Korea Nat'l Park Service highlights 85 walking trails offering easy escape

The Cloud Garden Trail at Bukhansan National Park spanning parts of Seoul and Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of Korea National Park Service

The Korea National Park Service (KNPS) has selected 85 easy-walking trails across the country's 24 national parks, encouraging residents to take advantage of accessible natural spaces ahead of Family Month in May.

The trails were chosen based on four criteria: gradients not exceeding 10 percent, well-maintained surfaces free of major obstacles, round-trip durations of no more than four hours and scenic surroundings such as forests, lakes, valleys and coastlines. Korea's 24 national parks are distributed evenly nationwide, with most accessible within one to two hours from major residential areas.

In the Seoul metropolitan area, the Bukhansan Cloud Garden Trail tops the list, offering a roughly 5-kilometer ridge walk with simultaneous views of the cityscape and surrounding nature. Also highlighted in the region are the Bukhansan Pilgrimage Trail, the Bukhansan Chunguii Trail and the tranquil Uireong Trail.

In Gangwon, the ancient fir forest path at Odaesan National Park is praised for its flat, roughly 1-kilometer course suitable for all ages. Other notable Gangwon options include the Seoraksan Yongso Falls Trail, the Baekdamsa Nature Observation Trail and the Chiaksan Geumgang Pine Trail.

In the Chungcheong and Daejeon region, the Woraksan Akeo Peak Trail rewards hikers with a distinctive lakeside panorama from its summit. The Songnisan Hwayangdong Valley Trail, the Gyeryongsan Donghaksa and Sutongol trails, and the Taean Coast Sunset Trail round out the area's offerings.

In North Jeolla Province, the Deogyusan Chiryeon Falls Trail provides 3 kilometers of streamside walking in Muju. In South Jeolla, the Mudeungsan Maple Tunnel Trail stretches 7.4 kilometers through a canopy of maple trees. In the Daegu and North Gyeongsang region, the Sobaeksan Dalbatgol Trail follows a 10-kilometer cultural route lined with pine trees and traditional rooftops.

In Busan and South Gyeongsang, the Geumjeongsan South Gate Trail offers sweeping views of the coast and city.

Full details on all 85 trails, including distance, estimated time and difficulty level, are available at knps.or.kr.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.