Palgongsan hike info

Palgongsan curves around the north of Daegu like a folding screen. The highest point, Birobong, is 1,192 m, with Dongbong and Seobong stretching along the ridge on either side. A bus from the city centre drops you at Donghwasa in 30-40 minutes, so for locals this is both a weekend stroll and a proper hike.

Two scenes define it. One is the Gatbawi Buddha, a stone figure in a flat hat sitting on the Gwanbong summit at about 850 m; around exam season, people climb the stairs before dawn to ask for a wish. The other is the rocky ridge behind Donghwasa, past Yeombulam hermitage and up to Dongbong, where Birobong and Seobong line up in one view.

The true summit area holds military facilities and broadcast towers, so you cannot just walk up and pose at the marker. Most hikers aim for Dongbong instead, which has the better view. Autumn colour begins in the Donghwasa valley in late October.

From Seoul (KTX)

From Busan and elsewhere (BUS)

To the trailhead (LOC)