Hallasan National Park
South Korea's highest mountain and Jeju's central volcano, with summit routes to Baengnokdam and shorter trails crossing sharply changing forest and volcanic terrain
Full-day summit hikes, shorter volcanic-landscape walks, seasonal forest scenery, alpine ecology and visitors who want to experience Jeju beyond its coast
A large seven-trail mountain network, with routes ranging from short lower-slope walks to the long Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa summit approaches
Hallasan changes around the walker for hours: broadleaf forest, higher-elevation woods, exposed slopes and finally Baengnokdam. That vertical range gives Jeju's central mountain its scale, with the crater lake as the final high point of a much longer transformation
Character
Start low on Hallasan and the trail can be enclosed by broadleaf forest. Higher up, oaks, fir and subalpine scrub take over before Baengnokdam opens at 1,950 metres. A single ascent compresses several ecological zones into one day on Jeju's central volcano
Plant communities change with altitude: warm-temperate forests occupy lower slopes, deciduous forest dominates much of the middle elevations, Korean fir appears higher up, and low subalpine vegetation takes over near the top. The mountain's height creates several Jejus stacked above one another
The experience
Hallasan has seven official trails: Seongpanak, Gwaneumsa, Eorimok, Yeongsil, Donnaeko, Eoseungsaengak and Seokguram. Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa are the long routes that reach Baengnokdam. The others give access to different slopes, plateaus and viewpoints without requiring a summit day
The summit routes demand an early start and a full hiking commitment. Seongpanak approaches through a long eastern ascent; Gwaneumsa is known for steeper terrain and deeper valley scenery. Yeongsil and Eorimok are especially useful when the goal is a shorter high-mountain experience, bringing walkers into open volcanic terrain below the summit. Weather can change quickly with elevation, and official entry cutoffs prevent late starts on higher sections
History
Hallasan is the central volcanic edifice of Jeju, surrounded by hundreds of smaller volcanic cones. Its crater lake, Baengnokdam, sits at the island's highest point, while lava, scoria and other volcanic landforms extend across the mountain and the island around it
Protection followed the mountain's ecological and geological importance. The Hallasan Natural Reserve was designated a Natural Monument in 1966, the mountain became a national park in 1970, and Jeju received UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status in 2002. In 2007, Hallasan Natural Reserve became one of the three components of the World Heritage property Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes
The protected mountain also preserves a remarkable altitudinal sequence of vegetation. A 2021 study in the Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science documented strong changes in forest composition with elevation on Hallasan, a pattern hikers encounter as the trail rises
Before you go
Decide first whether Baengnokdam is the objective. Summit access uses Seongpanak or Gwaneumsa and requires advance reservation for the controlled upper sections. A shorter Hallasan day can use Eorimok, Yeongsil, Donnaeko, Eoseungsaengak or Seokguram. Trail entry cutoffs change with season, so route choice and start time belong together. Weather and trail status should be checked on the official Hallasan system on the morning of the hike
- Hours
- Hallasan trails use route- and season-specific entry cutoffs; late entry to higher sections is restricted. Current trail status and cutoff times are published by the park management office
- Access
- Advance reservation is required for hikers using the controlled summit sections of Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa. Other official trails provide non-summit options without that summit reservation