Gayasan: 1,453 m Peak and 6 Official Trails, All Under 3 Hours

Gayasan's highest peak, Chilbulbong, stands at 1,453 m in Gyeongnam. Here are the six official trails with times and difficulty, free car parks near the ranger centres, distances to hospitals and pharmacies, and lodging within 3 km.

Gayasan is a mountain in Gyeongnam Province. Its highest peak, Chilbulbong, rises to 1,453 m. Six official trails are registered, rated as 2 easy, 3 moderate and 1 hard. The shortest takes 1 hour 30 minutes and the longest 2 hours 40 minutes, so any of them fits into a single day. Everything below comes from public registries, which can differ from what you find on site.

Trails: all six take under three hours

Here are the six official trails in order of time. The times are the registered figures. Allow extra for rest stops, weather and your own pace.

Trail (Korean name)	Difficulty	Time
Namsan Jeilbong Course 2 (남산제일봉2코스)	Easy	1 h 30 min
Namsan Jeilbong Course 1 (남산제일봉1코스)	Moderate	1 h 50 min
Manmulsang Course (만물상코스)	Hard	2 h 20 min
Gayasan Sori-gil (가야산소리길)	Easy	2 h 30 min
Gayasan Course 1 (가야산1코스)	Moderate	2 h 30 min
Gayasan Course 2 (가야산2코스)	Moderate	2 h 40 min

A short time does not always mean an easy walk. The Manmulsang Course is rated hard even though it takes 2 hours 20 minutes, less than the easy-rated Sori-gil. For a first visit, Namsan Jeilbong Course 2 or the Sori-gil are the gentler options. Park data lists no mountain shelters, so plan for a day hike rather than an overnight stay.

Parking: five free public car parks within 1.74 km

Korea's national parking registry lists five car parks near the park's ranger centres. All five are recorded as free and open from 00:00 to 23:59.

Car park (Korean name)	Nearest centre	Distance	Spaces	Fee
Daejanggyeong Theme Park lot 6 (대장경 테마파크6)	Hongnyu-dong	550 m	60	Free
Gaya Sports and Culture Center car park (가야체육문화센터주차장)	Hongnyu-dong	780 m	33	Free
Gaya Hwangsan car park (가야 황산주차장)	Cheongnyang-dong	1.23 km	53	Free
Daejanggyeong Theme Park lot 4 (대장경 테마파크4)	Cheongnyang-dong	1.64 km	52	Free
Daejanggyeong Theme Park lot 7, Gaksa car park (주차광장_대장경테마파크7, 각사주차장)	Cheongnyang-dong	1.74 km	541	Free

These are registered details. Hours and fees may change during events or peak season, so follow the signs on site.

The largest is the Gaksa car park with 541 spaces. The registry lists 57 toilets in the area.

If you need a doctor

The nearest emergency rooms are Goryeong Yeongsaeng Hospital (고령영생병원), a regional emergency medical institution 13.3 km away, and Seongju Hospital (성주병원), a registered emergency room 18.3 km away. These are long distances from the trailheads, so it helps to know them in advance. The nearest pharmacy is Gayasan Pharmacy (가야산약국) at 0.9 km, followed by Dongil Pharmacy (동일약국) at 7.6 km and Geonganghan Pharmacy (건강한약국) at 9.3 km. All three are registered as closed on Sundays. In an emergency, call 119.

Where to stay

There are 15 licensed lodgings within 3 km of the ranger centres: 6 motels and inns, 4 other lodgings, 3 hotels and 2 residences. Pensions and farm-stay guesthouses are registered under a different system and are not in this count. If you prefer to camp, the closest sites are Gayasan Baegun Auto Camping (가야산백운오토캠핑장) at 4.0 km, Gayasan Auto Camping (가야산오토캠핑장) at 4.1 km, Samjeong Campground (삼정야영장) at 4.3 km and Chiin Campground (치인야영장) at 4.6 km. All four are registered as general campsites.

Distances are straight-line. Opening hours and fees can change, so check again before you travel. Emergency 119 · Coast Guard 122