Whether you are living near Daegu or want to expand your Korean vacation to see some of the more ‘countryside’ cities, this guide can help you pick your next Daegu hiking adventure.
After 1 year of living in the Daegu suburbs, I was able to hike all the mountains surrounding Daegu. From these experiences, I’ve picked the best of the best. Each mountain has something special to offer – whether it be a festival, unique view or a feature such as a cable car. I’ve written more detailed guides / reviews for each of these mountains, so this article’s purpose is to help you understand your opinions!
1. Mt. Biseulsan
If you only hike one mountain near Daegu,
hike Biseulsan
Biseulsan is the undisputed top mountain to hike near Daegu and makes many people’s top 3 spring hiking locations for all of South Korea. This moderately difficult mountain has a bowl like valley (pictured above) which is completely covered in rhododendron bushes. There is a festival dedicated to the flowers – drawing thousands of hikers each spring. Even if you can’t arrange a spring hike, it is an excellent hike the rest of the year. The trails are well made and maintained – complete with numerous benches and structures to relax and eat in, as well as a nice temple – giving this hike true exploration potential.
- A Guide on Hiking Biseulsan
- This mountain is on the Blackyak 100 Mountain Challenge!
2. Mt. Geumosan
Located just north of Daegu in the satellite town, Gimcheon, Mt. Geumosan is both an excellent place to enjoy a walk around a lake as well as a moderately difficult hike with lovely views. The hike itself is nice with easy to follow trails, a large open peak, and a unique mountain temple with a bell on an island like rock connected by a bridge. Another special feature is the Geumo Stream which is lined with cherry blossoms and runs from the lake into town. Together the lake, stream, higher end cafes and restaurants makes his park an excellent date or family day spot as well.
- A Guide on hiking Geumosan
- This mountain is also on the Blackyak 100 Mountain Challenge!
3. Mt. Palgongsan
Mt. Palgongsan – soon to be called Palgongsan National Park – has both the hardest courses on this list but also the most diverse hiking options. Whether is be a journey to the peak, a trek to Gatbawi Temple or hiking all 20+ km of the ridge, there are a lot of different hiking options offered within this park. Located just north of the city, Mt. Palgongsan can be reached fairly easily by public transportation as well. A weird feature of this park is that you can see the fighter jets fly over head.
- A Guide on Hiking Palgongsan
- A Guide on Hiking Palgongsan’s Gatbawi Temple Course
4. Mt. Hwawangsan
Located south of Daegu, Mt. Hwawangsan isn’t well know by the foreigner hiking community but is on a lot of Korean hikers’ must see list. This is because it’s peak was once the site of a castle. All that remains today are the stone wall sections that you can walk around (a 1km loop course at the peak). There is a smaller rhododendron festival here in the spring, and the fall attracts many tourists as the bowl like peak’s long grasses looks great in photos.
- A Guide on Hiking Hwawangsan
- This mountain is on the Blackyak 100 Mountain Challenge!
5. Mt. Apsan
Both the easiest and most convenient to get to, Mt. Apsan offers the best view over the city landscape. As well as having a cable car, making it friendly to all fitness levels. Trails are wide, popular and safe. This is by far the most ‘tourist’ friendly hike. There are add on options with this hike as well. Such as a 15km trail that connects Mt. Biseulsan to Mt. Apsan, so trail runners are able to do both in one day, all by public transportation.
If you want to support my blog or get yourself some cool Korean national park swag, please consider checking out my Etsy shop! I make Korean camping and hiking souvenirs!
Happy Trekking!
-Aurora
