We began our run from a deserted parking lot in a fog thick as soup. It was impossible to determine time or direction. Cheongwangsan Provincial Park (천관산도립공원) seemed like an island of misty silence. We were all alone, and there was not even a whisper of wind to ruffle the trees of the forest. There was no way to know then what a magical morning was in store for us.
Stumbling out into the open from a forest path, we found a tiny temple populated mainly by kimchi pots. A friendly dog appeared, eager to be patted. After a short ascent through more thick, foggy forest, we found ourselves on a rocky ridgeline. Above the fog at last! And just in time for a golden, sunny dawn.
What followed was a very photogenic day! The beautiful weather of the ridge persisted as we explored onwards. There were caves, platforms and rock formations glowing orange in the first light. Shortly before the peak, I enjoyed wandering across an open, grassy meadow. The peak itself was visible from far away, a square rocky platform.
It didn’t take us long to reach the peak and the platform. There, we were surrounded by incredible views of a sea of clouds making islands of peaks. What a place to picnic! There was even a couple of folks camping on the flat, grassy expanse – so we weren’t alone after all!
I was incredibly happy. Making our way across the ridge, we paused for several rock scrambles. One boulder was one of the most massive I’ve ever seen. The light was soft and yellow, bringing out the pretty peachy hues of the rocks. And the ambiance was warm, too! People had built little wish towers of small rocks, and tucked others in the cracks and crevices of large boulders. The mountain seemed to be well-loved, and invited contented contemplation.
I was feeling like I’d found a favorite, so I didn’t really want to go! But with another, neighboring park on our day’s adventure docket, we had to. Our descent was along another spiny ridge, and we ran down, down, down…back into the rolling fog!
At the parking lot below, a surprised attendant guarding a quiet lot told us that there would be no buses coming to our bus stop, and helpfully called us a taxi. As we drove away from a particularly special hike, I craned my neck out the back window; trying to catch a glimpse of the golden summit rocks of this mist-shrouded mountain. I couldn’t see it, but I held it in my heart.
Know and Go! Cheongwansan
Transportation
Cheongwansan Provincial Park is about as remote as it gets. But don’t let transportation challenges deter you from visiting this gem of a park! It is tucked away on a rugged little peninsula in the far south-west corner of Jeollanam-do. Coming from Seoul, the best and fastest bet would probably be to take the KTX train to Mokpo, the end of the line. From there, connect to an intercity bus bound for Jangheung, and from there, into a taxi. I won’t kid you, coming from Busan or points north and east in Korea will likely require several hops or your own transit. But this is a beautiful little park that shouldn’t be missed. And why not make a weekend of it, and visit another mountain, like we did? Tricky transit is just a good excuse for an extended adventure.
Hike & Run
We chose to complete a lovely loop of just less than 9 kilometers. From the main entrance where we started, there seemed to be three parallel routes up the mountain – perfect for loops! On the map, it also appears that there are other ways of accessing the mountain from the roads surrounding it. While I think these would make for great, extended adventures, we found the main entrance of this park challenging enough to get to and from without our own car!
Stay & Eat
We spent the night in nearby Jangheung, in a clean and inexpensive motel. Being based here was helpful for being close to marts (we wanted to stock up on water) and taxis (for getting to the park the next morning). There were a couple of motels close to the bus terminal. Since most visitors will also likely be having to make a cross-country haul to get to Cheongwansan, I think basing yourself here makes a lot of sense.
That said, there did seem to be a few accommodation options in the area around the park. I wouldn’t bet on which ones are open at any given time though – it was awfully quiet when we were there. There were also several shops and restaurants, which were similarly quiet. We didn’t do our usual bibimbap stop here, so I personally can’t comment on the food. But there are some businesses that may or may not be open during peak times.
Other Notes
Cheongwansan’s highest peak is 723 meter Yeondaebong, which commands awesome views over the surrounding hills and valleys. The peak is the highest point of an open, grassy area, and it’s topped by a historical observation platform. It’s famous, too: on both the Black Yak and Korea Forest Service lists of 100 mountains!
My husband and I visited this park on a very exciting two-park day-trip in June 2016! We took several hundred photos of this beautiful park in during our 8.9 kilometer loop run. This was the 4th provincial park that we visited during our mountain mission year.
Again, I struggled to find English information about this park beforehand. There’s this write-up on Visit Korea, and that’s it! But we’d heard about this mountain from Korean friends, who said it is known as one of the best in the region! So we went with high hopes that were only exceeded.
Join us on our same-day Duryunsan Provincial Park adventure! Or, feel free to explore more provincial parks or head on over to your home base for 120 summit missions.