Chiaksan (치악산)

Exploring Chiaksan National Park (치악산국립공원) made for a perfect spring day. Azalea trees in full bloom and a unique peak topped with sculptures set the scene for a new and wonderful adventure.

An image of Birobong, the main peak of Chiaksan mountain. The summit stele appears small in the center of the frame. In the foreground, you can see the texture of the stones that form one of the three cairns on the top of the mountain. Behind the summit stele, you can see the shape of another cairn. The sky is a brilliant blue, with some light, fluffy clouds scattered across its expanse. The tops of the newly green canopy of trees peek up over the summit saddle. — Chiaksan National Park’s special summit

The forested slopes below Chiaksan were getting the first light of the day when we arrived. People bustled about, tidying up restaurants and setting up stalls of local goods for sale. One friendly man approached us and made some suggestions about which route we should hike. Taking note of his restaurant, we also took his advice and planned to return later.

Our ascent up Chiaksan took place under a canopy of bright, new spring leaves. I felt as fresh as the new growth, but Kent was feeling a bit under the weather. I slowed my dash up the stairs of our chosen trail to keep pace with him. Together, we ascended up a valley, beside a rock wall and a gently murmuring river.

An image all in green. Bright green spring leaves, mostly forming the dainty points of Japanese maples dominate the upper half of the frame. Some branches are near and some are far, making a rainbow of green. Below the leaves, there is a dark green pool of water that gradually becomes clear at the very bottom of the frame. Small rocks are visible below the surface, and the brightness of the sky is reflected in the center of the pool. — A peaceful pool alongside the trail

On the ridge, the sunlight broke through the trees and felt positively hot. So many pink flowers were blooming all around us! A short distance further on, this mountain peak was a really special and unusual one. Three huge cairns sit atop Chiaksan as an homage to Buddha, all built by one industrious man over many years. A bit of a haze had crept into the valleys below the mountain, but it was nonetheless spectacular to gaze down and around from the peak. Chiaksan has a unique prominence, rising as it does from the valley floor. Unlike many of the other national parks we visited, Chiaksan is not part of the Baekdudaegan, or any other range. It stands alone, commanding beautiful views of the surrounding lowland area.

An image of the author and her husband at the summit. As always, he is in the foreground, holding the camera. He is wearing a dark blue shirt and squinting a bit into the sun. The author is behind him in a pink tank top, standing beside the Birobong summit stele. She is using her fingers to make the number 12, the number of national parks the duo have visited on their mission. Behind her is one of the massive stone cairns on the summit and the bright blue sky. — Birobong celebrations

An image of the blooming azalea flowers alongside the trail. The center of the frame features a bunch of pale pink blooms at the ends of the branches of several trees. The blossoms are surrounded by dark branches and tree trunks and light green leaves. The handrail of the trail is visible in the bottom right corner. — All azaleas!

An image showing the view from the top. The bottom of the image shows several stools made of tree stumps on a ledge set over the forest. The forest below is all green, save for the pink of blooming azaleas that are visible close to the railing of the deck. Far below and at the end of a forested ridge, you can make out the valley floor. There is a bit of a haze in the distance, making features far away indistinct. — A sweet spot

We felt like we’d gotten really lucky with the bright and sunny weather. So we decided to take our time enjoying Chiaksan’s summit. There was an observation platform where we sat and admired our surroundings, and I wandered around taking photos of the rocky cairns from all angles. There were many other hikers on summit with us, but the mood was one of calm contemplation.

Since Kent was not feeling his hardcore self, we decided to make a short loop, and descend back to the entrance village on a parallel path. We enjoyed the shade of the new canopy on the way down, and decided to stop for a bite to eat. At the restaurant belonging to the helpful gentleman from first thing in the morning, I had my first ever BBQ! Barbequed foods are an essential part of Korean cuisine, but until this point, I’d never tried any. This restaurant offered a grilled root dish, so we decided to go for it and it was very fun indeed. It would even come to replace mountain vegetable bibimbap as my favorite Korean food!

An image depicting a table full of food. In the center is a mixture of red and green vegetables on silver foil. This mixture is set on top of a portable grill, and surrounded by Korean side dishes, including rice and other mountain vegetables. — Deodeokgui – my first BBQ!

An image showing several deodeok roots in a red collander at the edge of a wooden table. Deodeok is a unique East Asian vegetable, light brown in color and resembling a longer, slimmer version of ginseng. — The deodeok plant pre-barbeque

Some great new experiences on a great spring day. Grateful for our newest adventure, we bid Chiaksan National Park goodbye.

Know and Go! Chiaksan

Transportation

Chiaksan National Park sits just east of Wonju, making it a quick (45 minute) bus ride away from an urban area packed with motels, shops and restaurants. Wonju itself is very well connected with other cities, having a train station and two bus terminals. In fact, Wonju is close enough to Seoul to make a day trip to Chiaksan feasible. Of course, if you have extra time, you’ll get to explore more of the mountain, but it’s nice to have options! From Dong Seoul bus terminal, Wonju is a 90 minute bus ride away. Chiaksan is a great, easily accessible national park.

Hike & Run

From the north entrance of the park, there is an easy lead-in hike on a paved road. After the Seryeom ranger post, hikers have a choice of two parallel options of very nearly the same length to reach the peak. It seems to be the consensus among locals that one ought to hike up on the right-hand path, and down on the left, if you are in fact making a loop. Beyond the main peak, however, there are options extending south. Branching off from the main ridge trail, you can explore valleys and temples. Further along the ridge trail, you can reach Hyangnobong, another high peak, and continue still further.

Chiaksan National Park trail map

Our hike took us up and down on the main loop, but we plan to return and explore more of what Chiaksan has to offer!

Stay & Eat

Wonju is a great place to stay and eat. It’s a university town, and it’s full of choices. There are western restaurant chains and traditional Korean food places, as well as good grocery stores and local food stalls.

Alternatively, coming for the day from Seoul, you could pack a snack and/or eat at the tourist village at the main entrance of Chiaksan National Park.

Other Notes

The main peak is Birobong, an impressive 1288m with expansive views. Chiaksan is of course on both of Korea’s 100 summits lists: find the Korea Forest Service description here, and the Black Yak info here.

Kent and I made an 11.9 kilometer loop when we visited in May 2016. This was the 12th national park we visited during our original mountain mission year.

I checked out the trail maps for Chiaksan on the Korea National Park Service website here. Based on what I learned, we entered and exited the park at the main entrance in the north, near Guryongsa Temple. There were many restaurants and shops at this entrance, as well as a campground.

Come with me to more national parks or more of the 120 summits!

Wishing you a cheerful Chiaksan adventure!