The Wandering Whittens
South Korea

Hiking Elephant Rock Trail

It’s starting to feel like spring on the peninsula, which means the outdoor adventures can finally begin again. Although, I feel like we did PRETTY good getting outside even in the dead of winter, I’m excited for the ease of leaving the house when it’s warm out. So to start off what I hope is a spring and summer filled with hikes and the great outdoors, we headed toward Hwanggeumsan Mountain to hike the Elephant Rock trail.

Elephant Rock Trail

This moderately easy, 1.8-mile out-and-back trail was the perfect Saturday activity for our family. We haven’t done nearly enough hiking since our move to South Korea (something that can be greatly attributed to, ya know, winter) and so I’m excited to explore all of the incredible hiking trails this beautiful country has to offer.
To get to the trail head, go toward the café and past the bathrooms and all of the vendors from the parking lot. You’ll see a tall staircase to your left (just past the bathrooms), which is where you’ll begin the hike.

For our family of seven, I would classify this hike as easy-moderate. But don’t let that rating fool you: the trail is steep and rocky. However, it was still relatively easy because it isn’t a long hike. After the first staircase, we followed the trail for a while, passing another staircase that led to the left, until we came to an area that forked in four different directions. There were signs that marked which way to go, but we didn’t end up needing to translate them because another American family was sitting and resting and told us which direction we needed to go. But just to make it easy for you: when you reach that fork, head up the staircase directly in front of where you came from.

Once at the top of the staircase, the trail forks again. Turn to the right and then take the trail that is to the left – the one that is slanting downwards. From there, follow the trail down until you hit a large platform with places to rest (and if you’re like us, be greeted by about 20 Ajummas and Ajushees applauding us as we walked by) and then follow the trail to the left to begin the final descent down to the water. This is probably the steepest and most challenging part of the hike, but it is a short-lived struggle. Soon enough you’ll emerge beyond the trees and be met by a glorious, rocky beach on South Korea’s coast. We arrived just as the sun was starting to set, which was a spectacle on its own.

Elephant Rock is situated off to the right when you first get to the beach. If you want to get a good view of it, head off to your left when you get there and go all the way to the rocks that are stretching off into the water. There are tidepools in the rocks and you can get a pretty great view of Elephant Rock (pictured below). This was the perfect adventure for this outdoor-loving family and I know we will head there again when spring finally comes. Can you imagine how beautiful that trail will be in the spring!? I cannot wait!

Here’s to more adventures and hikes in this beautiful place we are lucky enough to call home!

’til next time…

Ash

Tips for visiting Elephant Rock:

Directions: To get to the Elephant Rock Trail, paste 황금산 into Naver and select the directions to Hwanggeumsan Mountain. Naver will take you to a gravel lot with plenty of space for parking. 

Cost: Parking is free, as is the hike itself. There were also no tolls on the route Naver took us on, which is always a welcome surprise!

For babies: If you have little ones, bring a hiking backpack. Our six-year-old was able to tackle the uneven terrain easy enough, but I don’t think either of our two toddlers would have fared as well. We were grateful we brought the hiking backpacks to carry them in, as the trail is definitely NOT stroller friendly.

Bring sunscreen! We didn’t arrive at the beach until about 4:45pm, so we didn’t have to worry about sunburns (plus there was a max high of about 54 anyway, so I doubt we would have gotten burnt even if we’d made it earlier). However, if you’re visiting on a warmer day, you will definitely want sunscreen. Shade is scarce, so just come prepared!

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