Gyorae Natural Recreation Forest

In Jeju, a forest that has grown over a jumble of cooled lava rocks, with trees and vines tangled together, is called a gotjawal. Gyorae Natural Recreation Forest was built right in the middle of one and is described as Korea's first recreation forest where you can walk through gotjawal ecology. In 2023 its gotjawal trail came second nationwide in the Korea Forest Service's selection of the country's best forest walks.

A recreation forest on the lava

The forest lies just south of Jeju Stone Park, around Neupseori Oreum in Gyorae-ri, Jocheon-eup. Built by Jeju Province, it opened in January 2011 and covered about 2.3 square kilometres at the time; it is still run by the province's Stone Park management office. The site is divided into four zones: a recreation zone with lodges and thatched forest cottages, a camping zone with an outdoor stage and a futsal pitch, a gotjawal eco-observation zone and an oreum walking zone. In 2024 the campsite was named an outstanding family-friendly campsite by the Korea Tourism Organization, and the same year the forest walks made a national list of the five best trails for autumn colour. In autumn there has also been a walking week in which visitors collect stamps on three routes: Keunjigeuri Oreum, the eco trail and the Neupseori Oreum path.

Two forest walks

• Eco-observation trail: a short loop through the gotjawal, given as 1.5 km or 2.5 km depending on the source. You walk past trees with roots clamped over bare rock, and moss and ferns covering the boulders.
• Oreum trail: about 3.5 km through the forest to the top of Keunjigeuri Oreum, so roughly 7 km there and back.

What to look for

Gotjawal forests mix warm-climate evergreen species with temperate ones; plants at the northern edge of their range grow next to plants at their southern edge, which is why autumn colours here come in every shade at once. Along the trails you will also find the remains of a 1940s mountain field and a 1970s charcoal kiln, signs that people farmed and burned charcoal even on this stony ground. The Japanese cypress section is a good spot for a slow forest-bathing stroll.

Tripto tips

• Tickets and hours: admission is KRW 1,000 for adults and KRW 600 for teenagers; people with disabilities and Jeju residents, among others, enter free. In winter the last entry is at 16:00; check seasonal hours before you go.
• Time needed: about 1 hour for the eco trail alone, 2–3 hours if you climb Keunjigeuri Oreum.
• What to wear: gotjawal paths are rocky and uneven. Wear trainers with good ankle support and take it slowly after rain, when the rocks get slippery. Insect repellent helps in summer.
• When to go: the forest stays green most of the year, so any season works; in November you get autumn leaves and paths deep in fallen leaves.
• Getting there: it is on Namjo-ro in Jocheon-eup, a little over 30 minutes by car from Jeju City, with a car park on site.
• Combine with: Jeju Stone Park right next door, Eco Land (5 minutes by car) and Sangumburi Crater make a full day in the eastern highlands.