Naejangsan National Park: Finding Fall Colors

Naejangsan National Park is hands down one of the most beautiful places in Korea. And I promise, you only need to hike a little.

Since Naejangsan is probably my umpteenth time talking about autumn in Korea, I’m sure you’ve guessed it’s my favorite season. I’m a pretty visual person, so I find the sudden burst of colors everywhere energizing.

Not to mention the fact that the temperatures tend to be pretty perfect, not too humid and not quite cold just yet. This last fall I’ve tried to take advantage of the beautiful weather, walking outside a bit more, exploring Korea’s mountains, and leaving my windows open for the fresh air.

Naejangsan National Park

One of my friends mentioned that she took her mother to see the fall foliage in Naejangsan. After seeing photos I knew I had to go there myself. Elissa happened to be visiting me that weekend and was kind enough to not mind hopping on another bus to Jeongeup after spending 3 + hours on a bus from Seoul. Apparently, this park is quite famous among Koreans for seeing the fall leaves, but it’s not too famous

Apparently, this park is quite famous among Koreans for seeing the fall leaves, but it’s not too famous overall just yet. Unlike Daedunsan, the cable car ride didn’t have waiting times, and we actually found ourselves with space to ourselves both times.

What I also loved was that the cable car window was totally open on one side. This way you can see the mountainside and all the colors without a dirty window blocking your view. If you take the cable car, definitely make sure you go to the observatory to see your surroundings. It’s absolutely stunning, even in the rain we had!

If it’s not raining, I recommend going for a bit of a hike. Elissa did a long hike with her friend last year, and she said it was gorgeous! Unfortunately, it was raining pretty bad when we got there, so we opted out of hiking. We missed seeing a lot of the temples and natural structures within.

Tips for Visiting Naejangsan National Park

• Korean Name: 내장산국립공원
• Address: 전라북도 순창군 복흥면 봉덕길 일원
• English Address: Bongdeok-gil, Bokheung-myeon, Sunchang-gun, Jeollabuk-do
• Cost: 11,000 KRW for the cable car (depends though), I believe it’s free to hike
• Opening: Sunrise to Sunset

TOURS THAT GO TO NAEJANGSAN

• Korea Autumn Foliage Tour from Seoul – If you’re coming from Seoul and only want to do a day trip, this is a great tour. It might be more cost-efficient depending on your plans. Check dates and details here.
• Naejangsan tour from Busan – If you’re staying in Busan and have no plans of being in Seoul during the tour dates, then you might want to consider this tour. It’s a pretty long time in the bus (Busan is farther from Jeongeup than Seoul), but I’ve gone on long bus rides to be somewhere for only a few hours before! Check dates and details here.

HOW TO GET THERE

• Go to Jeongeup Bus Station. There are direct ones from Seoul.
• You can take the local Bus 171 to 휴게소.버스터미널/ Service Area + Bus Terminal. OR
• Take a taxi from the bus station to Naejangsan. It should be around less than 10,000 won. We got out and walked when we saw how long the line was.

For more hiking in Korea:

• Hiking Hallasan in Jeju: A Guide to South Korea’s Tallest Mountain
• A Hiking Guide to Odaesan National Park
• A Guide to Hiking Gyeryongsan
• How to Hike Guryong Valley in Jirisan
• Hike Seoraksan, One of Korea’s Tallest Mountains
• Jirisan’s Baemsagol Valley Course
• Hiking Wolchulsan to Cross One of Korea’s Must See Bridges
• Hiking Daedunsan in the Fog

Is Naejangsan on your Korea bucket list? Where are your favorite place to see all the fall colors?

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