Yongbongsan (용봉산) is Seoraksan in miniature. This tiny mountain is comprised of nothing but jagged peaks and giant boulders! There are bridges spanning yawning chasms, and metal railings offering a hand up the very steepest rocky scrambles. For a small peak, it’s a mighty prominent one!
Our Yongbongsan adventure was extra scenic because we went up at the end of a short winter day. The mountain was lit in stunning, soft sunset light for the duration of our short run.
I was also amazed by how many features Yongbongsan managed to cram into its small area. One of the first we encountered was a striking gazebo perched high on a rocky ledge overlooking the vast plains below.
The trail to the peak was very steep and rocky throughout. When we weren’t hauling ourselves up using the numerous metal railings, we had to keep stopping to take in the splendid views!
Starting in the last hour of daylight, we’d headed straight for the summit. But once we were on this peak, we could see others and were sorely tempted by them…and so our adventure continued!
We ran over to another peak and kept going to find an observation platform. After that there was a little bridge to play with, and then we really did have to descend to race the coming darkness!
As we ran our loop closed, we found a standing Buddha statue and had views over a small temple. We got a little lost in all this treasure hunting and had to retrace our steps back up a ridge in order to descend to the car. But my perspective: bonus hill repeat!
We reached the car just as the sun dropped below the horizon. I suddenly realized we hadn’t seen another soul on the mountain! Is Yongbongsan the best kept secret in Chungcheongnamdo?
KNOW AND GO! YONGBONGSAN
TRANSPORTATION
Have I sold you on the Chungcheong provinces yet? Here is where you go to get off the beaten path – and find beautiful little mountains all over the place. Yongbongsan might be one of the prettiest, but you’re really just getting started!
Hongbuk is the closest town, but Hongseong is the closest access point. You can take the slow train to Hongseong (or Sapgyo, slightly north) directly from Yongsan station in Seoul in about two hours.
From Hongseong, it’s an hour-long bus ride on number 901 to the entrance of Yongbongsan Natural Recreation Forest. If you leave the train at Sapgyo, you can take bus 544-1 or 544-6 for a journey of 90 minutes to the same destination.
The long-ish local bus journeys are simply because the routes are indirect and have multiple stops en route. One plan that Kent and I like to utilize is to go there in a hurry by taxi, and take the slow bus back after mission completion. It’s a highly efficient, recommendable plan. However, that’s not what we did on this trip: we had our own wheels for our Lunar New Year mountain extravaganza!
HIKE & RUN
Yongbongsan is a really unique mountain: miniature in meters, but majestic in appearance. I was struck by its jagged appearance instantly. As we explored it, my comparisons to Seoraksan seemed more and more apt!
Like it’s more massive mountain cousin in Gangwondo, Yongbongsan has numerous peaks, an exciting route along its rocky spine and several ways to reach the ridge. While the trails might not be tremendously long, you’re going to want to linger on these rocky little peaks!
While not directly connected to Yongbongsan, there are so many other great hiking options nearby that you could easily make an excellent weekend outing of your trip. Both Deoksan and Gayasan (Chungnam) lie to the northwest, Oseosan is straight south and Cheontaesan is not far to the southeast. While you’re in the area, you may as well stay and play hard!
STAY & EAT
The best place to stay in the area is the cluster of motels north of Yongbongsan. For some reason, Sadong village is full of accommodation options – there’s at least a dozen. More motels are scattered around the area, including a drive-in just south of Yongbongsan’s main entrance.
Hongseong is a proper town, so you can stay there too if it’s convenient for you. If the sea is calling your name after your summit, Boryeong and Taean aren’t too far away either!
There was nothing noteworthy in terms of dining options. It appeared that there’s sometimes a vendor on top of Yongbongsan, but not in mid-winter, apparently! We had snacks in the car and a schedule to keep, so note that we weren’t really looking. I will say that there are excellent eateries at nearby Deoksan if you’re mobile!
OTHER NOTES
Yongbongsan was one of – but not the – smallest peak of our 100 summits. But its 381 meters are rocky and dramatic – you do not want to miss this mountain! Yongbongsan was selected for the Black Yak 100 summits list – which you can check out here.
We visited Yongbongsan in February 2018. This mountain was one of a number of mountains we visited for our Lunar New Year ‘new mountains’ road trip. In addition, we also visited Cheontaesan, Gayasan (Chungnam), Gwanaksan, Gwangdeoksan and Oseosan. Our 5 kilometer Yongbongsan run/scramble was short but spicy!
Head on back to the 120 summits main page if you want to keep hiking! Have a fantastic time on Yongbongsan – you’ll soon see why it’s a favorite!