Gyebangsan (계방산)

Our adventure started on Saturday night. After a morning of work, we drove to Unduryeong with a picnic! Light was fading as we drove the winding road to the pass, but it got brighter got higher. A beautiful sunset sky greeted us on top, and our first view of Gyebangsan (계방산) was when the mountain appeared to be glowing in the golden light.

A photograph of the sky as seen from Unduryeong on a midsummer's night. The sun has recently set, and is coloring the sky brilliantly! Several clouds hang low over Korea's mountainous landscape, purple on one side and bright pink on the other. Closest to the horizon, the sky is orange. This color gets paler as it spreads out across the sky. It's a beautiful sunset, framed by the black silhouettes of trees! — Sunset at Unduryeong

We were back in Odaesan National Park (오대산국립공원) again for another awesome outing in one of my favorite places!! I’d actually been dying to visit Gyebangsan since February, when we stayed nearby on a trip with our favorite friends and family. But it was slightly too far and too hectic to do justice to the mountain then, so I’m glad we waited. It turns out that we picked the perfect time to go to Gyebangsan!

A photograph of the author: a tiny figure with her hands on her head in the middle of a tremendous landscape. Shes's standing on a triangular helipad marked with white stones. Immediately behind her, there is a national park sign and an observation deck. In the distance, the mountain peaks look like blue islands rising from a silvery sea. A sheet of textured clouds hangs low and blue overhead, mingling with the mountains at the horizon. It is an incredible view! — Gyebangsan is glorious!

We did not plan to use the high Unduryeong trailhead for our Gyebangsan adventure, but I knew it would make a wonderful picnic stop. We had great views of the mountain and got to examine a few detailed maps the night before our run. But we wanted to start from the bottom of the mountain, at a trailhead we weren’t sure even existed.

On the morning of our Gyebangsan adventure, we parked in a campground. After a little wandering around in the dark, we managed to find the hidden trail. Yes! Our day was off to a good start.

A photograph of the entrance to Gyebangsan's westernmost trail. There is a large, worn wooden sign announcing the mountain trail's beginning on the right. A chain is slung between two poles, blocking vehicle access to the gravel road beyond. A dense green forest encloses this road on all sides. This image is slightly blurred in the faint early morning light. — It’s Gyebangsan!

It was a very runnable start, because the first kilometer or so was along a gravel road! It eventually turned into a trail, and we crisscrossed the river several times. A kilometer or so further on, we saw national park signage for the first time: we were officially entering Odaesan National Park again!

A vertical portrait of Kent in his element. He is standing on some medium-sized rocks on an overgrown mountain trail. He's turned halfway towards the camera, his trekking poles to either side. He's smiling slightly, and wearing a blue headband and running vest. — My mustachioed mountain man.

As soon as we passed the first sign, the trail began to resemble other national park trails: rocky stairs, wooden bridges and wide dirt paths. We saw one other early riser, and the birthplace of the little stream we’d been chasing uphill!

A landscape photo of a classic national park trail on Gyebangsan. The trail in this image is a bridge with thick wooden railings. The surface of the trail is lined with rubber matting. The viewer can see a rocky streambed below the bridge, and all is green in the forest surrounding it.

A little higher, and we reached a tree sanctuary that I’d been very excited about. Beautiful old trees – Japanese yews, I believe? So full of character! Then we were on the ridge!

A vertical portrait of one of the rare Japanese Yew trees living near the summit of Gyebangsan. The trunk has split, revealing layers of wood below the surface. The bark of this tree has an interesting pattern of light and dark shades, with green moss growing in places. Near the top of the image, the tree's branches extend in every direction. The forest behind is a rainbow of light green ferns and darker green pines. — A very special tree.

We spotted the naughty trail leading through a closed section of the park towards Birobong. Peeks through the foliage to either side of the ridge revealed jaw-dropping views. It was a stunningly beautiful day, with airbrushed clouds soaring high over layered blue peaks and valleys full of thick mist. It was perfect weather for this perfect adventure, and I felt thrilled and grateful!

A photograph of the author's husband running towards the peak. The trail is barely visible, with thick foliage encroaching from either side. But the peak is visible above Kent as a gentle green rise. A staircase is visible, as is the large stone cairn at the top. But the sky above also draws attention. Purple clouds seem airbrushed over a brilliant blue background! — There’s the peak!

When we reached the peak, we were in awe of the beauty around us. It was ethereal, the way the sun pierced and colored the clouds, and made the mist glow like it was made of mercury. Kent declared the view as the best in Korea, and I thought it was true!

A landscape photograph depicting the beauty of Korea's mountains. From the top of Gyebangsan, hikers can see dozens of neighboring peak, all carpeted in emerald green forests. On this early morning, mist lingers in the valleys between them, creating lovely, classic East Asian scenery. The sky is a contrasting bright blue above some low-lying white clouds.

We spent a significant amount of time paused at the peak: lingering around the summit stele, examining distant peaks and just reveling in the joy of the day.

A photograph of the author at the summit of Gyebangsan, taken from some distance away. Everything stands out in high definition in this image, the jagged rocks of the summit, the white clouds that look painted across the sky and the author in her pink t'shirt. It's one of the author's favorite summit photographs!

Not wanting to leave Gyebangsan so soon, we decided to run down towards Unduryeong to visit an observation tower a kilometer away. That meant more exploring, a longer run and revisiting the peak again! We got to the observation deck in no time. It was beautiful, and we lingered to look and take photos here too. But we wanted more. So we decided to go down a little further, maybe to a rest area or the next stand of trees.

As it turned out, we got really stoked about running all the way down and did not stop! The downhill running felt like a dream! And we were getting to enjoy the entirety of Gyebangsan! Perfect. We saw a group of five ascending as we dashed down. At the bottom, we tagged the trailhead we’d visited the night before. took photos with the big Odaesan sign and smashed some energy jellies.

A photograph featuring a large Odaesan National Park sign - and the author! She's standing between the big wooden Korean text and the smaller, metal English text in a grinning, flying pose. Six tall pine trees are growing behind the sign, and the wooden stairs to the trail run up the mountain slope in the upper right corner. — One of my favorite parks!

Then we quickly turned around to begin our second ascent! It was tough: we wanted our second big climb of the day to be fast – but it was also awesome. It was a chance to challenge ourselves and push hard!

There were many mushrooms (the air even smelled like mushrooms at times!) and pretty flowers alongside the trail. They were impossible to ignore, despite our need for speed. We passed the hiking group again, and then the observation deck.

A beautifully cloudy sky above a jade green mountain ridge. Everything stands out in high definition in the clear air of this morning photograph. You can see the individual trees in the forest and the places where clouds join together. There are a few national park sign, small in this wide angle shot. It's hard to explain why this image is captivating, but it shows how lovely Odaesan's mountains can be on a clear day.

Soon, we were back on Gyebangsan’s peak again, and it was glorious! Still a beautiful, clear day, now with some sunshine and blue sky! We spent our time up top playfully and happily.

A selfie with the author and her husband. Kent is in his usual stance to the left, grinning widely with his curly brown hair tumbling over his forehead. The author stands in the background, crouched down behind the summit stele. She's got her elbows wide and is grinning delightedly. The folding mountains and valleys in the distance makes for beautiful summit scenery. — Second summit shenanigans!

Then it was time to explore the third and final path on the mountain by heading down a ridge! This trail seemed the least trafficked: near the summit, it was narrow and overgrown. But it was another treat for our feet. The ridge was quite steep to either side, but the forest was warm and friendly.

Another striking photograph featuring the scenery seen from Gyebangsan's summit! A classic wooden walkway, common in Korea's national parks, leads through the center of the frame. It slopes downward and out of view. Beyond is an undulating mountain ridge, with parallel symmetrical folds on its right flank. Other mountains are blue in the distance, with ribbons of mist between them. Sunlight shines in places on this scene, but the sky above is a moody purple. — Trail #3!

We met a trio of friendly hikers on their way up. We also spotted someone’s large, territory-marking droppings and lots of little holes where someone had been digging in the dirt.

It felt a little sad to reach the end of this trail and transition onto the road back towards our car. We took our time stretching at a picnic table overlooking a stream. Later we climbed down some rocks to dip our feet in it, finding a grasshopper and a lizard along the way!

A close-up image of a tiny bronze lizard in the grass. Although many similarly colored brown leaves and twigs are scattered in the grass, the unique shape of this little being stands out. His head is in sunlight, and we can his two black eyes, one on either side of his head. He's the size of a pinky finger, tiny in a world of tall grass and thick moss. — Spot the friend!

Luckily, our adventures were not quite over. We went to Odaesan’s main entrance to revisit our favorite bibimbap shop! Then we went back over Unduryeong pass to drive the scenic route home and wave goodbye to gorgeous Gyebangsan! This was the perfect day to have a rental car for extended adventures, and the perfect day to explore another one of Odaesan’s awesome mountains.

A selfie of the author, her husband and the third member of their adventure team today: their rental car! The silver Hyundai sedan is in the center of the image. Kent is in his usual position on the left. Carrie stands close to the car, gesturing towards it with both hands. The scene is a parking lot, surrounded by other cars and buildings. But, as always, Korea's mountains loom large in the background. — Today’s fun times thanks to the adventure-mobile!

Know and Go! Gyebangsan

Transportation

Naemyeon is the closest town – but to get there, you’ll need to get to Jinbu first. So for all intents and purposes, to visit Gyebangsan, you’ll need to head to Jinbu. Jinbu has bus connections all around Gangwondo, as well as direct connections to Seoul. Jinbu is also a stop on the new high-speed rail line that links Seoul to the east coast at Gangneung.

From Jinbu, you can take a local bus headed towards Naemyeon and ask the driver to let you off at Unduryeong pass. The main hiking trail is obvious on the east side of the road.

To reach the other two trailheads, both lower than and east of the pass, you’ll need either your own wheels or a willing taxi driver, Neither are terribly remote, but they’re not well-served by public transit.

Hike & Run

There are only three trails on Gyebangsan, and the rest of the mountain is protected wilderness. Legend has it that bears still live on the untouched northern slopes of this mountain!

Gyebangsan trail map

The shortest trail and the trail with the easiest access are one and the same. Head to Unduryeong for the main trailhead, and you’ll only need to climb 500 vertical meters or so to the summit (over 4.1 kilometers of trail).

The two other trailheads are a little more obscure, but worth exploring! The middle trail starts from the three-way intersection at Nodong-ri on highway #31 towards Unduryeong. There’s an interesting shrine just off the path near the beginning. The westernmost trailhead is a little tricky to find! There’s ample parking, washrooms and even a seasonal shop. But these are in place in service of Gyebangsan campground – and all of the signage nearby only offers direction within this campground!

If you can get here, I’d really recommend the western trailhead – despite the initial difficulties I had in finding it! It’s this route that will lead you up through some really pristine forest to a grove of protected Japanese Yew trees. It’s the longest route (by a small margin, depending on where you park), giving you more time to enjoy the stream next to the path and the forest around you.

Whichever trail you choose, you’re in for a treat. Gyebangsan is the 5th highest mountain in South Korea – it’s higher than Odaesan’s main peak, Birobong! Panoramas unfold in every direction: you can see Seoraksan, Odaesan and dozens of other mountains. It’s truly beautiful!

Stay & Eat

Odaesan National Park has the best mountain veggie meals I’ve had in Korea. But they’re clustered in a village of similar restaurants at Odaesan’s main entrance. There was no food to be found at any of the trailheads when I visited Gyebangsan. However, Unduryeong has a shop selling drinks (in peak seasons and during peak times) – and so does Gyebangsan campground.

Speaking of camping, the Gyebangsan campground looks like a great place to stay! It’s tucked up in a quiet, densely forested valley and offers a pretty stream to play in.

If camping’s not your thing, there’s a motel and a few pensions along highway #31. Or you could always stay in Jinbu, where there’s more choices for motels and meals.

Other Notes

Gyebangsan is on both lists of 100 famous summits in Korea. You can find Gyebangsan on the Black Yak list, online here, and the Korea Forest Service list, online here.

It is said that Gyebangsan is one of the best mountains to visit in winter. The snow lingers until spring, and you can see the Baekdudaegan mountain chain decked out in white winter finery. However, I’ll tell you from personal experience that it’s also fantastic to visit in summer. That same remote location that makes it magical in winter makes it just as lovely in summer when it’s lush and there’s a riot of green plants, flowers and mushrooms.

I visited this mountain in August 2018. Kent and I did a really fun 21 kilometer run – travelling all three of Gyebangsan’s trails! We started and ultimately ended at Gyebangsan campground, also visiting Unduryeong.

Return to the Odaesan National Park main page for more adventures in this wonderful park!

To explore more pretty peaks, head back to the 120 summits main page – or check out the national parks!