Juheulsan (주흘산)

Did we save the best for last!? Juheulsan (주흘산) was to be our very last climb in 2016. It completed our mountain mission year: our goal of visiting every national and provincial park! This mountain in Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park (문경새재도립공원) was our finale, and what a grand one it was! Juheulsan boasted great heights, pristine forest, gnarly single-track trail with ropes courses, a historic road at its base. Would you like some homemade omija makgeolli with that*?

An image depicting the third and highest gate in Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park. The road running beneath the gate seems to run backwards through time; appearing much as it did in Joseon dynasty. The gate itself has been reconstructed, but retains traditional architecture. The name of this pass, Joryeong, means a pass so high even birds have trouble flying above it, and historically, you had to travel over it to get from Seoul to Busan or vice versa. — A traditional gate atop Joryeong pass

An image of the author looking absolutely delighted, running on the soft earth of a single-track trail. There are boulders on her right, and a dense forest behind and to her left. — The time of my life on the trail!

Truly, our adventures on Juheulsan made for one of the best days of my life. I think you can tell from the pictures not only how spectacular the scenery is, but what a joy it is to explore.

An image of the author, again looking positively thrilled, beside a clear mountain stream. There is green moss growing on large grey boulders, and the sunlight, filtered through the foliage, also has a greenish tint. — I am excited!

Our adventures began on a warm fall morning. Starting a little later than usual due to having traveled a long, long way to get there; the sun was already high in the sky. I’d like to say that this lit a fire under us to get underway, but distractions slowed our progress before it had properly started! Immediately upon arrival, there were plaques to read about the history of the place and beautiful, traditional gates protecting swathes of inviting green grass.

An image of the author, posing on a large green lawn in front of the first gate of Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park. The gate is set in a high stone wall, reconstructed in the traditional style. Beyond the gate, some green hills rise up before giving way to the massive, rocky mountains that form the backbone of Korea as the Baekdudaegan mountain ridge. — First gate!

After a fair bit of frolicking, we did finally get started on our Juheulsan adventure. We ran up the road to the second of three gates! There, we left the crowds and gravel roads behind to climb through the forest. But the views just kept on coming. There was a scree slope beside the trail, where the largest stones had been stacked into little towers of wishes and prayers. Turning around there, we had lovely views of the Baekdudaegan, the mountainous spine that divides Korea.

An image of the second gate, in the same style as the first gate. It is a large stone structure, topped by a decorative wooden part, reminiscent of the top of a temple. This gate is set amidst a forest of tall pine trees, partially hiding its stone wall. It is across a stone bridge from the photographer, under a bright blue sky. — Second gate!

An image of a scree slope, remade into a work of art. Dozens and dozens of long, rectangular rocks are stood on their ends, and other rocks are stacked on top of one another into towers. A few plants poke up greenly through the grey rocks. — Wishes and prayers

An image of the author, turned back on the trail to face the beautiful rocky ridge of the Baekdudaegan. She is standing on a rocky path, with mixed forest to either side, in the shade. The distant ridge, rocky with patches of green, is lit up in the bright sunshine. — What a view!

A little more walking in the woods took us up to the first peak of Juheulsan, Jubong, with stunning, sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. We shared in the mood of jubilant celebration at the summit, greeting fellow hikers and turning round and round to gape at the views. This was truly a special place!

An image of the author and her husband atop Juheulsan, one of the highest peaks in Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park. They are standing behind a small summit stele inscribed with Chinese characters. Both rest one hand on the stele, and the author has her other hand raised above her head. Both are wearing running vests, and the background is a mix of leafy green trees and blue skies. — On top of the world, on top of Juheulsan!

An image taken from atop Juheulsan. A steep, rocky ridge cuts almost diagonally across this image, from the top left to the bottom right. There are clusters of trees growing where the rock surface levels out briefly. Beyond the rock is an expansive green view. There are farm fields and roads, tiny and far below. In the distance, other ridges rise up, each higher than the last into a hazy blue sky. — View from the top

Another image of the author and her husband, this time with their back's to Juheulsan's awesome view. The sky is bright and indistinct over the rise of a green ridge and a valley far below. The author's husband is smiling happily and she has her mouth open in her characteristic expression of delight. Both are squinting into the bright sunlight.

As we carried on along a spiny ridge, our esteem for this park at the heart of Korea only grew. Dense forest grew undisturbed to either side of us. We lingered at every rocky outlook – including a second summit! – to gaze out over the trees at other high peaks nearby. We were surprised to find a signpost belonging to Workasan National Park on our trail!

An image of the author with a directional sign, pointing out the current location indicator low on the side of the post. It shows that the trail she's on is linked to Woraksan National Park! — It’s Workasan!

In fact, as impressed as we already were, the fun only seemed to increase as our day’s adventure progressed. We soon came upon a series of jagged peaks accessible only via roped up climbs! Still new to ropes and both of us being slightly stronger in the bottom half, these presented us with quite an exhilarating challenge! Each peak possessed terrific views to rival the last, and our progress was more rotational than linear, as we turned constantly to take in panoramic views.

An image of the author using a knotted rope to climb up a steep, smooth boulder. She is concentrating and only looking at the rope. The trail is not visible below; just a sea of green forest. — Pulling my way up!

An image of the author and her husband, standing atop Bubong peak! They each have one hand on the summit stele and are standing beside and slightly behind it. Both are smiling happily, and behind them are the leaves, trunks, branches and roots of several species of trees. There is also a banner tied with rope to one of the trees, extending out of the frame. — Bubong peak!

An image of the author midway through the long, roped-up descent from Bubong peak. She is glancing down at where she has to go next. The rope she's holding is tied up somewhere out of view to the lower left of the image, looped around a tree near where she stands, and falls to the ground behind her, disappearing in the fallen leaves and roots of the earthen trail. — …and making my way down…

We spent such a lovely, long time on this undulating ridge that dusk began to fall long before we were ready to stop. But if we had to, the place were we planned to descend was a perfect one. It took us down right to the third and highest of the Mungyeong Saejae gates as the sun set.

An image of six rusty, old-fashioned metal lantern boxes, set on top of overturned kimchi pots. A whimsical photo of an artistic display of local artifacts.

An image of the author and her husband, standing on a road leading to an impressive, massive stone gate. This gate marks the top of the ancient Mungyeong Saejae pass that the provincial park is built around. The sky is still bright overhead, but the author and her husband stand in the late afternoon shadow, smiling brightly. — Third gate!

It’s difficult to describe the feeling I had, coming down there. Not only is it a beautiful place, brimming with colorful history, but it was momentous for us. This perfect day on and around Juheulsan was the conclusion of our first mountain mission. We had enjoyed adventures in each of Korea’s protected parks – all 42 of them. In the process, we’d criss-crossed the countryside, eaten heartily of mountain vegetable cuisine, enjoyed countless sunrises and sunsets, celebrated special occasions and faced both challenges and joys together. I felt (and still feel) a deep gratitude for this country that we’ve made our playground – and that’s become our home.

We ran down through the three gates of Mungeyong Saejae Provincial Park as the twilight darkened; quiet, contemplative and contented. Last views of Juheulsan were framed by a starry sky. At the end, a perfectly placed cafe invited me in for a sweet celebratory treat, while Kent picked up a brand new mountain makgeolli to sample.

Know and Go! Juheulsan

Transportation

Mungyeong city has both a bus terminal and a train station, so finding your way to Juheulsan and the provincial park won’t be a problem! But it might take a while, as Mungyeong lies near the very heart of South Korea, and is pretty distant from the major metros.

But from Mungyeong, the peak is close; the mountains dramatically towering over the town. For example, from the bus station, catch buses 1-5 to get to the provincial park entrance in just 20 minutes!

I will try to stop myself from gushing and just give you a strong recommendation to get yourself to this park, one way or another.

Hike & Run

There are oodles and oodles of routes in Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park. You can choose from simple strolls up a gravel road, a thrilling trail along Korea’s mountainous spine, or paths that start deep in the forest and lead up to scenic peaks. Your best bet? Combine all of the above for a truly ultimate outing in this pretty park!

Our route up Juheulsan began on the road. We veered into the forest close to the second historical gate. There are actually two peaks of the same name – and plenty more peaks besides!

An image depicting some of the myriad trails available in Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park. The three historical gates are highlighted in red, with a trail linking them up. Several peaks are also noted, as well as the ridge of the Baekdudaegan. — Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park trail map

Stay & Eat

Boasting possibly the best sleeping and eating options of all of the parks, Mungyeong Saejae has everything you need. There are motels in the nearby town, and even a couple near the entrance. Truly tons of mountain vegetable restaurants await you: in the town, at the entrance, and even up along the road through the gates. Cafes too – including a Starbucks near the park entrance. Staying and eating for your Juheulsan outing will be easy!

Other Notes

Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park possesses many peaks, including the sacred, dual-peaked Juhuelsan (1106m) and the exciting 917m Bubong peak. As befitting such a peak, Juheulsan is highlighted on both lists of 100 famous summits in Korea: Black Yak and Korea Forest Service.

Kent and I did a 24.1k run/scramble up Juheulsan in late September 2016. It was the very last park we explored during our mountain mission year, number 18 among the provincial parks.

Here’s the wiki about the Mungyeong Saejae for if you’d like to learn a little of the park’s history before you go. Or, read up about Juheulsan at the Visit Korea site here.

Head back to the main page for more Mungyeong Saejae!

If you haven’t already, please have a look at some of Korea’s other incredible parks. More provincial parks are here, and additional members of the 120 summits club can be found here. And thanks for joining me on my mountain mission!

*Omija makgeolli is a local specialty rice wine, made with sweet, tart berries of the magnolia tree. The berries are also typically made into teas and punches in Korea, especially during the heat of summer.