Hiking Inwangsan

Who would have thought when heading to Seoul, one of the largest cities in the world, that our favorite activity would be hiking? And not urban hiking like walking up a hill in a park then grabbing a latte. Real, nature, steep trail, mountain climbing hiking.

Hiking has always been one of our favorite travel activities. It’s free, provides a great opportunity to stumble upon the beauty and hidden gems of a place, and lets us mingle with locals.

Also we just really like hiking.

Last weekend our friend Jon visited us. We were going to head to Bukhansan and check an item off our leaving list, but scheduled rain made the thought of scrambling up steep rocks a lot less appealing. Instead we headed out for a new hike.

Inwangsan overlooks the center of Seoul and provides vast views of surrounding mountains interspersed with sites like N. Seoul Tower and Gyeongbokgung Palace. The trail at the top is also lined with the Seoul Fortress Wall.

Somewhere along the mountain is a military base, so guys with guns at the top will discourage you from taking pictures in certain directions, and there are some cameras (poorly) disguised as logs or bird houses. Even so, this was a quick hike that provided a view of the city, some nature, and even a temple in a quick hour-long jaunt.

I’m getting all sentimental about leaving Korea. With our time waning here, I’m full with the knowledge that each experience will be the last. Which, really, is true of any experience. It’s a good reminder to be thankful and present always.

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How to Get There

Seoul Subway Line 3 – Muakjae Station – Take Exit 1 and turn right. Turn right on Dong Il Ro 34-Gil. Continue straight up the road and you’ll dead end at the temple. There are stairs leading up to the main trails stating at the temple (Hwangwaesa).