Mireuksan (미륵산)

And now, for something completely different! After we’d visited every mountainous national park, it was time to check out the maritime parks. Because this is Korea, visiting a seaside national park doesn’t mean forgoing the hiking. We ventured to the coastal city of Tongyeong to scale Mireuksan (미륵산), and get a view over the islands and ocean that comprise Hallyeohaesang National Park (한려해상국립공원).

An image of the author standing on a rocky outcrop high above a plain. The author and the grey rock she stands on, are on the right side of the frame. The plain below is misty but green, with patches of farm and forest. Beyond this land, the sea and the shapes of small islands are faintly visible. — Hallyeohaesang National Park views

I certainly can’t lay any claims to this being Hallyeohaesang‘s highest peak, nor can I claim to have fully explored this park. Information was scarce about hiking routes. We initially went to Saryangdo, an amazing island that turned out to be just outside the park boundaries.

With limited ferries scheduled to other islands and our weekend time running out, we were unsure of just how to proceed on this mountain mission. Enter miraculous Mireuksan! We found this local mountain in the nick of time. On a cool and misty morning we ran up it for views of the sea – and I couldn’t have been happier that we did.

An image of the author and her husband in running gear. The author's husband is smiling, and the author looks intense. Behind them is an incredibly misty scene, broken only by a small pine tree growing out of a rock on the right side of the image. — Great running vibes

It wasn’t the most auspicious of beginnings. With a plan finally in place, we just had to find a route! We bushwhacked our way upwards through some plots of farmed land on the slopes of our mountain. Got turned around a few times, and set right by the helpful shouts and gesticulations of locals. When we finally found the real trail, we decided to run it. The path was mainly soft earth, winding gently upwards, with some stony scrambles mixed in – perfect for trail running! We dashed up, pausing at rocky lookouts; straining our eyes looking for islands in the thick mist that carpeted the sea.

An image of the author running on a narrow rock trail between a cliff and a boulder. Beside her on the left is another boulder. The land below is only faintly visible through the low-lying clouds. — En route to the peak

The summit was pretty – and pretty crowded. For this first time during our mission year, we actually had to stand in a queue and wait our turn for photos with the summit stele! But it was great to see folks of all ages enjoying this beautiful place. Although it was raining lightly, the clouds lifted just enough to give us some views of the islands below.

An image of the author and her husband with the Mireuksan summit stele. The author holds out her fingers to indicate that this is the 15th park she and her husband have visited. Immediately behind the stele, a railing and some park signs are visible, but the scenery is lost in mist. — Mireuksan summit stele

A panoramic image taken from Mireuksan's summit observation platform. The image shows grey clouds, thick and full of rain, low on the horizon across the top of the frame. The center of the image shows several green islands rising from the sea, although the sea itself is difficult to tell from the mist on top of it. At both the right and left edges of the image, the higher rocky ridges and lower forested slopes of Mireuksan are visible. — Misty seascape

We made excellent time racing down the opposite side of the summit to a small temple in the forest. Lingering there, we watched turtles swimming in a pond and monks doing chores on the temple grounds. The serenity of temple grounds surrounded by dense forest, often in stark contrast to rocky peaks and sweeping vistas, are one of my favorite things about Korea’s National Parks.

An image of a peaceful temple pond. Various aquatic plants circle the water, which reflects the bright sky and the trees surrounding the pond. In the center of the frame there is a yellowish rock on which a tiny turtle sits. — Spot the turtle!

An image of the author and her husband in front of a hall at a temple. She stands behind him, holding his shoulders, and they are both smiling contentedly. The brightly colored hall behind them is two stories tall, surrounded by a balcony on the second floor. — Temple stop

We decided to run back to where we started on a forest trail parallel to the summit route we’d just traversed. It was wonderful, feeling free and fast; refreshed by the lovely light rain. We came upon another temple set serenely and secretly in the forest. We were completely alone in this sprawling complex, save for orchids, kimchi pots and statues of Buddha. It immediately leapt up my list of favorite temples, and we slowed down to appreciate it fully.

A panoramic image taken from above Yonghwasa temple. It shows several groupings of square buildings and one round gazebo on a tile courtyard. The temple is surrounded by the forested green slopes of Mireuksan. — Yonghwasa temple grounds

An image of temple tops and kimchi pots. Everything is earth tones. The curved tiles of the temple roofs are black, with nearby tiles showing some green moss growing. The flat top area where the pots are stored is a mottled sand color. The rounded kimchi pots are various shapes and sizes.

An image of the entrance way to one temple building. There are pink orchids in small earthen pots on the ground. The wooden doors of the temple are open wide, lined above and beside by signs in Chinese script. The shot is taken from the side, so in the distant right of the image, another open door beckons, with the gold shine of a Buddha inside.

Back in town, we had to catch a bus home. Our Mireuksan adventure had been just a few hours long, but nonetheless immensely enjoyable. And after a couple of false starts, we left having successfully found a way to explore Hallyeohaesang National Park!

Know and Go! Mireuksan (미륵산)

Transportation

Mireuksan is located in Tonyeong, a really nice town that we might never have visited if it wasn’t for our mountain mission! Tongyeong is the also the starting point for ferry trips to a bunch of different islands, including Saryangdo, Hansando and Bijindo.

Getting to Tongyeong should be fairly straightforward. It’s a pretty big city, with lots of direct buses from Seoul and other metros. Obviously it will be a shorter journey if you’re coming from somewhere like Busan. It’s a bit of a haul from Seoul, but there’s so much to see and do!

Hike & Run

Mireuksan is conveniently right in the town of Tongyeong. It’s difficult to determine whether the mountain is truly within Hallyeohaesang National Park boundaries or simply forms a good viewpoint for the park. What is certain is that it is a great hike! There are dozens of trails, a scenic summit and nice temples that are well worth exploring.

An image of the author and her husband in front of a large satellite map of Mireuksan. The mountain is all green, and the buildings of the city appear in miniature. A dense network of parallel trails is visible in bright yellow, but the small script of the map is all but illegible - rendering it less than useful for future visitors. — A slightly unhelpful Mireuksan trail map – my apologies, it’s the only sign we found and picture of it we took.

Stay and Eat

I had a great time based in Tongyeong! We stayed at an inexpensive but recently renovated motel in a room that offered ‘green light therapy’. The evening we arrived, we did a mini hike up another local hill to check out a gazebo – so there’s other hiking to be had as well! Although, as usual, I can’t comment much on the local food, the town had a relaxed, pleasant atmosphere that still stands out in my memory.

Other Notes

Mireuksan is part of Hallyeohaesang National Park. It’s also included on the Korea Forest Service 100 noted mountains list, available here.

Kent and I visited Mireuksan in June 2016 as part of our bid to visit every national park in Korea. Hallyeohaesang was the 15th national park we explored. We ran an 8.2k loop of Mireuksan, taking in the summit and two temples.

Mireuksan is 461m almost directly above the ocean.

We did not research Mireuksan in advance online. Instead, we found this mountain by going to Tongyeong in person! You can check out some limited hiking information on the KNPS website here.

Head back to the main Hallyeohaesang National Park page for more seaside adventures. Or, check out some other wonderful mountains among Korea’s 120 summits and national parks!