We really raced our way up this mountain, but were stopped in our tracks by the beautiful surprise we found at the top. Turns out, Yeoninsan (연인산도립공원), like its name suggests, really is for lovers! Lovers, and flower-lovers!
Racing was the name of the game for this provincial park mission because we started the day much, much later than planned. We woke up in Seoul, and I had a morning appointment. Turns out, I’d been wildly optimistic about how much time it would take. Afterwards, we were impatient, and we still had to take three different trains and a taxi to get to this provincial park!
Finally, we arrived at the base of the mountain in the early afternoon.We met a sweet but camera-shy puppy, and examined a big map at the trailhead. From where we stood on a quiet road, our trail led away into a shady forest, and up, up, up!
It was hot already, in the strong sunlight of a late spring afternoon, but we stormed the trail: speedily running on trails and marching up stairs towards the top, determined to meet our peak. Our level of effort was so high that I don’t remember a lot of details from the forest itself. My memories are of sweat dripping and my heart beating fast against my rib cage as I led the way up!
Emerging from the green shadows of the forest, we’d made it onto the ridge in no time! To my surprise, it was crowded not with people, but with azaelea trees! The peak itself was a gorgeous oasis for blossoms and butterflies. I loved it! I literally danced my way around the flat surface surrounding the summit stele, taking in the expansive, undulating green view below. Maybe it was the pretty peak or the beautiful spring flowers, but my heart felt light. Kent and I were playful and affectionate, sniffing all the blossoms and taking pictures together.
But, with time running out on our day, we eventually had to make a speedy descent. We made it down with just enough time to scarf a couple of quick bowls of bibimbap before jumping on the first of many buses that would ultimately take us home. It wasn’t our longest outing, but it was a wonderful, worthwhile one.
Know and Go! Yeoninsan
Transportation
Yeoninsan Provincial Park is located near Gapyeong, a city in Gyeonggi-do. It’s close enough to Seoul for a day trip (but start early!) and connected via the ITX train line. Access can also be had by bus, as this popular summer vacation destination is well-connected.
The park is a ways outside of town, so you’ll want to connect to a local bus or take a taxi. This provincial park is popular for hiking and is served by several buses. Taxi drivers also seemed to know it well.
Hike & Run
Much like Gajisan, the provincial park we’d visited the previous weekend, there was little English information available about this park to be had in advance. So we went there intending to simply find the summit. Once we were there, we realized that Yeoninsan is one peak among many in a nice network of trails! Yeoninsan is the highest of the peaks, but there are more to explore. There seem to be four recommended courses within the park, all of them relatively short. Some (including ours) are partially on roads, so they’re also very fast. We had no problem getting up to the peak and back within a few hours (although experiencing the whole ridge would require a greater time commitment!).
Our trail began in Baekdun-ri, but this is by no means the only access point. Other trails start and end in different villages surrounding the provincial park.
Stay and Eat
We accessed Yeoninsan Provincial Park from Gapyeong station and then a taxi to Baekdun-ri. The road leading up to the trail proper has many pensions and places to eat. Since our visit was super speedy, I can’t comment too much on the local options (I can’t even remember the name of the restaurant where we ate!), but know that there are some.
In general, Gapyeong is a hotspot for camping and other outdoor activities, so there are lots of motels, cafes and restaurants scattered around the scenic countryside in this area. Camping is definitely an option nearby, or book a big pension and bring your friends on your adventure! Alternatively, since Seoul and Chuncheon are so close, you could make your base in one of the bigger centers.
Other Notes
Yeoninsan stands a tall 1068 meters over forested slopes and valleys. Yeoninsan is featured on the Black Yak 100 summits list.
Kent and I visited this park in May 2016. This was the 3rd provincial park we visited during our mountain mission year. We did a quick 8 kilometer loop, beginning and ending in Baekdun-ri.
There’s no official website for this park, but here’s a bit of information from Visit Korea. For hiking route info, check out Naver maps.
Please come explore other provincial parks here, or join me for adventures on Korea’s 120 famous summits here!