Bukhansan Dulle-gil: Planning a Two-Day Trek Near Seoul

Daily · Published 1/24/2023 ·

Bukhansan Dulle-gil is a low-lying, level walking path created by connecting and refining existing side trails so you can stroll gently around the foothills of Bukhansan. Of the total 71.5 km, the 45.7 km stretch covering the Seoul city sections and the Uiryeong-gil route opened on September 7, 2010, and the remaining 25.8 km opened on June 30, 2011. A trail where people and nature walk as one, the Dulle-gil weaves together waterways, dirt paths, forest trails, and village walkways into 21 distinct themed sections. Easy for anyone to enjoy, it’s a path that preserves our precious natural heritage while letting you experience history, culture, and ecology along the way.

Source — Bukhansan National Park, Bukhansan Dulle-gil website

Prologue

I love long-distance trekking. Setting aside a whole day — or a night and two days — and just walking straight through is great exercise for both body and mind, and it does wonders for stress. The trouble is, taking on a long hike or trail course somewhere like Jirisan or Seoraksan National Park means spending a lot just to get there. And the transportation is a real hassle, too. So I started wondering: isn’t there somewhere near Seoul where I could do a long trek? Somewhere I could reach by public transit without committing to a long haul? Do I really have to hop on a bus or train to get anywhere? And wouldn’t you know it — there is. And it’s right on my doorstep.

First, I put together an overview of the whole route. There are elevation figures and estimated times, and although most of the areas are unfamiliar to me, I worked it out based on the one neighborhood I do know (Eunpyeong-gu) — and I padded the time estimates very conservatively. I think you could probably cut them by 30–40%. If you set aside the Uiryeong course, which has to be reserved in advance, as optional, the total distance comes to about 64.7 km — which, for a two-day, one-night trek, could be a really pleasant distance. With a well-planned strategy, knocking it out in a single day might even be doable. But since I’d worry about overdoing it, the two-day, one-night option looks the nicest to me.

Trail Name

Distance

Time

Difficulty

1. Sonamu-gil (Pine Tree Path)

3.1

90

Easy

2. Sullye-gil (Pilgrimage Path)

2.3

70

Easy

3. Huingureum-gil (White Cloud Path)

4.1

120

Moderate

4. Solsaem-gil (Pine Spring Path)

2.1

60

Easy

5. Myeongsang-gil (Meditation Path)

2.4

70

Hard

6. Pyeongchang Maeul-gil (Pyeongchang Village Path)

5

150

Moderate

7. Yetseong-gil (Old Fortress Path)

2.7

100

Moderate

8. Gureum Jeongwon-gil (Cloud Garden Path)

5.2

150

Moderate

9. Masil-gil (Visiting Path)

1.5

45

Easy

10. Naesi Myoyeok-gil (Eunuch Tomb Path)

3.5

105

Easy

11. Hyoja-gil (Devoted Son Path)

3.3

90

Easy

12. Chungui-gil (Loyalty Path)

3.7

105

Moderate

13. Songchu Maeul-gil (Songchu Village Path)

5

150

Easy

14. Sanneomi-gil (Over-the-Mountain Path)

2.3

70

Hard

15. Angol-gil (Inner Valley Path)

4.7

140

Moderate

16. Boru-gil (Fortress Outpost Path)

2.9

90

Hard

17. Darakwon-gil

3.1

90

Easy

18. Dobong Yet-gil (Dobong Old Path)

3.1

90

Easy

19. Banghak-dong-gil

3.1

90

Moderate

20. Wangsil Myoyeok-gil (Royal Tomb Path)

1.6

45

Easy

21. Uiryeong-gil

6.8

210

Moderate

The trails have such lovely names. I looked up the section map for each one.

1. Sonamu-gil (Pine Tree Path), 3.1 km, 90 min, Difficulty: Easy

This path starts at the entrance to Uiryeong-gil and heads downward.

2. Sullye-gil (Pilgrimage Path), 2.3 km, 70 min, Difficulty: Easy

Since you’re walking around Bukhansan rather than up it, you shouldn’t have to deal with much in the way of elevation change.

3. Huingureum-gil (White Cloud Path), 4.1 km, 120 min, Difficulty: Moderate

Still in Gangbuk-gu here. I’ll keep walking, pass through Gangbuk-gu, and head toward Eunpyeong.

4. Solsaem-gil (Pine Spring Path), 2.1 km, 60 min, Difficulty: Easy

Before you know it, walking the fourth course brings you over to the Jeongneung area — that’s Jongno-gu. You should get good views of the mountain ridges on both sides.

5. Myeongsang-gil (Meditation Path), 2.4 km, 70 min, Difficulty: Hard

This path runs through Jongno-gu. You’ll need to be careful not to wander off in the wrong direction at the forks. It’s a bit on the difficult side, so take it slow.

6. Pyeongchang Maeul-gil (Pyeongchang Village Path), 5 km, 150 min, Difficulty: Moderate

As a single course, this is the longest after Uiryeong-gil. The estimated time of 150 minutes is pretty substantial.

Once you walk course 6, is that the start of Eunpyeong? I’ve passed Gugi.

7. Yetseong-gil (Old Fortress Path), 2.7 km, 100 min, Difficulty: Moderate

Course 7 looks like a stretch where it’s hard to resupply along the way. You’ll want to stock up before course 6 — drinking water especially.

8. Gureum Jeongwon-gil (Cloud Garden Path), 5.2 km, 150 min, Difficulty: Moderate

Course 8 runs through built-up areas and near subway stations, so resupplying looks feasible here. The Jingwan ecological bridge is somewhere I cross every time I climb Bukhansan, so it feels familiar by now.

9. Masil-gil (Visiting Path), 1.5 km, 45 min, Difficulty: Easy

This course passes the entrance to the Bukhansan Visitor Center, but it’s a bit off to the side. Popping in to use the restroom would be a little awkward. Personally, I’d just pass it by and plan my course timing so I can stop for a meal here instead — it’s also about the point where you start getting really hungry, and there are a few restaurants around this path.

10. Naesi Myoyeok-gil (Eunuch Tomb Path), 3.5 km, 105 min, Difficulty: Easy

Looking at the course, it seems you’ll want to stock up on plenty of supplies before heading into course 10. There may not be much chance to resupply nearby.

11. Hyoja-gil (Devoted Son Path), 3.3 km, 90 min, Difficulty: Easy

Yep, the rough stretch starts at course 10. No resupply, and barely any houses around, by the look of it. It’s a section I’m still mulling over even as I write this.

12. Chungui-gil (Loyalty Path), 3.7 km, 105 min, Difficulty: Moderate

Once you reach the Gyohyeon Uiryeong-gil entrance, there are convenience stores and such, so resupply shouldn’t be a problem. At most, you’d only need to carry supplies for about two courses at a time. That should let me cut down on pack volume.

13. Songchu Maeul-gil (Songchu Village Path), 5 km, 150 min, Difficulty: Moderate

By now we’re on the north side of Bukhansan. Bukhansan to the right, Dobongsan to the left, roughly? It’s a fairly long course, so you’ll want to be thoughtful about your trail snacks and the like.

14. Sanneomi-gil (Over-the-Mountain Path)

At this point I’d definitely be walking the path between Dobongsan and Bukhansan — no doubt about it, we’re firmly in the north now.

15. Angol-gil (Inner Valley Path), 4.7 km, 140 min, Difficulty: Moderate

This is the section where you turn at Uijeongbu and start heading down toward Hoeryong. We’ve come a long way.

16. Boru-gil (Fortress Outpost Path), 2.9 km, 90 min, Difficulty: Hard

A hard-difficulty course. Pace your energy well and take it slow.

17. Darakwon-gil, 3.1 km, 90 min, Difficulty: Easy

At 3.1 km and easy difficulty, you can take this one nice and relaxed.

18. Dobong Yet-gil (Dobong Old Path), 3.1 km, 90 min, Difficulty: Easy

This course runs through the Dobong section. The end is in sight now.

19. Banghak-dong-gil, 3.1 km, 90 min, Difficulty: Moderate

This one’s moderate difficulty. The next course is the last, so just dig in and power through.

20. Wangsil Myoyeok-gil (Royal Tomb Path), 1.6 km, 45 min, Difficulty: Easy

The final section of the full Dulle-gil loop. It’s a short stretch, and a feel-good one at that — you can see where you started ^^

21. Uiryeong-gil, 6.8 km, 210 min, Difficulty: Moderate

A reservation-required course, so you’ll need to book in advance.

So all told, if you reserve Uiryeong-gil ahead of time and tackle it on the second day, the Bukhansan Dulle-gil comes to 71.5 km — and even though it’s about as close to flat as a trail gets, it’s no easy course. Still, with it sitting right there, I can’t think of a reason not to go. It’s the kind of route that makes me want to book a night at a guesthouse or motel, pack two days’ worth of underwear and socks, and just head out. In my case, since I live on the west side, if I set it up as a west start and west finish, I’d walk from 09. Masil-gil → 20. Wangsil Myoyeok-gil on day one, about 37.8 km, then on day two go from 01. Sonamu-gil → 08. Gureum Jeongwon-gil to wrap things up, which comes to around 26.8 km. On a typical two-day trek, the second day means an uncomfortable night’s sleep and the leftover fatigue from day one, so I’ve found it helps to cut the distance by 30–40%.

Resupply between courses looks like it won’t be much of a problem for the most part, and since you can buy drinking water at convenience stores, as long as you carry a good 2-liter water bottle and keep topping up your trail snacks as you go, it doesn’t seem all that hard. Just shaving weight off your pack makes a huge difference. This is the very first course I’m going to take on once my ankle has healed.

I’m so grateful that a long-distance trekking course like this has been developed right near Seoul. I’m already getting excited ^^

Thank you.

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