Hallasan hike info

Hallasan is a volcano at the heart of Jeju Island and the highest point in South Korea. At the top, Baengnokdam is a crater lake. From the coast it looks like a broad, gentle shield, but on the way up you watch forest give way to dwarf bamboo grass and then black basalt cliffs. Unlike mountains on the mainland, you can see the sea from nearly everywhere on it.

Every season looks different. In early May azaleas spread across the Witseoreum plateau, and from mid-October to early November the Yeongsil valley and the Seongpanak forest turn red and gold. In winter snow piles up to the waist and the photos are spectacular, but you cannot walk without crampons. Cloud sits on the summit on many days, so a clear view of the lake takes some luck.

Only two trails, Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa, reach the crater, and both need a booking. Yeongsil and Eorimok stop at the Witseoreum plateau, need no reservation, and make a good half-day hike. Wherever you start, the summit is much colder and windier than the coast.

From Seoul (CJU)

From Busan, Daegu and elsewhere (CJU)

To the trailhead (LOC)