Jirisan guide: Nogodan, Hwaeomsa valley, Cheonwangbong and ridge shelters

Nogodan, Hwaeomsa or the ridge: choosing your Jirisan

Jirisan has entrances on every side, and each one leads to a different kind of day. The Gurye side in the south-west has the two easiest wins: Seongsamjae, a road pass with a car park high on the mountain from which Nogodan is a gentle walk, and Hwaeomsa, a great temple at the foot of a steep valley that climbs the same peak the hard way. The Sancheong side in the east is where most people start the climb to Cheonwangbong, the highest point. Between them run the main ridge and its shelters, and valleys such as Piagol, Baemsagol and the Ssanggyesa valley in Hadong drop away to the south and north.

Choose by fitness and by how many nights you have. Seongsamjae and Nogodan ask little of you and give you a high-mountain view in half a day. Hwaeomsa makes a fine morning on its own, and the valley above it is a real climb. Cheonwangbong takes a long day from the eastern side and an early start. The ridge between Nogodan and Cheonwangbong is a multi-day trek. KNPS lists several of its summit routes as one-night (1박2일) courses, and nobody should attempt it without shelter bookings.

• Half a day, any fitness: Seongsamjae car park to Nogodan Pass, 4.7 km and about an hour, easiest grade (KNPS), plus the reserved summit section.
• A half day to a day, reasonably fit: Hwaeomsa to Yeongiam hermitage and Munneomgi below Nogodan, 7 km and about 4 hours, hardest grade (KNPS).
• One long day, experienced hikers: Jungsan-ri via Kalbawi and the Rotary shelter to Cheonwangbong and back, 10.8 km and about 8 hours (KNPS).
• Several days with shelter bookings: the main ridge from Nogodan towards Cheonwangbong, sleeping at the ridge shelters.

Nogodan from Seongsamjae: the easy high mountain

Nogodan (1,507 m) is the western bastion of the main ridge, and the reason it is so popular is the start point. KNPS describes the Nogodan course as running from the Seongsamjae car park via Munneomgi and the Nogodan shelter to Nogodan Pass. It lists 4.7 km and about an hour, at the easiest of its grades. KNPS does not say whether the figures are one way or for the return walk, so allow half a day with the summit and the walk back. When we checked on 2026-10-03, KNPS allowed entry from Seongsamjae towards Nogodan from 03:00 to 16:30 between April and October and from 04:00 to 16:00 between November and March.

The last stretch from Nogodan Pass to the summit is a reserved trail. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the KNPS booking site listed it as 500 m one way (or 700 m by the detour path) and about 30 minutes. It was open all year from 05:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00 and a daily quota of 1,870 people. Booking was online, on site, or by automated phone line (1670-9202). The site also asks you to check KNPS notices before you go, both for the trail and for road closures on Gurye county road 12 to Seongsamjae. When the trail is icy, crampons are compulsory. Beyond the pass, the ridge continues east to Banyabong (1,732 m). KNPS lists Nogodan Pass to Banyabong, via Imgeollyeong and Norumok, as 5.5 km and about 3 hours 30 minutes. When we checked, entry from the pass towards the main ridge, Banyabong included, was allowed only from 03:00 to 12:00 between April and October and from 04:00 to 11:00 between November and March.

Hwaeomsa and the Hwaeom valley climb

Hwaeomsa, 5.4 km east of Gurye town, is the great temple of the Gurye side. VisitKorea says it was founded in 544 during the Baekje period, burnt down during the Imjin War (1592–1598) and rebuilt in 1636 after seven years of work. Today it has about 20 buildings, and its cultural assets include National Treasures. The temple also runs a templestay. Allow an unhurried morning or late afternoon for the temple, and combine it with a meal on the food street at the entrance (see below).

From the temple, the Hwaeom valley course climbs to Nogodan the hard way. KNPS lists it from Hwaeomsa via Yeongiam hermitage to Munneomgi, just below Nogodan on the Seongsamjae path: 7 km and about 4 hours, at its hardest grade. When we checked on 2026-10-03, KNPS allowed entry from Hwaeomsa towards Nogodan only from 03:00 to 12:00 between April and October and from 04:00 to 11:00 between November and March. Entry towards Seongsamjae closed an hour later. A good plan for a fit walker is to take the bus or a taxi up to Seongsamjae, visit Nogodan, and walk *down* the valley to Hwaeomsa. The views are the same, it is easier on the lungs, and you end at the temple and the food street. A descent this steep is still hard on the knees, though.

Cheonwangbong from Jungsan-ri

Cheonwangbong (1,915 m) is the summit of Jirisan and the second-highest peak in South Korea after Hallasan. The usual approach is from the Jungsan-ri visitor centre in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong County, on the eastern side. KNPS lists two loops from there. The Kalbawi course climbs via Kalbawi and the Rotary shelter to the summit and returns to Jungsan-ri: 10.8 km and about 8 hours, a day course. The Jangteomok course goes up via the Jangteomok shelter and down via the Rotary shelter: 12.4 km and about 9 hours, which KNPS classes as an overnight (1박2일) course. Both are rated at KNPS's middle grade. You will still be climbing for most of the day.

Entry hours decide the day. When we checked on 2026-10-03, KNPS allowed entry at the Jungsan-ri visitor centre from 03:00 to 14:00 between April and October and from 04:00 to 13:00 between November and March. The cut-off is two hours later for people with a Rotary shelter booking and for visitors to Beopgyesa temple, and an hour later for Jangteomok shelter bookings. For the summit day, start as early as entry allows and carry your own food and water. KNPS posted a notice that 2-litre bottles of water had sold out at the Rotary shelter, a reminder not to rely on shelter shops. On the Hamyang side, the steep Chilseon valley route to the summit works by reservation only. The KNPS booking site lists it as 10 km and 8 hours one way from the Chuseong car park, for 60 people a day, with a 06:40 safety briefing. When we checked, that page still showed the 2025 season (1 May–31 October, Friday to Tuesday), so confirm the current dates before you plan around it.

The ridge trek: planning around shelters

Walking the main ridge from the Nogodan end to Cheonwangbong takes more than one day, and it only works with shelter bookings. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the KNPS booking site listed six Jirisan shelters: Nogodan, Yeonhacheon, Byeoksoryeong, Jangteomok, Rotary and Chibatmok. Book them on reservation.knps.or.kr. The Nogodan shelter page listed 36 bunk places. The price was 20,000 won a night on weekdays (Sunday to Thursday, except the eve of a public holiday) and 30,000 won on Fridays, Saturdays, the eve of public holidays and in the peak periods of 1 July–31 August and 1 October–15 November. The shelter sold basics such as water, instant rice, gas canisters and chain crampons. Prices for the other shelters are on the same site.

Build the route around the entry cut-offs rather than distance. The same rules that apply at the trailheads also apply at checkpoints on the ridge. KNPS extends some cut-offs by one or two hours for people who hold a booking at the next shelter. Leaving Nogodan Pass towards the ridge after 12:00 (11:00 in winter) is not allowed. KNPS does not publish one end-to-end time for the ridge on its course list, so we do not give one here. Use the KNPS course times for each section, a printed map and the shelter you have actually booked to plan each day. KNPS's Jangteomok course shows how the eastern end fits together: a night at the Jangteomok shelter, the summit, then down via the Rotary shelter to Jungsan-ri, where KNPS routes buses towards Jinju. If you have only one free day, choose Nogodan or Cheonwangbong instead. The ridge is not a day hike.

Easier valleys: Piagol, Baemsagol, Guryong and Ssanggyesa

Several valleys give you Jirisan without a summit. Piagol, between Nogodan and Banyabong on the Gurye side, is named for the crimson maples that fill it in autumn. VisitKorea says the valley path is not steep for its first 6 km from the ticket booth, past Yeonjudam and Samhongso pools, before a steep final 2 km to Imgeollyeong Pass. Yeongoksa temple stands near the entrance. KNPS lists the course from Yeongoksa via Jikjeon village and the Piagol shelter to the Piagol junction on the ridge as 8.8 km and about 5 hours. You can walk part of the way in and turn back.

On the Namwon side, Baemsagol is a 9 km valley running north from Banyabong, known for its autumn colour and summer water (VisitKorea). KNPS lists the full course from Banseon to Hwagaejae on the ridge as 9.2 km and about 4 hours 20 minutes. The Guryong valley, also in Namwon, is a shorter outing: 3.1 km and about 2 hours to Guryong Falls (KNPS). In Hadong, on the southern side, Ssanggyesa temple was founded in 722, VisitKorea says, and is known for the 6 km of cherry trees on its approach road. VisitKorea listed its hours as 08:00–17:30 and entry as free. From there, KNPS rates the round trip to Bulil Falls (60 m, the tallest on Jirisan according to VisitKorea) as 4.8 km and about 3 hours, at its easiest grade.

Getting there and getting around

For the Gurye side, KNPS's route guide gives buses from Seoul Nambu Terminal to the Gurye bus terminal and on to Seongsamjae (about 4 hours in all) or to Hwaeomsa (about 3 hours 30 minutes). By train, it routes you to Guryegu Station and then by bus from Gurye town; it names Seoul Station on one page and Yongsan on another, so check which station your train uses. KNPS gives similar bus routes via Gurye from Busan, Daegu and Gwangju. For Jungsan-ri, KNPS routes buses from Seoul Nambu Terminal via the Wonji intercity terminal (about 4 hours 35 minutes) or from Busan Seobu Terminal via Jinju (about 2 hours 40 minutes). From the Jungsan-ri bus stop it is a 1.5 km walk to the park office. We could not confirm current timetables for the mountain buses from an official source, so check them locally the evening before.

With a car, the Gurye side is straightforward. VisitKorea lists KNPS car parks at the Hwaeomsa entrance and in Piagol, charged by time. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the first hour for a small or mid-sized car was 1,100 won, with extra charges for each 10 minutes after that. The road to Seongsamjae (Gurye county road 12) is sometimes closed, so check KNPS notices before you set off. KNPS also closes trails in bad weather and during forest-fire prevention periods, and publishes the current closures on its trail-control page.