An unusual visit to an unusual park! Chilgapsan Provincial Park (칠갑산도립공원) happens to be near Daejeon, a city that we planned to visit on bikes for our Korean thanksgiving holiday. It wasn’t directly on the bike trail that we would ride between our starting point in Gunsan and our ending point in Daejeon, but we figured we would find a way to make it work.
So, on a very rainy morning immediately after we finished our bike trip, we found ourselves on the curb outside our motel, looking for a taxi. Although initially expressing shock over the great distance we wanted to go (70 kilometers), we finally found a driver who would take us. How we would get back was the kind of potentially stressful question best saved for later, we decided. So, off we went!
Arriving in the park, the downpour had turned into a drizzle. Lucky for us! So we set off as fast as we could, funny feelings in our legs from having been biking and not running over the past few days. Undoubtedly funny looking too, in our wet cycling apparel!
One of the first unique things we discovered about Chilgapsan Provincial Park was its massive, chili pepper themed pedestrian bridge! A dramatic installation above a man-made lake, we had some good laughs about it. Turns out, chili peppers would remain the theme of our adventure that day! Arriving on the other side of the bridge, we dashed up a staircase to find a signpost – modeled after chili peppers, of course!
We ran our way to the summit under the cover of some damp foliage. This not being a terribly tall peak, we were quickly atop it! The top was an expansive area, with a stele, another map (I did a particularly thorough job of taking photos of every map on this outing – see below – although it seems to have been at the expense of documenting much else!), and a helipad! The peak was completely lost in a thick, wet fog. But though we didn’t have terrific views, we did have a terrific time frolicking around and doing silly poses.
And then we ran down! We ran down the way we came, because although there were other routes, we thought the mostly likely way to find transportation back to town was at the main entrance. We enjoyed a little break for some bibimbap, and were indeed able to summon a taxi to return to Daejeon. A funny little trip, but in the end a successful summiting adventure!
Know and Go! Chilgapsan
Transportation
In the case of this park, I would like to strongly advise you against doing what I did! It was a long, expensive taxi ride, and there are buses to be had. We did what we did for a host of complex reasons, but it really isn’t your best way to go.
Instead, take a bus to the nearby town of Cheongyang, where you can take another local bus to the park, or a much shorter taxi trip. Cheongyang is no bustling metropolis, but it’s close to Daejeon, so if you can’t get directly there from where you live, head to Daejeon first. This park is in remote, rural Korea, so your challenge will be more in getting here than the hiking itself.
Hike & Run
Chilgapsan Provincial Park has five entrance/exit points; spread out like the arms of a starfish. They all lead directly up to the summit, with distances as short as 2.1 and as long as 4.7 kilometers.
Stay & Eat
The main tourist village seems to be near Cheongjang lake – the area is called the Chilgapsan rest area as a clue. Here you can have bibimbap and other mountain vegetables fare. There are also the usual array of libations, including local rice wines.
There didn’t seem to be any motels, pensions or even minbaks immediately nearby, and a quick look at some maps seems to confirm this. If you have your own transportation, the village of Seojeong is just up the road from Cheongjang lake. If lack wheels, you’re likely better off staying in Cheongyang and/or making this a day trip based in nearby Gongju, Saejong or Daejeon.
Other Notes
Chilgapsan’s cozy peak is an achievable 561 meters. Chilgapsan is a summit on both of Korea’s 100 mountain lists. Explore the Black Yak and Korea Forest Service entries about it.
My husband and I did an 8 kilometer out and back run of Chilgapsan in September 2016, starting and ending in the tourist village around Cheongjang lake. This was the 16th provincial park we visited during our mountain mission year.
More mountains, anyone? Provincial parks are here and more of the 120 summits here.