This was a short and sweet little adventure in a far-flung corner of Deogyusan National Park (덕유산국립공원). A quick, casual run around Jeoksangsan (적상산) was a chance for us to get out and just enjoy the fall!
Jeoksangsan is a remote peak unconnected to Deogyusan’s main peak, Hyangjeokbong. It’s a bit of an odd one, for many reasons. A twisting paved road, packed with tour buses, leads right up nearly to the summit. Although Jeoksangsan is a famous peak, its summit is completely closed-off and occupied by communication towers.
Still, we were happy to be there! It was a bright and sunny fall morning, and the foliage was brilliant. We drove up the winding road to the top in a tunnel of colorful leaves. Even the parking lot was scenic, with views over the tree-lined reservoir!
A short little sprint up the road brought us to Anguksa temple, where pilgrims were also enjoying the awesome autumn scenery. Although we typically like to take time for temples, this time we didn’t. The grounds were packed. And it was only going to get crazier: we’d passed a few dozen tour buses headed this way. So we continued.
A quick climb up a wooden staircase brought us to a notch in the ridge. A signpost marked this point as Jeoksangsan, despite the fact that it wasn’t a peak at all! Ropes and banners barred access to the actual summit, several meters above on the right. A collection of small buildings and massive power towers stood there. We snapped a couple of pictures and then kept going. We would carry on to Hyangnobong: after all, we’d barely begun this run!
Even Hyangnobong was just a jaunt away. About a kilometer of mild trail separated us from this peak. At a run, it took us only a few minutes to reach this peak! We passed a few hikers on the way, and had this little summit briefly to ourselves.
Hyangnobong is marked with a wooden signboard rather than a stele. The forest wraps around it on three sides, giving it a cozy atmosphere. There’s a break in the foliage on the east side, with open views over a wide valley.
After our summit stop, we turned around and went straight back the way we came. We passed below Jeoksangsan’s inaccessible peak again on our return run.
At the signpost, we opted to make a little loop by heading a few hundred meters south to Annyeomdae. This large rock formation was guarded by a ranger – but there were no other hikers in sight. He seemed eager for something to do, and offered to take a photo of us on the rocks.
The views here were similar to those we’d had on the peak, so we didn’t linger. We were able to quickly close our little loop by running down another set of steps back to the temple. Running back through Anguksa, we had glimpses of an old fortress wall. The vivid leaves and colorful lanterns strung among them made a colorful scene.
Know and Go! Jeoksangsan
Transportation
I actually don’t think you can get to Anguksa using public transit! You can, of course, get to Muju: the small town at the foot of Jeoksangsan that serves as the gateway to Deogyusan National Park. After that, you’ll need a car with good brakes, a willing taxi driver or an extra seat on a tour bus.
An alternate way to reach Jeoksangsan and Hyangnobong is on a 3.5 kilometer trail up from Jeoksangmyeon. This village on the western slopes of the mountain is connected with Muju by local buses (take a bus bound for Anseong; 45-50 minutes). Although this trailhead is a little out-of-the-way, it certainly offers more hiking than the route we chose!
Hike & Run
As described above, hiking routes on Jeoksangsan are short and are not connected with the main part of Deogyusan National Park. We chose a route that would make a convenient loop to and from the car, and knowing we’d be a little tight on time for our second mountain of the day. If you’re using public transit, there are certainly options to elongate our route.
This area of the park does have lovely scenery – and is a perfect hike for families or individuals who can’t commit to a longer outing. However, if you’re a mountain lover looking for long trails and a good climb, this might not be the peak for you. It’s on this list, and it was an enjoyable mini run for us, but I can’t say that I’d recommend making a specific trip here. Unless of course, you’re already here for Deogyusan’s main peak and just want a little extra. Jeoksangsan is best appreciated for its scenery, rather than its hiking!
Stay & Eat
On our previous Deogyusan visit, we stayed in Muju. However, this time we were just passing through. We neither stayed nor ate here. But one can do both!
Other Notes
Jeoksangsan is on the Korea Forest Service 100 noted mountains list, available here.
Kent and I went on a mini run on Jeoksangsan in October 2018.
Jeoksangsan means ‘red skirt mountain’ and it does indeed have very colorful slopes in fall. The peak is at 1,034 meters – but is inaccessible to the public. Nearby Hyangnobong is a similar and accessible 1,024 meters high.
Explore the more of Deogyusan National Park, or check out Korea’s other national parks! There are even more mountains on the 120 summits main page!