Geumosan Mountain

Geumosan is a 976-metre rocky mountain rising right behind the city of Gumi, and in 1970 it became Korea's first provincial park. A cable car takes you halfway up, where a waterfall, a cliff-face cave and a Goryeo-era rock-carved Buddha follow one after another, so you can see the highlights without a full hike. It has long been counted among the Eight Scenic Views of the Yeongnam region.

The shape of the mountain

Geumosan straddles Gumi, Chilgok County and Gimcheon, with the highest peak, Hyeonwolbong, in the east and other summits such as Yaksabong and Bobong. Its core is made of Cretaceous volcanic rock, and research suggests the area is a caldera, formed when the ground collapsed after volcanic eruptions. That explains why gentle farmland at its foot gives way to sheer cliffs and rocky ridges higher up. The mountain is also known as the birthplace of Korea's nature conservation movement.

What to see

• Chaemijeong (Scenic Site): a pavilion by the stream at the park entrance. It was built in 1768 to honour the scholar Gil Jae (1353–1419), who refused to serve the new Joseon dynasty after the fall of Goryeo and lived in retreat below Geumosan. Its setting of clear water and woodland is protected as a Scenic Site, and the Guinjae lecture hall stands behind it.
• Cable car and Daehye Falls: the cable car makes Daehye (Myeonggeum) Falls an easy trip, and Haeunsa Temple is close to the falls.
• Doseongul Cave: a natural cave in the cliffs above Daehye Falls and one of the mountain's best-known sights.
• Rock-carved Standing Buddha (Treasure): a 5.5-metre Goryeo-period Buddha carved into a corner of the rock. Its body is spread across two faces of the rock on either side of the edge, an unusual composition.
• Yaksaam: a hermitage near the summit that hikers usually visit on the way to the top.

Good to know

Former president Park Chung-hee was born at the eastern foot of the mountain, and several monuments linked to him stand on its slopes. In 2001 Geumosan became the first natural park in Korea certified under the ISO 14001 environmental management standard.

Geumosan in numbers

The park covers about 37.65 km². Besides the highest peak, Hyeonwolbong, there are Yaksabong (958 m), Bobong (933 m), Manbong (873 m) to the south and Seobong (851 m) to the west. According to research, the Geumosan caldera measures about 3.5 by 5.6 km and sank unevenly, by about 350 m in the north and 600 m in the south. Ring-shaped rhyolite dykes around its rim mark the cracks where magma rose and solidified as the ground collapsed.

The KTX runs underneath

The Gyeongbu high-speed railway does not pass through central Gumi; instead it tunnels under Geumosan. To reach Gumi by KTX you get off at Gimcheon-Gumi Station and continue from there.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: allow two to three hours for Chaemijeong, the cable car and Daehye Falls, and five to six hours to reach the rock Buddha and the summit.
• Parking: there is a car park at the park entrance. Check fees and cable car hours on the Gumi city website.
• Best time: spring greenery and autumn foliage. Just after the rainy season Daehye Falls carries the most water.
• Watch out: the trails towards Doseongul and the summit are rocky, so wear hiking boots and plan to be down before dark.