Originally, Taehwasan (태화산) was scheduled to be part of another expedition to a trio of mountains near Danyang. But with many of Gangwondo’s peaks closed for fire season, I had to think on my feet to figure out our second mountain of the day.
Taehwasan was reportedly only about an hour away from Baekdeoksan, but with a bonky GPS in our rental car, it took us a little longer. However, we were really lucky that this remote and little-known beauty was open when so many of its counterparts were closed!
Our base was a nice parking lot that featured a large trail map. We ascended first on a road, where we met a helpful man pointing the way up. This closed gravel road continued for a surprisingly long time; up to a long-closed restaurant. The route was overgrown, and there were webs everywhere: maybe we were the first folks to go up this way today!
As we were ascending over 800 meters from a deep valley, the climb went slowly and we stuck to a hiking pace. On the plus side, this gave us a chance to appreciate the beautiful trailside ferns!
It was only once we were on the ridge that we could finally run! Kent said Taehwasan reminded him a bit of our own lovely Giryongsan. To me, it was a little similar to Baekdeoksan, with the ferns and long ridge trail!
This ridge featured a dramatic drop-off to the left and a gently sloping green forest to the right. It should have been magical, and it was, but it was marred slightly by the truly terrible air quality. What was bad in the early morning was brutal now at midday – the atmosphere was positively yellow, and we could feel it on both our skin and in our labored breathing.
Still, we had a lovely little picnic atop Taehwasan’s cozy summit, with, for some reason, three summit steles! There were also numerous flies and bees: more signs of spring!
Once again, we were doing an out-and back, so we ran back the way we came up, enjoying the same route once more. We completed our Taehwasan outing with a great snacks and stretching session in the parking lot at the bottom , before returning the rental to Wonju another hour’s drive away.
KNOW AND GO! TAEHWASAN
TRANSPORTATION
There are at least two Taehwasans in Korea: be sure to choose the right one! This particular Taebaeksan is in Gangwondo, almost straight south of Baekdeoksan. While Baekdeoksan neighbors Chiaksan, Taehwasan is closer to Sobaeksan National Park.
I think it might be possible to take a community bus from Danyang or Yeongwol to the main Taehwasan trailhead. But again, these are the wilds of Gangwondo: it might not be a bad idea to borrow or rent a car to expedite your travel experience!
HIKE & RUN
However, Taehwasan has a long, high ridge that would be worth checking out! This mountain also has multiple trailheads, so there’s lots of exploring to be done.
The most convenient route for us began near Beongjeongsa temple, and climbed up a valley before connecting to the main ridge.
STAY & EAT
Yeongwol is the closest town, but nearby Danyang is a better-known tourist hub.
But once again, we didn’t stay in the area. So regrettably, I have little to share about the options in the area. I will say that I personally love staying in or near Danyang! The infrastructure is a bit basic (and aging!), but it’s a haven for lakes and mountains!
OTHER NOTES
Taehwasan can be found on both mountain lists. It’s on the Korea Forest Service 100 noted mountains list, available here, and the Black Yak 100 mountains list, online here.
Our April 2018 hike/run was approximately 11 kilometers in total. All of the summit steles agree that Taehwasan is 1027 meters high.
This was actually our second mountain mission of the day! If you missed the first one on nearby Baekdeoksan, find it here.
As always, if you’re interested in more mountains, reverse course to the 120 summits main page!