Best trails in Gyeongju National Park

I started the Gyeongju village area walking, so I added on a couple miles. It was stunning to walk through the rice fields! The hike itself was gorgeous and peaceful. Don’t forget water! I agree with others that the last part required a lot of bouldering skill. I’m pretty good at it, but still had to be cautious descending. All and all I loved it!

The trail listed here is really amazing. It was well marked and well maintained. The best part is all of the 8th century artifacts you can see along the way up. Those areas are well marked and maintained as well and require going off on smaller side paths in order to see. This is a beautiful trail. I went in the afternoon shortly after it rained and it wasn’t too slippery going up. The “false peak” has beautiful views - the real peak doesn’t but is still nice to go to. The trail is very shaded and in the woods, so while there is no direct sunlight it can get a bit humid. This trail was my favorite activity I did on my trip to Gyeongju. I went down the “Yongjanggol” valley path which was a lot different. The artifacts (multiple stone pagodas and the foundation of an ancient temple) were also amazing and unique and if you are determined to see as many as possible I do recommend this trail. That being said, especially after a day of intense rain, this path was quite difficult and at times bordered on dangerous. It was a lot less well marked and maintained than the way up and required a lot of balance and strength in order to navigate. It was very slippery and required multiple stream crossings. At one point the path totally disappeared and the only way forward was on a slippery rock bank next to a heavily flowing river. The path was also very buggy, so apply bug spray. The good thing about this path is that the end is quite close to the bus stop so it’s easy to get back into town. If it has recently rained or you’re not confident in your balance I recommend just doing the path here out and back.