Bangtaesan hike info

Bangtaesan sits deep inside Inje County in Gangwon, at the end of a valley where buses rarely go. The summit, Jueokbong, stands at 1,445.7 m, and this is a mountain of thick forest rather than bare rock. From the car park to Idan Falls you walk beside a stream, and the trail steepens once you pass the falls. On a quiet day the water is louder than your footsteps.

On the summit ridge the forest path runs on toward Gurongdeokbong and Maebongnyeong, with layered ridges showing between tall trees. In autumn the colour climbs the stream valley; in winter the snow lies deep and the whole mountain goes silent. Many hikers sleep at the Bangtaesan recreation forest at the foot and climb in the morning.

It is a big mountain but not a tidied-up park. Public transport is thin and phone signal drops in the valleys, so fix your descent time and your ride back before you set out. The summit area is windy and 5-10 C colder than the car park.

From Seoul (BUS)

From Busan, Daegu and elsewhere (BUS)

To the trailhead (LOC)