Dutasan hike info

Dutasan rises between the cities of Donghae and Samcheok at about 1,357 m. Its ridge is where the Baekdudaegan spine slides down toward the East Sea, and on its north side opens Mureung Valley. You walk in and hit Mureung Banseok first, a granite slab the size of a football field, with cliffs standing up behind it like a folding screen.

Most people never reach the summit; the valley holds them first. There is Samhwasa temple, falls one after another, the Beteul Rock viewpoint peering down a rock-walled gorge, and the Macheonru deck bolted onto a cliff face. The summit lies beyond all that, a long way up, so the top is far quieter.

Autumn colour reaches the valley from mid-October, and the gorge stays cool even in midsummer. The summit is windy and runs 5-10 C colder than the base, so pack accordingly.

From Seoul (BUS)

From Busan, Daegu and elsewhere (BUS)

To the trailhead (LOC)

• From Seoul: Bus ~3h + city bus
• Best time: Oct colour, summer valley
• Fees and parking: Entry ~4,000, parking 2,000 won
• Signal and huts: Patchy at top; no huts
• Emergency: 119; office 033-530-2802