Gongjaksan hike info

Gongjaksan is an 887 m hill rising out of the Hongcheon farmland. It is not tall, but from the Hongcheon river side the outline really does look like a bird with its head up, which is where the peacock name comes from. The summit is a pair of rocky crests side by side, and from there the whole Hongcheon basin lies below.

The foot of the mountain is arguably the bigger draw. The Sutasa valley path follows the stream for a loop of about an hour and a half, and Sutasa temple keeps volumes of the Worin Seokbo, a national treasure. Summer brings people to dip their feet in the stream, autumn fills the rocks with colour and old pines, and in spring royal azaleas bloom around the top.

The usual hike starts at Gongjakhyeon and goes up to the summit and back. If you have more legs in you, a traverse runs from Gongjakhyeon over Yaksubong and down to Sutasa. There are rope sections near the summit, and the Yaksubong side has so many ups and downs that your legs go before your lungs.

From Seoul (BUS)

From Busan, Daegu and elsewhere (BUS)

To the trailhead (LOC)