It was dark when we began, but the sky soon became blue with a diffuse light. A thick mist blanketed the forest, making it impossible to see beyond the bare branches of closest trees. It was cool and humid, and soon water droplets were forming on our eyebrows and eyelashes. The sound of rushing water accompanied our footsteps on the trail. Otherwise, it was perfectly silent and still on Mudeungsan (무등산국립공원) this November morning.
Mudeungsan National Park (무등산) was the first mountain my husband and I visited on our mission to explore every national park, and I couldn’t have asked for a better start. This park is the second most recent addition to the peninsula’s collection of national parks, having gained its status in 2013. The mist of the morning gave the mountain a magical feeling, and the cool air of mid-autumn was clean and refreshing. We’d started our hike outside the city to the north, near a temple, and we were completely alone for our climb through the forest.
It didn’t take us long, hiking fast, to ascend out of the forest. We emerged onto a road and into a cloud. This was our first crossroads, and we greeted our first fellow hikers there. We decided to follow the road curving left, up to our first peak of the day – which wound up being a large, locked gate and two soldiers, motioning for us to return the way we came. A military peak. So we did indeed head back the way we’d come, and turned onto a new trail.
Winding through the forest once more, we approached another peak. As we climbed up, tall trees were replaced by bushes and shrubs still clinging to their fall foliage. Thick clouds still sat heavily on the mountain slopes, each step forward was one into a deeper grey-white obscurity. There was no way of measuring the altitude or knowing whether we were overlooking a ridge or the city. Then, through the mist, we saw the shadowy outlines of the rocky columns this mountain is famous for. Massive stone slabs standing on end like outstretched fingers reaching up, piercing the cloud, almost disappearing from view. Nearby, a summit stele was inscribed with ancient, ornate Chinese characters; adding to my feeling of ethereal otherworldliness.
We lingered for a few minutes at the top, taking in the stone columns and enjoying this peak at exactly 1100 meters. There were few people around – fortunate in this populous country. Descending, we got to admire the rocky pillars from new angles.
Down further still, we stopped to sit in an amazing fall forest. There was a real rainbow of trees surrounding us: trees with still green leaves, trees with bright yellow leaves, trees with deep red leaves. Groups of hikers sat on benches and on blankets amongst the trees: some quietly sipping tea and others laughing and singing. The trail behind and ahead was a carpet of orange and brown leaves that retained their color even as they lost their shape. I collected several perfect leaf specimens. I also tried to paint a picture of the beautiful scene in my memory before we left.
We exited via the main park entrance in a suburb of Gwangju, emerging into a hubbub of commerce. The bright colors of stores selling hiking gear, restaurants selling special mountain vegetable cuisine and little cafes brought me out of the quiet meditative state I’d enjoyed on the mountain, and back to the place and time that is now. I quickly found the cloth map of the mountain that I wanted as a memento of our trip, and we boarded the first of the buses that would take us home. The fog never lifted the whole day we spent at Mudeungsan National Park!
Know & Go! Mudeungsan
Transportation
Mudeungsan National Park is conveniently located just outside the city limits of Gwangju, a sprawling metropolis in the southwest of Korea. Gwangju has an airport mainly serving domestic flights and is on a branch of the high-speed rail network. The city is also well-connected by bus to other Korean cities. Once in Gwangju, it is possible to take inexpensive city buses to the park’s main entrance. However, taxis are also relatively cheap and can be more time-efficient. We wanted to be hiking before dawn and we wanted to hike the longest point-to-point route we could, so we opted to take a taxi. In terms of ease of access, because of its urban location, this park ranks highly.
Hike & Run
There are a huge variety of routes you can hike or run in Mudeungsan National Park! Checking out the famous rock formations, Seoseokdae and Ipseokdae, is a must for most. A long local grass grows naturally on some of the open areas of the ridge, and is a famous sight as well. There are several significant peaks. The park is very well sign-posted, and there are maps and elevation diagrams at the entrances and major junctions. I would recommend doing a point-to-point course, as we did, so you can see more of the park. Many long, non-overlapping loops are also possible. There are many temples and hermitages to visit within the park.
Stay & Eat
Downtown Gwangju has hotels and hostels galore. Our preferred option is to stay in cheap and abundant ‘love motels’. Prices are usually raised slightly on weekends as compared to weeknights, and you do typically get what you pay for. Some newly-built love motels with fancy bathtubs and other extra perks cost 70,000 won and upwards, but you can get a small, decent – if mildly stale – room for 30,000 won at an older, less fashionable place. Motels can be found around the bus terminal, train station and scattered throughout the town, although I didn’t see many near the main entrance of the park itself. As with all Korean destinations, coffee, street food, seafood and meat are all available in abundance. Veggies will want to pack provisions or buy some fruit & veg at a local market. Near the main entrance to the park, you can sample traditional mountain meals, such as mixed mountain vegetables with rice (sanchae bibimbap).
Other notes
I visited Mudeungsan National Park in November 2015 and did a 15.4 kilometer hike with my husband. This was the very 1st national park we visited during our mountain mission year. We started at Wonhyo Temple and ended at Munbinjeong Temple. Our hike took in Cheonwangbong, Seoseokdae and Ipseokdae. However, with such a vast trail network, we barely scratched the surface of what the park has to offer!
The main peak of Muduengsan is Cheonwangbong at 1187 meters. However, it’s a military peak, so it’s not the place for photography and snacks. A more accessible major peak is near the rock formations at 1100 meters, and includes a photogenic stele.
Mudeungsan is represented on both of Korea’s 100 summits lists. Find the Black Yak description here, and the Korea Forest Service write-up here.
I did some research online beforehand, including checking out maps and route descriptions on the Korea National Park Service website. Keep reading for other national park and 120 summits adventures!