Things to Do at Hallasan National Park

Hallasan erupts straight from the sea in the middle of Jeju, and at 1,947 metres it is the highest point in South Korea. The whole island is basically this volcano and its skirts, a handy fact when you start the climb and realise the trail is simply grinding up the side of a shield volcano that last erupted around a thousand years ago. The lower slopes reek of damp pine and wet leaf litter, with the odd waft of warm volcanic rock when the sun hits the basalt. Higher up, the forest thins into wind-bent Korean firs (some dead-white skeletons standing in the mist) and the air thins enough that you feel it on the switchbacks. The summit cradles Baengnokdam, a crater lake whose name means 'white deer lake', and on a clear day you can stand on the rim and watch Jeju's coastline curve away on every side. Clear days are not the norm, though, and that is worth remembering before you set out. Cloud slams over the peak without warning, the temperature drops ten degrees, and what was a pleasant walk in shorts demands a windbreaker. That volatility is half the thrill: Hallasan weather is the single most-searched thing about this mountain for a reason. What usually shocks first-time hikers is how unlike a Korean national park Hallasan feels. No temples cling to cliff faces, no calligraphy scars boulders. It is a wild, slightly lonely mountain with shamanic shrines tucked in the undergrowth, roe deer stepping onto the trail at dawn, and a summit that feels earned. You will hear volcanic gravel crunch underfoot for hours, wind whistle through dead firs near the top, and little else.

Most visitors base themselves in Jeju City or Seogwipo and reach the trailheads by bus or rental car. Bus 281 connects Jeju City and Seogwipo via Seongpanak trailhead roughly every 20 minutes. It is the cheapest option and budget-friendly even with a return ticket. Gwaneumsa trailhead has less frequent service - bus 475 from Jeju City runs only a handful of times daily, so check the timetable the night before or you will be hitchhiking. A taxi from Jeju City to Seongpanak takes about 35 minutes and costs mid-range. If you are doing the popular cross-mountain hike (up Gwaneumsa, down Seongpanak, or vice versa), a rental car is awkward because you finish at a different trailhead - taxis from Seongpanak back to Gwaneumsa parking are easy enough to flag.