Fall has hit the peninsula which means that temperatures are GLORIOUS and the air quality is… not so glorious. Truthfully, it hasn’t been TOO bad yet – although we’ve never really been too bothered by poor AQI anyway – but it’ll only get worse from here. So we took advantage of probably one of the last decent-AQI weekends before the truly abysmal air comes and headed out near Asan to finally hike the Baebang Mountain Loop.
Hiking the Baebang Mountain Loop
The Baebang Mountain Loop has been on my bucket list for a LONG while – ever since I saw it on AllTrails. I found Loving Life Moore‘s post about it when I was researching and trying to get some information on it, and I thought I would add our experience to hers. Even though this has been on my list for literally a year, we had so many hikes to tackle that it kind of got pushed to the bottom. Then, when Brandon had a long weekend at the beginning of the month we decided to do a hike. Forgetting that Baebangsan was still on my list, I pulled up my buddy AllTrails and searched for something near us – only to find Baebangsan as one of the first options. And there is the novel about how I found and then re-found Baebang Mountain Loop near Asan. I’ll be selling movie rights to it soon.
The entire hike is GORGEOUS – and I can only imagine how much more incredible it will be in a few weeks when the trees change colors for fall. The path was well marked (although there were forks quite often, which is why I suggest using the AllTrails navigation that I link in the “How to” section at the bottom of this post) and almost completely shaded. While steep at times, our children were able to complete the entire thing with very little difficulty. I do recommend bringing trekking sticks if you have them – as the second half of the loop is quite steep and challenging going downhill. There are ropes in some of the more treacherous sections, but Brandon’s trekking sticks proved to be a lifesaver for some of the un-roped areas.
One thing that some of the reviews on AllTrails mentioned was the lack of incredible views on this hike. Were the views as incredible as Crocodile Peak? Probably not. But one of the benefits of this hike was that even at the top, there was PLENTY of shade. Which is greatly appreciated by this mom who doesn’t usually think to put sunscreen on everyone in the fall. Despite the wooded surroundings at the summit, there were still breathtaking views (that reminded us so much of Pinnacle Four) and it was the perfect area to relax and recharge before we ventured down the other side of the mountain.
If you’re looking for a short, but moderately challenging hike near Camp Humphreys, check out the Baebang Mountain Loop. And as always, happy hiking and happy adventuring!
’til next time…
Ash
How to hike the Baebang Mountain Loop
Hike Length & Difficulty: The Baebang Mountain Loop is a 2 mile loop that is classified by AllTrails as moderate. I agree with their difficulty assessment – although I will say that if you’re carrying a 30-something-pound toddler on your back the whole way, it really elevates it from moderate to difficult – especially if you are like yours truly and currently refuse to exercise (kidding… kind of).
Directions & Parking: Finding a pin to this hike proved to be a challenge. Most resources I checked didn’t provide any kind of address or pin. When I finally found one that did provide a pin, the pin didn’t work anymore (which is one of the unfortunate parts of navigating in Korea). Eventually, I ended up looking at the route on AllTrails, then comparing it to where I THOUGHT the hike started on Naver and going from there. But, to make it extra easy for you, I did generate a Naver pin that will take you right to a large, dirt lot where you can park for free and that is just a short walk (about 3-5 minutes) from the trailhead.
Naver pin – Baebang Mountain Loop Parking Lot
Getting to the Trailhead + Navigation on the Trail: From the entrance of the parking lot, head left and start walking up the small, paved road. After a few minutes, you’ll hit a staircase on the right side of the road (see *Picture 1 at the bottom of this post for reference). That is the trailhead. Because there are a variety of different paths you could take in the Baebangsan area, I recommend using the trail on the AllTrails app to help you navigate (linked below).
AllTrails – Baebang Mountain Loop
Cost: FREE
Amenities: There are bathrooms located in the dirt lot that I linked above in the “Directions & Parking” section. While the bathrooms seemed to be in good condition, it seems that they are not maintained during the off season (or it was just because it was a Hangeul Day). The toilets were turned off and wouldn’t flush, but people had continued to use them, and the water was also turned off. Thankfully, we had some hand sanitizer with us. I’m guessing the bathroom is maintained regularly during the peak season and maybe even in the off season when it isn’t a Korean holiday.
*Picture 1
