Mt. Inwangsan | Hiking in Seoul
Still familiarizing myself with the new surroundings. Decided to hike up Mt. Inwangsan yesterday to make the most of the beautiful weather. I hopped out Dongnimmun Station (Exit 2), wove my way up past Inwangsa Temple right up to the 338m summit, and then worked my way down through Sajik Park on the other side.
Often referred to as ‘Benevolent King Mountain’ and ‘White Tiger Mountain’, the latter due to the sightings of tigers crossing its cliffs long ago and the fact that it sits to the west of Gyeongbokgung (the colour corresponding to the west is white, animal is tiger), the steep granite escarpments of Inwangsan are home to the country’s most important shamanistic shrine.
For more information, I recommend checking out David Mason’s excellent write-up.
Hello there, I chanced upon your website while googling Inwangsan. I’m interested to do a hiking trail of the mountain when I visit Seoul coming Saturday. What do you recommend I bring along for the hike? It seems pretty serious when it comes to Bukhansan (rubberised glovers, hiking shoes, lots of layers of clothes etc). And how did you know you have arrived at Sanjik Park?
Thanks for stopping by. I hiked to the summit in just over an hour. Bukhansan is a much longer effort and involves hauling a great deal more gear. I’d pack plenty of water and some warm clothes just in case. I live right at the base of Mt. Inwangsan so I’m familiar with the surrounding area. Sajik Park is a nice entry point.
Facing the park entrance, walk left until you reach the road and make a right. Follow it up and turn left at the first street. That will wind up past the community center and lead to a great alternative entry point. It’s not far from where I snapped this shot.