Jirisan: 1,915 m Cheonwangbong, 16 Official Trails and 5 Free Car Parks

Jirisan National Park (Sancheong) is crowned by Cheonwangbong at 1,915 m. See 16 official trails with times and difficulty, five free car parks near the entrances, nearby hospitals and pharmacies, and where to stay.

Jirisan National Park (Sancheong) lies around Jungsan-ri in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong County, Gyeongnam. Its main peak, Cheonwangbong, rises to 1,915 m, and the park was designated Korea's first national park in 1967. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the mountain has around 80 peaks and more than 20 well-known valleys. The slopes are not harsh and the valleys carry a lot of water, so the trails range from a one-hour walk to a full day on the high ridges.

What the mountain is like

The Tourism Organization describes Jirisan as grand and broad rather than sharp and dramatic. Besides Cheonwangbong, Nogodan and Banyabong are the best-known peaks. There are also wide, flat highland areas where wildflowers and royal azaleas fill the slopes in season.

Trails: start with time and difficulty

The Korea National Park Service lists 16 official trails: 3 easy, 11 moderate and 2 hard. Here are 10 of them, in order of time. The times are those published by the Park Service. Allow extra for rest stops, weather and your own pace.

Trail	Difficulty	Time
Nogodan (노고단코스)	Easy	1 h
Guryong Valley (구룡계곡코스)	Easy	2 h
Bulil Falls (불일폭포코스)	Easy	3 h
Banyabong (반야봉코스)	Moderate	3 h 30 min
Hwaeom Valley (화엄계곡코스)	Hard	4 h
Baemsagol Valley (뱀사골계곡코스)	Moderate	4 h 20 min
Jungsan-ri via Kalbawi (중산리 칼바위코스)	Moderate	8 h
Jungsan-ri via Jangteomok (중산리 장터목코스)	Moderate	9 h
Baekmudong (백무동코스)	Moderate	11 h
Yupyeong, Daewonsa (유평 대원사코스)	Hard	12 h 30 min

For a first visit, the Nogodan trail (1 hour) or the Guryong Valley trail (2 hours), both rated easy, are the safer choices. The Jungsan-ri routes that lead toward Cheonwangbong take 8 to 9 hours, so plan a full day. Park data lists eight mountain shelters. Whether they are open, and whether you must book, changes from season to season, so check with the Park Service before you go.

Parking: the five nearest car parks are all free

Korea's national parking registry lists five car parks within 480 m of a park entrance or ranger post, and all five are recorded as free. The registry also shows a free car park within 2 km.

Car park (Korean name)	Nearest point	Distance	Spaces	Fee
Yungmojeong car park (육모정 주차장)	Guryong branch office	40 m	59	Free
National Park car park (국립공원주차장)	Hadong branch office	100 m	204	Free
Banseon No. 2 car park (반선지구 제2주차장)	Baemsagol visitor centre	330 m	20	Free
Tea Culture Center car park (차문화센터주차장)	Hadong branch office	470 m	45	Free
Cheonghakdong car park (청학동주차장)	Cheonghakdong support centre	480 m	65	Free

This is registered data and may differ on the ground. Opening hours are listed as either 00:00 to 23:59 or 09:00 to 23:59.

If you need a doctor

The nearest emergency rooms are Gurye Hospital (구례병원), a regional emergency medical institution 3.7 km away, and Namwon Medical Center (전북특별자치도남원의료원), a regional emergency medical centre 6.8 km away. The closest pharmacies are Gurye Pharmacy (구례약국) at 3.8 km, Urine Onnuri Pharmacy (우리네온누리약국) at 3.9 km and Hyundai Pharmacy (현대약국) at 4.0 km. All three are registered as closed on Sundays. In an emergency, call 119. The registry lists 61 toilets in the area.

Where to stay and camp

There are 48 licensed lodgings within 3 km: 23 motels and inns, 20 residence-style stays, 4 hotels and 1 other. Pensions and farm-stay minbak are registered under a different system and are not counted here. The nearest campsites are Jirisan Resort Glamping (지리산리조트 글램핑, general campsite, 4.9 km), Neutinamu Campground (느티나무야영장, general campsite, 6.0 km), Jirisan Komma 612 (지리산 콤마 612, auto camping, 6.8 km) and Sancheong Jirisan Bandal Camping (산청 지리산반달캠핑장, auto camping, 7.3 km).

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