Manisan (마니산)

Sometimes you get a chance to slow down and soak up the scenery. For us, that was what Manisan (마니산) was all about! We shared this adventure with Jaeseung, and it was better together.

A summit selfie, this time featuring the author, her husband, their best friend Jaeseung and the stone altar of Manisan!

Our Manisan exploration was preceded by a night run on another Baegunsan (see sister peaks here, here and here)! This peak is on one of our friend’s regular running routes and is a sweet little mountain with some nice, high-vantage airport views – especially on a clear night!

Manisan was quite far from Yeongchongdo – a 90 minute drive one-way. We have a very nice friend! Our trio joined the groups, couples and solo hikers setting out to enjoy Manisan on this lovely spring morning.

A panoramic image of the coastline of Ganghwado, as seen from Manisan's ridge on a clear spring day.

I don’t think I realized quite how lucky we were until we reached the ridge. The air quality was terrific, treating us to a long view distance. We had a new angle on the airport, and we could see the sea in three directions!

A vertical image showcasing the ruggedness of Manisan. Jagged granite boulders rise through the verdant forest, striking in their size and pale color. To the left of the boulders, a hiker with a red backpack negotiates a set of stairs.

Furthermore, we were really happy with our choice of routes. The trails on Manisan were friendly and runnable, despite the ridge being quite rocky. The scenery was top-notch!

A photograph of the stone altar that has topped Manisan for centuries - or perhaps millennia, according to local legend! — Chamseongdan

Chatting away as we ran, we reached the summit in no time. There, Jaeseung explained some of the local history pertaining to the stone altar Chamseongdan.

A vertical portrait of the author, hanging off the unique wooden summit marker on the highest point of Manisan. — Manisan!

Manisan’s stele was a short detour to the right on a similarly sized peak, and was presided over by two cute cats!

Running down a short interval later, we met two more kitties and even had the privilege of petting one! Manisan was a short and sweet adventure coupled with a scenic detour or two, and made even better with good conversation and great company!

In this selfie, a large blue bear sculpture dominates the background. In fact, this is the largest steel sculpture in the world, located on the highway to Incheon International Airport. Kent, Carrie and Jaeseung are smiling out from the foreground. — With Fortune Bear

KNOW AND GO! MANISAN

TRANSPORTATION

One funny thing about this mountain is that it would be just about as easy to visit on a layover as it would be from anywhere else on the Korean peninsula. Manisan is by far the closest 100 summits mountain to Incheon International Airport!

At least, it’s close as the crow flies. Manisan is not exactly on the way anywhere – it’s on Ganghwa island! If you actually do the aforementioned airport plan, one-way transit will take you nearly two hours (bus 9000 from the airport, connecting to bus 700-1 in Yangcheon – if you’re curious!).

The trip is a little longer from Incheon. Take the orange, Incheon line 2 metro to Majeon station and then catch the 700-1 bus for just over two hours (starting from downtown Incheon). From Seoul, navigate your way to Yangcheon by bus or subway (different depending on your starting point – but aim for Gurye station on the brown line 9) – then catch bus 700-1. Seeing the theme?

Bus 700-1 runs to the Hwado bus terminal, just north of Manisan. A few other buses ply this route too, like the 60-2 and 60-5.

HIKE & RUN

For a mountain that’s somewhat on the smaller side, Manisan sure has a lot of trails! This mountain has a long ridge running on a northwest-southeast diagonal, plus there are tons of trails up and down Manisan. The majority of the access routes are on the north side of the mountain, and with transportation links, shops and cafes, that’s where all the action is.

A massive billboard showcasing Manisan in all it's glory! Roads, trails, rivers and beaches are all shown in this large image, but note that north is down on this unorthodox map! — I know this is not a useful map…but it’s huge and I really liked it!

If you’ve got the day, take in the whole ridge! For a quick climb, make a loop starting and ending at the Hwado bus terminal. Or find your own happy medium on the many mountain trails on Manisan!

How’s this for a map? We did the yellow route up and the blue going down.

STAY & EAT

There are lots of tasty treats to be had near the main entrance on the north of Manisan. Take your pick from mountain vegetable restaurants, small local vendors, convenience stores and cafes. It’s really easy to grab whatever you need to go before setting out, but it’s equally relaxing to take a seat and enjoy a post-adventure feast!

The Manisan area features great opportunities for camping – that come in all kinds! There are plentiful sites along the southern coast of the island, convenient and scenic valley locations on the east, and one campground close to Manisan’s ridge on the southwestern side!

Furthermore, this area does big business in pensions. They’re all over Ganghwado, especially close to the coast. The most accessible for Manisan are clustered near the northwest and southeast trailheads. This is not an urban area, so motels are few and far between. If you head back to the mainland, you’ll find more around Yangcheon.

Although I definitely recommend grabbing a bite to eat in the area, this mountain is close enough to Incheon and Seoul that staying isn’t a necessity. You can come for the day and complete any of Manisan’s hikes. However, it might be a good opportunity for a sea+summit style getaway!

OTHER NOTES

Manisan is 472 meters high. This might not seem like much, but consider that it’s rising right out of the ocean! It’s quite prominent, and has a very long and storied history. As a result, Manisan has a place of pride on both lists of famous Korean summits. You can find Manisan on the Black Yak list, online here, and the Korea Forest Service list, online here.

Kent and I visited Manisan along with our Korean bff Jaeseung in May of 2018. It was a short and sweet outing of around 5.5 kilometers on a perfect spring day.

To explore more pretty peaks, head back to the 120 summits main page.

And enjoy your Manisan meanderings!