Naejangsan

In autumn, the maples on both sides of the road into Naejangsan meet overhead and form a red tunnel. The mountain, 763 m high on the border of Jeongeup and Sunchang, has been famous for its autumn colour for more than 500 years. On peak days nearly 100,000 people come, and once you see it you understand why.

History and name: the mountain of hidden things

It was originally called Yeongeunsan after Yeongeunsa, the temple that once stood at its heart. Later it became Naejangsan, meaning roughly "the mountain with endless treasures hidden inside". A Joseon geography, the Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam, is said to list its autumn foliage among the eight great views of Joseon.

On 17 November 1971, together with the Baegyangsa area to the south, it became Korea's 8th national park. The park spans Jeongeup, Sunchang and Jangseong and also includes Baegamsan and the Ibamsanseong fortress.

What to see

• The nine peaks: the highest, Sinseonbong (763 m), Kkachibong (717 m), Yeonjibong (670 m) and six others form a horseshoe around Naejangsa Temple. The full ridge circuit takes 4–7 hours.
• Naejangsa and the maple road: the road leading to the temple glows red in autumn. Many of the trees are small-leaved "baby maples", so the colour is dense.
• Uhwajeong: a pavilion that seems to float on its pond, the most photographed scene of the foliage season.
• Cable car: runs from near the visitor centre to the flank of Yeonjabong. About 300 m from the top station is a viewing deck over the whole park.
• Protected maple: a single maple 16.87 m tall was declared a Natural Monument in 2021 as the emblem of Naejangsan's foliage.

Good to know

When the Japanese invaded in 1592, the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and the portrait of King Taejo stored at the Jeonju archive were carried up into Naejangsan. Two Jeongeup scholars, An Ui and Son Hong-nok, heard that Japanese troops were heading for Jeonju, moved the books to mountain hermitages and kept watch in turns until they were taken to Jeongeup in July 1593. All the other copies burned during the war, so the Annals, now on UNESCO's Memory of the World register, survive thanks to them. Excavations confirmed the sites of the three hermitages where the books were kept, and in 2015 they became a provincial monument.

Tripto tips

• Foliage season: colours usually peak from late October to early November. Traffic backs up to the park entrance, so park in the car parks and take the national park shuttle bus. By public transport, take the KTX to Jeongeup Station and a city bus for about 30 minutes.
• Cable car: runs roughly every 20 minutes off-season and continuously in the foliage season. Sources give the return fare as KRW 8,000 or KRW 10,000, so check on site. Advance booking is not possible.
• Entry: there is no national park entrance fee. Trails may close in bad weather.
• Time: 2–3 hours for Uhwajeong, the temple and the cable car; a full day if you add the ridge.
• Other seasons: spring cherry blossoms and azaleas or winter snow scenes are lovely too, and far less crowded.

Nearby

• Baegyangsa: a large temple below Baegamsan in the southern part of the same national park, an easy pairing for a foliage trip.
• Naejangsan Maple Ecology Park: a maple-themed ecology park near the entrance.