Why Hike This Section

The second half of Seoul Dulle Gil Section 2 — through Yongmasan and Achasan — is very cool. Some of the very best views of the city found anywhere in Seoul are at the Achasan lookout. On a clear day, you’ll be able to see Namsan, the Han River, Jamsil Olympic Stadium and all the way past Gangnam to Gwanaksan on the south side of the Han River. Nearly 360 degrees of cityscape at the top! There is also a well-preserved ancient fort dating back to the Goguryeo Dynasty (37 BC – 668 AD). Take some time to explore it; there are signs in English explaining the significance of the fort’s position, key features and attributes, and photos of archaeological relics found at the site. After descending LOADS of steps, stage 2 ends with a walk through Achasan ecological park. Again, lots of informative signs and nicely landscaped walking paths.

The first half of section 2 (from Hwarangdae Station to Yongmasan) is definitely “urban” hiking on the perimeter of eastern Seoul. You’ll pass unimpressive low and high rise apartments, amble through small pockets of greenhouses, duck through highway underpasses tagged with graffiti (rare in Seoul, actually), and cross busy intersections. The trail gets more interesting after passing Jungnang Camping Forest (go ahead and chuckle at the “forest”misnomer). The Mangu Cemetery is worth sauntering through on your way towards Yongmasan and Achasan, as it is the final resting place for several famous people in Korea, including authors and poets (Bang Jeong-hwan, Park In-hwan, Mun Il-pyeong, Seo Byeong-ho, Seo Ong-il, Oh Jae-young, Seo Gwang-jo, and Yu Sang-gyu), independence activists (Oh Se-chang and Han Yong-un), and the pioneer of the smallpox vaccine in Korea (Ji Seok-young).

In summary, hike the first half of section 2 just for the stamp. Hike the second half for the incredible city views.