Deogyusan

In winter every tree on the ridges is coated in white frost, and from the summit the mountain ranges roll away layer after layer in every direction. Deogyusan rises to 1,614 m across Muju and Jangsu in North Jeolla and Geochang and Hamyang in South Gyeongsang, and is described as the fourth-highest mountain in South Korea. Despite its height, a gondola brings the summit, Hyangjeokbong, within fairly easy reach, so it is a popular first winter mountain for many hikers.

The mountain and the national park

Deogyusan sits on the Baekdudaegan, the mountain spine of the Korean Peninsula. Its ridges branch out into many peaks, the highest of which is Hyangjeokbong. The surrounding area became Korea's tenth national park in 1975.

The park is rich in wildlife. Its flagship species are the Korean fir, a tree found only in Korea, and the endemic freshwater fish Kumgang fat minnow. In 1960 an Amur leopard was shot on Deogyusan; within a few years the species had disappeared from South Korea.

What to see

• Hyangjeokbong: the summit. On clear days ridges overlap in every direction, and in winter it is famous for snow and hoarfrost.
• Seolcheonbong to Hyangjeokbong: take the gondola from the resort on the Muju side up to Seolcheonbong, then walk about 20 minutes to the summit.
• Gucheondong Valley: some 36 km of falls, pools and rocks; the best-known spots are called the "33 Sights of Gucheondong". Following the valley up brings you to Baengnyeonsa Temple.
• Jeoksangsanseong Fortress and Anguksa Temple: a Goryeo-era mountain fortress on Jeoksangsan, now a Historic Site. In the Joseon era a royal archive on the mountain stored the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. The hanging scroll painting of Anguksa is a designated Treasure.
• Chiryeon Falls: a waterfall in Chiryeon Valley, one of the park's sights.

Through the seasons

Royal azaleas bloom in spring, daylilies carpet the ridges in summer, autumn brings red foliage and winter covers the ridgeline in snow. The winter snow-flower hike is by far the most popular.

Good to know

In 1610 one of the Joseon dynasty's five royal archives, Jeoksangsan Sago, was set up on Jeoksangsan to store the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and royal genealogies. The annals were moved to Changdeokgung in Seoul in 1911, taken north during the Korean War and are now in Pyongyang. The four volumes of this set that remained in the South were designated a National Treasure in 2019. Surveys in the Deogyusan area have recorded 893 plant species, 33 mammals, 122 wild birds and 2,206 insects. In winter the area is also well known for the Muju ski resort.

Tripto tips

• Trail entry times: entry to the summit trails is listed as 05:00–14:00 from November to March and 04:00–15:00 from April to October. Do not start up late in the afternoon.
• Costs: there is no national park entrance fee. Park car parks are listed at KRW 2,000 for compact cars and KRW 4,000 (low season) or KRW 5,000 (peak season) for small and mid-sized cars. The gondola is run by the resort, so check operation and fares in advance.
• Time needed: 1–2 hours for Hyangjeokbong by gondola and back; a full day if you hike up from Gucheondong.
• Winter kit: the summit is bitterly windy. Bring microspikes, warm gloves and spare layers. On snowy weekends gondola queues are long.
• Getting there: the main starting points are the Gucheondong visitor centre and Muju Deogyusan Resort. Public transport can be infrequent, so check times in a map app.