Gayasan National Park

One of the beautiful sights I've captured during my first climb to the spectacular Gayasan National Park! I surely would do it again and again.

Introduction

Gayasan National Park of South Korea offers some of the most spectacular scenery in South Korea, with dense forests, cascading waterfalls and deep valleys. The landscape also features an array of wildlife including rare species.

Gayasan National Park is an important site for cultural and religious ceremonies, with many beautiful temples and shrines located in the area.

Visitors to the park can also enjoy a range of activities such as hiking and camping. With its stunning natural beauty and wealth of activities available, Gayasan National Park is a must-see destination in South Korea.

The park's nearby areas also offers a range of accommodation options, ranging from traditional Korean style lodgings to modern hotels. There are plenty of restaurants serving local cuisine and other delicious dishes in the area.

For those looking to experience something unique, you can take part in shamanistic rituals or try your hand at some traditional Korean meditation.

There is something for everyone in Gayasan National Park and visitors are sure to have a memorable experience during their stay. Whether you are looking for adventure, cultural exploration or some quality relaxation time, this stunning park has it all.

So come explore the majestic beauty of Gayasan National Park.

gayasan national park

Gayasan National Park (or Gaya Mountain National Park "가야산 국립공원") is one of the top parks in South Korea. It is a mountain park consists of various peaks, most of which are over 1,000 meters above sea level.

This is my fourth national park hiking destination, and I so love it. See the photos I took, below, so that you will have more ideas on how this park looks like.

Gayasan, designated as National Park number nine, stretches its spectacular tops of the Taebaek Mountains from east to west. Sangwangbong Peak is Gayasan Mountain’s second highest peak, just 3 meters shy with Chilbulbong Peak (1433 meters high).

Watch the video, below, if you wish to see more ocular descriptions on the highest parts of the mountain...

TRANSLATION: Chilbulbong means “Seven Buddhas Peak.” It is standing just a couple of hundreds of meters from Sangwangbong Peak.

Many fantastic hiking trails are accessible in Gayasan. The park is open all year round except for some trails and areas due to particular reasons (such as preservation, conservation period).

As an ideal park for outdoor activities, many hikers and travelers spend days hiking, camping, relaxing, photography, among others. That’s because Gayasan is very accessible from various points in the country.

Entrance is FREE except when entering exclusive sites (e.g. through Haeinsa Temple).

Gayasan's Sangwangbong Peak taken from Chilbulbong Peak

exciting descriptions

The name ‘Gaya’ is a name after a town in India called Gaya. It is believed that Buddha reached enlightenment in Gaya. The term gaya is the Sanskrit for ‘cow.’ Locals agree that the peaks of this national park resemble a cow’s head.

Gayasan National Park (가야산 국립공원) is one of the oldest and first parks designated by the government at that time due to its stunning landscape, national heritage, and natural treasures.

Personally, I love the rock formations which I can only imagine but did not believe I could find them there.

The refreshing looks of the streams and creeks are very calming and inviting.

Aside from the natural beauty of Gayasan National Park, you can also find human-made structures and sites for entertainment and exploration.

View of a temple area on Gayasan Mountain

A sturdy pine tree within the granite rocks

Taken from the peak of Gayasan Mountain - Chilbulbong Peak

A rock formation that looks like a huge boulder visible along the way back to Haeinsa Temple

At Gayasan National Park, some special-looking rocks are like this one

My ascent started from this hotel visible below

Wooden and metal steps are available in very step rocky sides of the park

Amazing rock formations along the steep trail

I passed that trail... I'm moving higher!

Yes, I passed that peak some 30 minutes ago. I didn't stop to take that photo but to rest, then I saw that spectacle! Totally amazing! I just thought that maybe I could enjoy better its sight if I stayed longer... But I had to move on reach the peak on time.

Passing through the 'eye of the needle'(s) is one of the things you need to accomplish on this mountain!

There are many trail paths that pass through narrow spaces. I believe that the experts who built such paths ensured that hikers should pass through challenging but exciting paths, turns, corners...

I took that photo (above) because I thought that the shapes of the huge rocks on both sides have very interesting forms--they look like well-shaven solid rocks almost looking like walls!

They look fantastic but intimidating at the same time. Because they could flatten down anything if it happens that they roll down!

Wooden steps on the cliff with great sights of the Gayasan's rocky mountain peaks

Above, looks really nice but it was pretty scary because that wooden steps and railings were built on the cliff of that mountain side. There are nothing below the steps but supporting iron bars.

On the highest peak of Gayasan National Park - Chilbulbong Peak "Seven Buddhas Peak" (1,433 meters above sea level)

Yeheyyy... Yes, I made it to the highest peak of Gayasan National Park (가야산 국립공원). The day was perfect--some clouds but sunny and the temperature was temperate.

I took that shot from Chilbulbong Peak--the highest peak of Gayasan Mountain range. Around a couple of hundred meters from where I was standing is the Sangwangbong Peak, which is only 3 meters shy with Chilbulbong Peak.

Trail guide at Gayasan National Park. (Right click the image to see the larger size)

But the highlight of the park should not be missed - Haeinsa Temple. You may hike Gayasan National Park from any point, and you may decide to end the hike at this temple.

Alternatively, you may start your hike from this temple and finishes somewhere else. Me? I decided to start from a challenging trail and end up at Haeinsa Temple and took the bus to return home.

Alright… back to Heinsa.

The temple is considered “one of the three most famous temples in South Korea.” Among the (religious) attractions of this temple area is the Tripitaka Koreana (Treasure No.32), a library of over 80,000 wood blocks and considered one of the oldest and most prominent in the world.

Daeungjeon Hall, Haeinsa Temple, Gayasan National Park

At Haeinsa Temple, you will discover lots of fantastic scenery, old temples, ancient Buddhist items inside and outside the temples.

Haeinsa Temple is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage. Among other cultural treasures, you can find the Jangkyunggak (Treasure No.52), Stone Buddha Figure (Treasure No. 518), Banya Temple Gyeonwangsa Monument (Treasure No. 128), and more.

available facilities

Once you are around Haeinsa Temple area, you can find everything you would need, the basic ones anyway, for your sojourn with friends or family in the park. Some of them are the following...

Parking Area
Camping Area
Hiking trail by the creek
Washrooms
Mountain Park Management/Information Center
Cafes
Food Stalls
Convenient shops
Restaurant
Street Food (local produce)

Path in the woods near Haeinsa Temple

Haeinsa Temple Information Centre

Road gate to Haeinsa Temple in Gayasan National Park

useful info

Other information related to Gayasan National Park (가야산 국립공원) are available at the link provided for you below...

Website: Visit Korea Site

Getting to Gayasan National Park

South Korea’s efficient transport system makes it much quicker for travelers to move around with various choices and can save much time.

To get to Gayasan, one can either take a bus or a combination of public transports depending on your point of departure. Here are the possible travel transports…

Bus from Hapcheon Intercity Bus Terminal
Take a bus from this terminal to Haeinsa Temple and then get off at its entrance area. The city bus runs only 8 times a day. The ride takes an hour each way.

Bus from Daegu Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal
At this terminal, take a bus that goes to Haeinsa Temple and then get off at its last stop. A bus departs every 20 minutes and takes an hour to reach the temple area.

Taxi from Daegu Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal
A taxi can take you from this terminal to Hongryudong Ticket Office within 40 minutes.

Dong Daegu Bus Terminal to Daegu Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal
More intercity and express buses travel in and out from this terminal. You can take a subway from here to Daegu Seobu Terminal then transfer to a bus from Haeinsa Temple. It takes around 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to the temple area.