It’s another edition of “plants on the peninsula” and this one might be my favorite. As winter approaches WAY too fast here on the peninsula, I figure it is high time that I share one of the simplest joys that we have experienced: the fall foliage. I’d heard people ranting about it. But honestly, people freak out over all the plants here. Pink muhly, cosmos, silver grass, you name it. And so we had to give the gingko trees a chance. Spoiler: we were pleasantly surprised.
Asan Gingko Trail
About 25-30 minutes away from Camp Humphreys (in Asan) sits a long lane lined with Gingko trees. During the summer it’s beautiful and green, but in the fall the trees turn bright golden. And people lose their freaking minds over it. It seemed like an appropriate activity for a Sunday afternoon, so we loaded up the car and headed toward the trail. Because Koreans AND foreigners love this area, the traffic was insane, but we dealt with it. Stick around until the end for my recommendations when it comes to parking.
The kids loved all of the leaves way more than I thought they would. They spent most of the time grabbing handfuls and throwing them into the air. And H found all the dogs and enjoyed trying to chase after them. It was relaxing and much needed after our adventure at the
Sogeumsan Suspension Bridge the day before.
The Gingko Trail in Asan was absolutely beautiful. And also I don’t think we will try to go next year. I have a bunch of different fall bucket list items to get through, and I know I won’t be able to get through them all this year. Still, we enjoyed our afternoon walking through the leaves and we’re grateful for less intense outings every now and then.
’til next time…
Ash
Tips for visiting the Gingko Trail in Asan
Parking: There is a lot of street parking close to the trail, but it can be challenging to find an open spot with the crowding that happens at the trail. I recommend parking at Hyeonchungsa Shrine and walking over to the trail from there. It’s a 5-7 minute walk and the parking lot at the shrine is huge (and free). Paste 충청남도 아산시 염치읍 백암리 286-1 into Naver and it will take you right to the shrine parking lot.
Naver Pin: Gingko Trail in Asan
Amenities: There is a bathroom near the start of the Gingko Trail. There were also some snack vendors near the bathrooms during the busy season in the fall.
