Bukhansan National Park, 북한산국립공원

Saturday we had the pleasure of getting out of Seoul and driving to Bukhansan National Park. This park is just north of Seoul and is the "Most Visited National Park per Unit Area" with 5 million visitors per year, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.  Thankfully park management has rest periods or sabbaticals for different trails and areas of the park so the ecosystem can recover from all the visitors. The park was busy and while the hike to the top was somewhat private, the hike down was fairly crowded. At one particularly steep point there was even a line of us.

We took the Bukhansanseong Trail to the Bogukmun or Castle Gate.  The trail is only 2.4 km but it is 2.4 km of stone steps uphill.  I really do not think I am this out of shape but again found myself stopping every 10 minutes just to catch my breath.

At the top there is a gate and a stone or fortress wall originally built in 1676.  The wall runs up the ridge line 2 miles. The view of the city at the top was breathtaking. I know that Seoul is a city of 12 million but seeing it from this vantage really gives you a sense of just how BIG this city really is.

I found that everyone on the trail was friendly, with several younger Koreans practicing their English on us. Most of the hikers we saw took their hiking very seriously with proper hiking boots, gear and hiking sticks. I even felt a little under dressed without the hiking stick.  But it was worth the drive and even with all the people there was just enough solitude to feel as though I had reconnected with nature.