Would you like to visit all the Korean National Parks in one year but it seems like an impossible task? We’ve got you! Here is an easy, one-year plan for visiting all of the National Parks. It’s likely you may need a car or a friend with a car to accomplish this goal. Click here if you want to get right to the plan and skip the intro. About Korean National Parks Korea has 21 National Parks and Hallasan on Jeju. Many people love visiting these parks and hiking the beautiful trails, visiting temples, or just relaxing in nature. Eighteen of the National Parks are mountain parks, three are marine parks, and one is a historical park. If you are living in Korea for a year, it’s fun and possible to take on the challenge of visiting all these parks in one year. South of Seoul volunteers break down how you can make your dream a reality in the following post. Make Sure You Reach Your Goal Reaching all the National Parks in one year takes 1) a clear plan of action and 2) motivation to follow the plan. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with choosing which parks to visit each month and planning the trips themselves. In order to make it easier, South of Seoul volunteers have created this post and tools to help support your progress in achieving your National Parks medal with your National Parks Passport. Use fun tools to stay on track with visiting each national park. The best way to stay motivated and enjoy the fun of reaching all the Korean National Parks. There are three fun tools that work together to help you make sure your plan to see all the national parks in a year happens. This plan can be done with a car or without a car, however, car access makes it all much easier. Additionally, this itinerary assumes you live in Korea on a work visa and only have weekends to travel and explore the country. Tools for Reaching Your Goal There are three tools that you may choose to use in order to reach your goal of visiting all South Korean National Parks in one year. Sout of Seoul developed two of the tools and the National Parks of Korea provide the third tool. South of Seoul Yearly Planner The South of Seoul yearly planner allows you to plan out your year” adventures and make sure that you don’t have FOMO. In addition, South of Seoul provides monthly blog lists which include sample itineraries for visiting Korean National Parks so that you can make sure your trips are well-planned. South of Seoul ‘Korean National Parks Adventure Map’ South of Seoul created the National Parks Adventure Map in 2021 and it’s been a huge hit since then. The adventure map is printed on canvas so that it can travel with you during your trips or it can survive family life on the fridge. It’s your weekly motivation so watch your progress toward your goal! The Korean National Parks Passport In addition to the National Parks Adventure Map, you can also get the Korean National Parks Passport which you can get stamped at each National Park Office as you visit parks around Korea. You can use your stamps to receive medals for your accomplishments. The Park Service gives out free Korean National Parks Passports at National Park Offices at all of the parks across Korea. The passports can’t be ordered online or shipped to a particular address. You simply need to get lucky and arrive at a National Park Office that has them on hand. Korean National Park Passports may run out each month. The park service prints out new copies regularly and delivers them to National Park Offices across the country. You may need to use 1330 to confirm if the National Park Office you plan to visit has Passports available before heading out. South of Seoul includes stamp locations for each National Park in this post. It’s important to note that each National Park in South Korea may have a variety of locations to get a stamp. Additionally, stamp locations may or may not be located near popular hiking locations. Finally, stamp locations may change over time or have damaged stamps. Such issues may mean that locating a stamp at each National Park may take time. Korean National Parks Hiking Plan The following Korean National Parks in a Year plan takes into consideration important factors such as: In other words, this Korean National Parks in a Year plan includes attention to detail and considers the feedback of dozens of National Park visitors over many years. In fact, images have been provided by Camp Humphreys Hike & Bike group admins and founders. If you mix and match the parks in new ways, you can also be successful. Remember, this plan creates the outline for empowering your personal success. You haven’t failed simply because you need to deviate. Keep up the momentum of 2 parks a month and you can reach your goal. Let’s get started January Since January exists as one of the colder months in South Korea, we recommend visiting parks further south and we recommend only visiting one. The temps during January are as follows. Average Temperatures Byeonsanband National Park is stunning in winter. You have a variety of short and easy hikes that look beautiful when it snows. Our volunteers personally hiked in this park in January and found it lovely. During our visit there was snow in the mountains and on the roads, however, we easily navigated the roads without snow tires. Read more about visiting Byeongsanbando in the following South of Seoul post: February February is still cold, so head down to Wolchulsan on the southern coast of Korea. They say that Wolchulsan means “mountain where the moon rises.” The park consists of starting rocky peaks with Cheonhwangbong Peak (810.7 m) in the middle. You only need to do this one park during the coldest of the winter months, so take your time and enjoy it. Average Temperatures Keep in mind that you also need to seriously consider windchill in the winter months. It’s certainly possible to hike year round as long as you dress with care. You can also visit Dogapsa Temple and a sitting Buddha statue called Maaeyeoraejwasang which is a National Treasure. March March means warmer weather and it’s time to pick up the pace in order to visit all of the Korean National Parks in a year. The perfect early spring weather makes it a great time to visit both Juwangsan National Park and Gyeongju National Park located in the central-eastern region of South Korea. You can easily visit Juwangsan National Park and Gyeongju National Park in one weekend. You may not want to climb both mountains in one weekend. Visit one park on Saturday and the other park on Sunday. In a pinch, if you don’t plan to actually hike, you could even visit both parks in one day since they exist somewhat close to each other. Average Temperatures March means taking layers. The temps can either end up very cold or quite warm. April In April, Naejangsan National Park and Mudeungsan National Park have exceptional spring flowers. The images below do not show such flowers since Ms. Clarn and her family chose to visit these two parks in winter. However, if you would like to maximize your park experience, visit Naejangsan National Park and Mudeungsan National Park where you can enjoy the blossoms. It’s possible to visit Naejangsan National Park and Mudeungsan National Park on the same weekend, although it might feel a bit hectic. However, it’s worth it to get epic spring flower photography as well as two stamps on your National Park Passport. Average Temperatures April can become intensely hot during the day. Make sure to dress in layers that take into consideration that big temperature changes between day and night may occur. May Average Temperatures May often feels like one of the best hiking times of the year. It’s often comfortably warm without the big temp swings between day and night. However, it just depends on the time of year. It’s possible that May turns hot early. June Once summer hits, you may not want to spend a lot time hiking because of the intense heat. Additionally, you likely want to go on vacation with the family. That makes Hallasan the perfect park to visit. We recommend visiting two beautiful parks in the southern most parts of Korea for vacation, Hallyeohaesang National Park and Hallasan National Park. Keep in mind, you need to plan your June vacation in Jeju a few months in advance. That’s because many Koreans will also be heading south for summer fun. Don’t put off planning this trip or you may lose out! You also may need to register to climb Hallasan in advance. Average Temperatures Read more about visiting Hallasan in the following South of Seoul post: July In the summer, it’s a great chance to fit in both a mountain hike Gyeryongsan National Park and some beach visits at Taeanhaean National Park which is actually a marine park. Remember that July tends to be hot and rainy. Always hike safely during Jangma. Average Temperatures August In August you will visit Taebaeksan National Park and Sobaeksan National Park. Again, we have put two National Parks together which can be visited over one weekend. These are beautiful parks with lovely hiking. The weather in August may be very hot and you may still be dealing with a lot of rain due to either Jangma or Typhoons. Average Temperatures September September brings the best hiking weather in the entire year. The month can also have some of the best fall colors. It’s time to visit two of the best National Parks in Korea which an be visited in one weekend or separately. Keep in mind, hiking during the peak of hiking season brings complications like heavy traffic on the roads and trails. However, we feel it’s worth it. We love the communal feeling of hiking together with the rest of the country. We also have a post about tips and tricks for surviving fall hiking season. Average Temperatures Read more about visiting Seoraksan in the following South of Seoul post: October Visit Bukhansan National Park and Chiaksan National park on two different weekends. These parks exist in very different locations. Bukhansan sits in northern Seoul while Chiaksan is east of Seoul. However, both locations are perfect for fall colors. Average Temperatures November November will be your last two-park month and you will visit Woraksan and Songnisan. Once again, it’s possible to fit these two parks into one weekend. Doing both hikes in one weekend will depend on your fitness level and ability. Depending on the route, Songnisan can be a long day. In November, the cold begins to return but mid-day can still be the perfect time to enjoy some mountain hiking. Remember to pack windproof gear and dress in layers since the weather can vary drastically during the day. Average Temperatures December You are almost finished, only Dadohaehaesang National Park is left to finish! Since the cold returns in December, let’s head south to finish with one of Korea’s maritime parks! Dadohaehaesang National Park provides a spot to escape the cold and take a break from the heavy hiking. Instead, explore the sea and islands. Average Temperatures Join Camp Humphreys Hike and Bike If you would like to join a wonderful hiking community then Camp Humphreys Hike and Bike is the group for you! The group was created by folks at the Camp Humphreys US Army Base in Pyeongtaek and they welcome everyone. Want More? Check Out the Ultimate Hiking in South Korea Guide If today’s blog has you ready to lace up your boots, don’t stop here! We’ve partnered with United on the RoK Magazine to bring you a full resource on hiking across Korea — from beginner trails and Dulle-gil walks...

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