Daedunsan Provincial Park (대둔산도립공원): a thrilling roller coaster ride, and one proving that neither summit size nor wild weather matter when it comes to having fun! Our trip to this park was a perfect, adrenaline-charged adventure over scenic peaks and rocky chasms.
Our outing took place at the tail end of a rainy Korean thanksgiving holiday. The day prior, we’d visited Chilgapsan Provincial Park. And during the days prior to that, we’d biked from Gunsan to Daejeon. Delightful little Daedunsan is just south of the city, and so, we jumped (back into a taxi) at the chance to visit it.
The sky brightened from black to blue as we traveled to the park, the morning dawning misty and magical. We were the only people in the park, which never fails to make me happy. I love that feeling of exploring something; of being completely alone in the wilderness, only the flora and fauna for company! (Of course, I also love it when people appreciate these peaks, too…and I recognize that it is because of people that these lovely national and provincial parks are protected places. But I digress.)
Passing by a still, silent cable car station, we set off down a damp, winding trail. The lush green forest whispered in the wind to either side of us. Leaves dripped steadily, and the rivers we passed were full and rushing. In fact, some of them had spilled their banks and made waterfalls of the trail. I must say, I was enchanted by this park from the very beginning. There was a quiet little shrine halfway up. We stopped there to take shelter from the rain that had begun again, in force.
On the move again, it did not take long for us to find the first excitement of the day. Emerging from the forest, a red suspension bridge spanned a dizzying gap between two prominent rocks. We were delighted, and maybe a little nervous too. The wind whistled eerily along the cables, and the bridge moved with it, beneath our feet.
From there on, every single step was exciting! Steep rock walls rose dramatically out of the mist, in the classic shapes of East Asian mountains. The water droplets in the humid air blurred everything slightly, making me feel like we were moving through a watercolor painting.
Beyond the bridge, we soon found The Staircase. Unlike anything we’d ever come across before in any other park, this engineering marvel had our hearts pounding already from afar! Rising straight up from one rocky pinnacle to another high above, the narrow steps of this long staircase formed an extreme angle over a plunging gap! The staircase was only fixed at its top and bottom. It dripped with the rain, offering a slick red surface to climb! Yes, this was our route!
Climbing up was an incredible, vertigo-inducing, thrilling experience! I had the feeling that I was ascending a stairway into the thick, wet clouds above. Kent and I spent several moments celebrating at the top, peeking back over at the climb we’d just made! Awesome!
And this was not even the main summit, although we did reach that shortly thereafter. Daedunsan’s peak also has some interesting architecture; this time, in the form of a huge summit column. Something else I’d never seen before, this black and silver behemoth rose up into the mist.
The fun was not over, even as we descended. There were incredible tunnels made of precariously balanced rocks, and stunning views of the stony ridge. The forest was a lush refuge from the rain that smelled of growth and sweet earth. Back at the base of the mountain, we even managed to find a bus back to town. A picture perfect day, and a great adventure!
Know and Go! Daedunsan
Transportation
Daejeon is close, but Nonsan, Gyeryeong and Wanju are even closer to Daedunsan Provincial Park. From each city, there are buses serving this park. For example, the 34 bus from Daejeon goes directly to the park entrance in about one and a quarter hours. Iksan and Jeonju are not far away either. So accessing this park should be pretty simple, no matter where you’re based.
This is one of those rare parks with a cable car! And, unlike in some other parks, the cable car rises not to a separate peak, but right up onto the main range. This is both a pro and a con. In theory, if you’re short on time but still want to experience this beautiful park’s highlights, you can cable car up and enjoy the dramatic manmade bridge and staircase as well as the summit. In my opinion, it is just this also has the potential to be a con. My advice? Skip the cable car and hike in the lovely forest, of course! But beyond that, visit this park early or late or on a less than ideal weather day. Having the place to yourself is wonderful!
Hike & Run
In addition to a summit stop, I highly recommend the very exciting and scenic Geumgang Gureumdari that spans a plunging gap between Imgeumbawi and Ipseokdae rocks, and the Samseon overpass. But there is great hiking throughout this park, with both verdant forest and stunning rocky vistas.
Stay & Eat
We were based in Daejeon as part of a longer adventure, so we did most of our sleeping and dining there. But, that is not to say the same is not available in this park – it certainly is! In addition to having several rest and refreshment areas right on the mountain, Daedunsan Provincial Park also has the usual tourist village at its base. In fact, It has a couple of areas around its lower slopes with little mountain restaurants and rooms for rent. However, motels and convenience stores are a little further flung. So if you’re using public transit to get around, better make this a day trip and base yourself in the city.
Other Notes
Daedunsan’s summit is 878m Macheondae – topped by a massive column, rather than the traditional summit stele. But the real highlights are nearby – on the exciting bridges and staircases over plunging chasms!
Summit seekers, take note: Daedunsan was an obvious inclusion on both of South Korea’s 100 summit lists. Read the Black Yak description or check out what Korea Forest Service has to say about this famous mountain.
Our incredibly adventurous loop of Daedunsan Provincial Park was only 6.8 kilometers, believe it or not! This was the 17th national park we visited during our mountain mission year. We had our incredible adventure in this park in mid-September 2016.
Although this park is famous among Korean hikers, it’s not especially well known among foreigners – yet! Visit Korea’s site has a little bit more info on this lovely park for you to check out.
As always, you are welcome to join me on other pretty peaks: there are many more provincial parks and 120 summits!