During the fall season, South Korea’s landscapes transform into a mesmerizing tapestry of red, orange, and gold, making it a prime destination for fall foliage enthusiasts. In this article, we’ll cover the top five places in South Korea where you can immerse yourself in the autumn foliage, with locations spread out across the country.
With the countdown clock to the premier hiking season winding down, lets explore some mountains worth putting on your bucket-list for fall foliage in South Korea – according to both my own personal accounts and the overwhelming majority of Korean hikers.
1. Mt. Seoraksan
Seoraksan National Park is celebrated for its stunning natural beauty, including granite peaks, dense forests, and pristine waterfalls. In the fall, the park transforms into a vibrant combination of red, orange, and yellow foliage, attracting visitors from around the world. It’s a perfect destination for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers, offering picturesque hiking trails and cultural treasures like ancient temples.
You can savor the enchanting orange and yellow autumn views whether you prefer to discover the fall foliage from the valley, traverse the numerous hiking trails, or ride the cable car.
This is the must hike autumn trip that I try to make every year. If you can only go to one mountain, I would recommend Seoraksan (even with how crowded it gets!).
- Guide on the Main Peak + Dinosaur Ridge
- Guide on the Dinosaur Ridge
- Guide to the full Seoraksan ridgeline
- Guide on the easier hike Ulsanbawi
- Guide to the famous waterfall hike: Towangseong
- Guide to the view of Ulsanbawi rocks: Seongindae
- Guide to the best water-valley course: Heullimgol
- Guide to the lesser known wildflower trail: Gombaeryeom
Non-hiking Guides:
- Guide to the Seoraksan Cable Car
- Visiting a local landmark: Naksansa Temple
2. Mt. Naejangsan
Naejangsan National Park, located in the southwestern part of South Korea, is a natural wonder renowned for its captivating beauty and rich cultural heritage. This pristine park encompasses lush forests, cascading waterfalls, and vibrant autumn foliage, making it a cherished destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
I have yet to make the journey during the fall season, but it is extremely popular among Korean hikers (my hiking group has reserved 5+ buses in 2023 to meet the Korean demand to see this park for peak weekend). The park is most famous for its 8 peak course, which brings you along the park’s ridge line, ending at the impressive Baekyangsa temple, located on the above pictured lake.
3. Mt. Juwangsan
Juwangsan National Park, located in the mid-northeastern part of South Korea, is a picturesque haven of natural beauty and outdoor adventure. It’s a fun park to explore with the first 500 meters of course has walking along boardwalks through large rock formations and water features. Coupled with its long food street leading to the above temple, this is more than just a hike on a pretty mountain. The park is most famous for its dinosaur egg like granite slabs, which only become more impressive the closer you get to them on the trail.
- Guide to hiking in Juwangsan National Park
- Weekend Getaway: Exploring the City of Andong and hiking Juwangsan
- Fantastic Pension Getaway near Juwangsan National Park
3. Mt. Jirisan
It’s safe to assume that any list that has ‘best of hiking’ of any category will have Jirisan National park listed on it, and fall foliage is no exception. Whether is be exploring one of the valleys, hiking to the two ‘main peak’ areas or doing the epic 40km backpacking trip, the fall foliage is something special.
As a former resident of Suncheon (in Jeollanam-do) I can say that this is a great local spot to go to be completely surrounded by the leaves for a simple valley hike.
The only downside is that because of its location and high elevation the start to peak time period for the foliage is extremely short, so it’s hard to catch the leaves before they have began to turn brown. Also, like Seoraksan National Park, peak season in the valley and the peak are quite different.
- Guide for Jirisan Day Trip options
- Guide for Jirisan via public transportation
- Guide for 3-day 2-night Jirisan Backpacking
- Guide to hiking the Jirisan Ridgeline in 1 day
5. Mt. Sobaeksan
Sobaeksan National Park, situated in central South Korea, beckons avid hikers with its rugged terrain and scenic trails. One of its most captivating features is the array of grassy peaks that adorn the park’s landscape, providing breathtaking vistas and a rewarding hiking experience.
This hike doesn’t have the most dramatic leaf views like Seoraksan or Naejangsan, but it’s an iconic spot. It’s number five on the list, beating out other beautiful and well known fall foliage mountains, because these grassy peaks are a special feature of South Korean mountains. An exploration of Korea’s autumn time charms would be incomplete without at least one grassy peak mountain.
- Guide for Sobaeksan Hike and surrounding area
- A photo gallery of Sobaeksan in Fall and Spring
Happy Trekking!
-Aurora
