A winter walk to Woljeongsa (월정사)

We like to spend our days in the mountains, running or hiking far and wide. But sometimes, a short walk can be the best one. Especially if you’re sharing it with your favorite people. And especially if that walk happens to be in Odaesan National Park (오대산국립공원). This is neither a hike nor a run – but rather a lovely winter walk around Woljeongsa (월정사)!

A photograph of Kent, Emma and Jaeseung standing Woljeongsa's main gate. The three figures are tiny under the massive, traditional wooden structure. There are some Odaesan National Park signs to either side of gate. There is a wide, flat, gravel path leading under the gate and through a forest of pine trees. — Now entering Woljeongsa!

It was February 2018: Pyeongchang Olympics time! Kent and I had received free tickets to the men’s slopestyle qualifying event. My sister, an avid snowboarder, was so stoked about this that she hopped on a plane from Canada to visit us. Our best friend Jaeseung was also going to join us. With that, we had all the makings of a great weekend!

A selfie featuring Kent, Emma, Carrie and Jaeseung (from left to right). The group of four are standing in front of the tall, orange, pyramid-shaped gate that marks the exit from the Pyeongchang Olympic snowboarding slope. The slope and a large monitor are visible behind the group. It is very snowy, and appears very cold: all four are wearing thick jackets and hats! — Multi-national cheer squad!

On a cold and blustery Saturday, the four of us huddled together, stamping our feet to keep warm and offering high-fives to all the snowboarders coming off the slope!

A photograph capturing Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris exiting the slope after one of his warm-up runs. A Pyeongchang Olympics volunteer stands with his back to the camera, applauding. Behind McMorris, a couple of camera operators also capture the scene. The massive orange archway adds a big splash of color to this image and marks the time and place - the Pyeongchang Olympics 2018! — Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris after a run

After this very fun day, we had one more day to play in Pyeongchang. Emma wanted to check out the snowboarding scene herself, so we took her to Phoenix Park and got her set up with some rental gear. Then Kent, Jaeseung and I set off to run the Pyeongchang Olympics Naked Race!

A vertical portrait of the author's sister, ready to hit the slopes! She's wearing purple snowboard gear and holding a blue snowboard. She's giving the peace sign with her free hand, but her face is almost invisible under her hat and collection of scarves. — Another Canadian snowboarding badass!

This exciting morning left us all starving. And where better to get something to eat than our favorite cluster of mountain vegetable restaurants? Even our taxi driver was headed there to meet a friend for lunch!

A photograph of Kent and Jaeseung, just about to dig into two bowls of bibimbap. They are inside one of the mountain vegetable restaurants outside Odaesan National Park. There is large menu with photographs and a TV on the wall behind the two guys. Other patrons sit at a table behind them. — Good times at lunch

But you can’t just visit Odaesan National Park for the restaurants. We had to go in, especially with tourists in tow. This was the perfect opportunity to show Emma a little bit of Korea – and return to one of our favorite places!

In this selfie, Kent, Carrie, Emma and Jaeseung are all laughing about something. The four are posed in front of the large traditional gate at the entrance to Woljeongsa temple. — Faves.

So we set off up the road into the park, wearing backpacks and lugging suitcases through the snow. It was so worth it!

Turning off down the trail towards the temple, we got to play in the snow and in the trees. The place was ours – there were no other footprints on the trail except ours!

A vertical portrait of the author's good friend Jaeseung posing inside a huge, old tree trunk. The outer shell of the trunk is all that remains of this once massive tree. Jaeseung has gotten inside it somehow, and is now smiling from inside it: only his head and one hand are visible! — A Jaeseung tree!

We soon arrived at Woljeongsa, rosy-cheeked and hungry again. Time for some tasty pastries and hot tea!

A photograph of the author gesticulating to Emma and Jaeseung over a few cups of tea at a tea shop inside Odaesan National Park. The room is lined with light-colored wood, and the trio are seated on a wooden floor. The round room is ringed by floor-to-ceiling picture windows, so we can see outside into the pine forest. — A little teatime explaining

Not a typical mountain outing – but great company, great food and a spontaneous return to Odaesan National Park made this the perfect way to spend a winter’s day!

A beautiful vertical photograph of a traditional temple entrance gate in Woljeongsa temple. There are three beautiful panel paintings below the elegant, curved tile roof. We are looking at this gate from the side, so the entrance is only partially visible. The branch of a tree arches into the foreground, bearing three yellow and green paper lotus flowers.

Know and Go! Woljeongsa

Transportation

Like all things Odaesan, the easiest point of access is Jinbu. Frequent buses and trains serve this small mountain town, so you should have no trouble getting here. If you’re coming from Seoul, you could also catch a bus directly to Odaesan National Park!

Local buses run between Jinbu and Sangwonsa (the starting point for hiking Birobong, Odaesan’s main peak), stopping at Woljeongsa along the way. Or, just take a taxi for convenience. There is a parking lot just south of the temple if you’re driving.

Hike & Run

…briefly! If you’re headed to Woljeongsa, you’re probably not doing major hiking. Or perhaps you’re dropping by the temple after your hiking is finished. You can use the route below to connect Odaesan’s main gate to Sangwonsa and the main hiking trails (to Birobong and beyond) – but most hikers skip this long, flat lead-in section.

Odaesan walking course near Woljeongsa

The trails here are most suited to casual strolling and forest bathing. There are art installations and displays about forest ecology. It’s a great area for families and picnics.

Stay & Eat

Jinbu, being the focal point for all inbound and onward transit, makes a smart place to stay. There are plenty of motels, marts and restaurants to choose among.

In terms of fine dining, however, I would like to highly recommend the mountain vegetable village just outside the park’s main entrance. This is a collection of great restaurants slightly south of Woljeongsa. The buildings are brand new, but the food is traditional Korean at it’s very best. All of the herbs and veggies grow locally and are hand-picked from the mountain slopes. Mountain cuisine doesn’t get any better than this!

Other Notes

We were joined by two of our favorite people on this excursion! Emma, Jaeseung, Keng and I enjoyed a little winter walk in the Woljeongsa area in February 2018.

This is not really a hike, so I guess there’s not too much more to say about it in terms of lists or statistics! But if you’re curious about Woljeongsa, have a look over here. It’s a beautiful place to visit as a tourist, whether you’re hiking in the park or not. Try a temple stay for a fully immersive experience, or stop by for tea and and treats!

For more in-depth explorations of Odaesan National Park, head back to the Odaesan main page. To explore other mountains, head to the national parks page or the 120 summits page.