Mireuksan hike info

Mireuksan rises in the middle of Mireukdo, the island connected to Tongyeong by a bridge and an undersea tunnel. It is only 458 m, but it climbs straight from the water, so it feels taller. From the summit rocks you can follow Hansando, Bijindo and Geojedo island after island, and on clear days people say Tsushima shows on the horizon. A stone beacon platform, where signal fires were once lit, still sits on the rocky knob beside the top.

Temples are scattered up the slopes: Yonghwasa, Gwaneumsa, Dosolam and Mireuksa sit between the trees, true to a name that means the Buddha of the future. Azaleas spread along the ridge in spring and maples come down the slope in autumn. Many people time their climb for sunset over the southern sea.

Think of two ways up. Ride the cable car from Donam-dong to the upper station, then walk about 15 minutes to the top. Or walk from Yonghwasa through the Mireukjae pass, the most used route. Either way, the summit is a few degrees colder and windier than the town.

From Seoul (BUS)

From Busan, Daegu and elsewhere (BUS)

To the trailhead (LOC)