a red telephone booth, wearing a bicycle helmet. The author is inside the red booth, stamping the bike passports. She is looking back at the camera wearing an excited expression. — Routine red booth selfie

An image of the author and her husband, wet and windswept, in a farmer's field. The author is standing slightly behind her husband with the wooden Jeju Olle pony and holding up the Olle passport (in a ziplock bag). They are both smiling happily despite the soggy, stormy conditions. — Olle-ing anyways!

An image of the author standing with a giant, dark grey summit stele of Songaksan. This mountain is located on Olle course 10. The author is wearing a red rain jacket and has wet, windswept hair. She is holding up her fingers to make 21 and smiling wryly. — Number 21-ish

Having intended to stand on every single summit during our national parks mountain mission, we were somewhat chagrined. Especially considering that we’d been in the very same situation in Gyeonju just one week earlier!

But we knew we’d be back…and indeed we were: in October 2017, we finally revisited the heights of Hallasan – running over the summit during the Trans Jeju 100k race!

Know and Go! Hallasan

Transportation

Hallasan National Park is located on Jeju Island. The link between Seoul on the mainland and Jeju Island is the busiest air route in the world. As such, it’s super easy to get there! Flying from Gimpo Airport, the flights are just one hour long. In addition to flights, taking a ferry is another fun option. This is an especially good option if you’re based in or planning to leave from somewhere on the southern end of the Korean peninsula. From Wando and Yeosu, a ferry to Jeju takes 4-5 hours. There are also ferries from Mokpo, Busan and Incheon to the island.

Once on the island, public buses can take you to most of the trailheads. However, the Gwaneumsa trail is pretty far from the bus stop. You could also consider renting a car (or scooter!) or hiring a taxi to get around. Of course, Jeju is also a great place to cycle around!

Hike & Run

Hallasan National Park has a small selection of hikes, but all of them are excellent. Heading to the summit, follow the Seongpanak or Gwaneumsa trails. I recommend heading upwards on the gently sloped Seongpanak trail and down on through steep and dramatic valley scenery on the Gwaneumsa trail. Although the Eorimok and Yeongsil trails don’t climb to the peak, they do showcase some of the beautiful scenery of Hallsan’s slopes.

A basic map of the Seongpanak trail, highlighting sights and stops along the way. Distances between different areas are marked, and there are time estimates and cut-off times indicated. The map also shows some information about the descent to Gwaneumsa. This map has a different design that sets it apart from other national park trail maps. — Hallasan National Park trail map – Seongpanak to summit

A basic map of the Eorimok and Yeongsil trails. Distances between different areas are marked, and the former trail to the peak is indicated as closed. This map has a different design that sets it apart from other national park trail maps. — Hallasan National Park trail map -Eorimok & Yeongsil area

Stay & Eat

Hallasan National Park forms the center of Jeju Island, and as such, the trailheads are in close proximity to both Jeju City in the north and Seogwipo in the south. Both are great places to base yourself, brimming with restaurants, cafes, boutique hotels and even hostels. Jeju Island has a unique cuisine that many visitors enjoy sampling, in addition to all the usual mainland staples. You can also find good supermarkets to stock up on snacks, if that’s your thing. Hallasan has limited mountain shelters for day-use only, but it does have a campground near the Gwaneumsa entrance.

Other Notes

The highest point of Hallasan’s crater rim is also the highest peak in South Korea at 1950m! Accordingly, this peak is on both the Black Yak and Korea Forest Service challenge lists. View the Black Yak listing here and the KFS info here.

I’ve visited Hallsan National Park thrice now. I hiked the Yeongsil trail in 2011, and in 2014 my husband and I hiked to the summit using the Seongpanak to Gwaneumsa route. We returned to Hallasan in 2017 to retrace that route in reverse on our first 100 kilometer race, the Trans Jeju! We’ve also circumnavigated Hallasan (and Jeju Island) twice: once on foot and once on bikes.

You can use this website to research mountain trails in advance, but note that it’s primarily in Korean. There’s an option to translate the page, but this site is best used for getting hiking distances and specific bus numbers.

Next up? Return to the Hallasan home page. As always, you’re also welcome to join me for additional national parks and more of Korea’s famous 120 summits!