Bongmu Park

In Bongmu-dong, Dong-gu, where the road from Daegu starts to climb towards Palgongsan, Bongmu Park wraps around Dansanji, a reservoir 3.9 km in circumference. Woodland paths follow the shore, and a butterfly garden, campsite and sports grounds are gathered around it, making this the kind of neighbourhood park where Daegu residents come to walk and unwind at weekends. It is less than 3 km from Daegu International Airport, so it also works as a first or last stop on a trip to the city.

A park around Dansanji

The park opened in October 1992 as Bongmu Waterside Park. At its heart is Dansanji, a reservoir created by damming a tributary of the Geumhogang River. Apart from the embankment, most of the lakeside trail runs through woods, so there is plenty of shade. The trail is also part of Course 6 of the Palgongsan Olle, a network of walking routes around the mountain. Palgongsan became a national park in 2023, and Bongmu Park lies near one of the gateways to its foothills, so it is a handy stop before or after a day on the mountain. Some 8,000 wildflowers and grasses have been planted along the paths, so what is in bloom changes through the seasons.

Things to do

• Dansanji lakeside trail: a loop around the reservoir. In autumn the colours of the hillsides are reflected in the still water.
• Walking and hiking trails: a barefoot walking path (about 3.5 km, 40 minutes), a hiking trail (about 3.7 km, 45 minutes) and the long "ten-thousand-step" circuit around the park (about 7 km, 2 hours 30 minutes). As the name suggests, one full lap comes to roughly ten thousand steps.
• Butterfly Ecological Park: opened in 2002 together with a butterfly learning centre, with flowerbeds, shrubs and small streams laid out so you can follow butterflies from caterpillar to adult. Hands-on learning sessions run at weekends and on public holidays and must be booked.
• Campsite and sports facilities: a campground, an outdoor stage and a range of sports facilities, plus pedal boats and other water rides on the lake.

Tripto tips

• When to go: late October to early November, when autumn colour circles the lake, and spring, when the wildflowers come out.
• Good to know: the embankment section of the Dansanji trail has no shade. In midsummer bring a hat and water, and stick mostly to the wooded stretches.
• Time needed: about 1 hour for one loop of Dansanji; around 2 hours if you add the butterfly park.
• Visiting: the park is open all year; entry is free and there is a car park. For butterfly park hours and programme bookings, contact the Dong-gu District Office parks department (053-662-3541).
• Getting there: the address is 66 Palgong-ro 50-gil, Dong-gu, Daegu; follow Palgong-ro, the main road from the city towards Palgongsan, and turn off towards Dansanji. It is about 2.5 km from Daegu International Airport and about 5 km from Dongdaegu Station, 10–15 minutes by taxi.
• Combine with: nearby are the Bullo-dong Tumuli, a historic site where Three Kingdoms-period burial mounds cover low hills, and the Dodong Thuja Forest, where oriental arborvitae cling to a rock cliff. The Dodong forest was the very first site in Korea to be designated a Natural Monument, which makes it worth the short detour.