How to Walk Buramsan: A 508 m Rocky Mountain and a 2.1 km Barrier-Free Forest Trail
Buramsan is a 508 m-high mountain forming the border between Nowon-gu in Seoul and Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do. In addition to hiking to the summit, you can choose options suited to your ability and purpose, including the barrier-free forest trail, Butterfly Garden, and Ecology Learning Center at Buramsan Healing Town.
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A 508 m Rocky Mountain Rising Between Seoul and Namyangju
Bulamsan Mountain is a 508 m-high mountain forming the boundary between Nowon-gu, Seoul, and Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do. Its total area is approximately 5,355,396㎡, and it was designated an urban natural park in 1977. When searching for the address, coordinates for Byeollae-dong, Namyangju-si, may appear together with facility addresses in Sanggye-dong and Junggye-dong, Nowon-gu, so it is best to first distinguish whether you are hiking to the summit or visiting the Healing Town.
The mountain’s name derives from its terrain, which resembles a Buddha wearing a songnak hat, and it is also called Cheonbosan or Pilamsan. The rocky terrain at the summit and the Seoul city nightscape are the mountain’s defining scenery, and no separate general operating hours or closing days for the entire mountain have been confirmed.
From Exit 2 of Sanggye Station to the Junggye-dong Trailhead
Bulamsan Healing Town is a 15-minute walk from Exit 2 of Sanggye Station on Subway Line 4. By bus, take routes 1140, 1142, or 1224 and get off at Junggye Jugong 2 Complex or 3 Complex. The Healing Town is located around San 42-3, Junggye-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul, while the summit trailhead in Byeollae-dong, Namyangju-si, is a different starting point.
Visitors arriving by car can use the permanent parking lot around 368-1, Junggye-dong. It has 52 spaces and is listed as available at all times; after four hours free, a fee of 1,800 won per hour applies. Temporary festival parking may vary by schedule and whether it rains, so it should be distinguished from the permanent parking lot.
A 1 km Byeollae-dong Course to the Summit and a 1.3 km Bulamsan Station Course
According to review and hiking information, the one-way distance from the Byeollae-dong trailhead to the summit is approximately 1 km, with an ascent time of 19 minutes and a descent time of 10 minutes. From the other starting point, the Bulamsan Station trailhead, the one-way distance to the summit is approximately 1.3 km, with an ascent time of 25 minutes and a descent time of 16 minutes. Even though the distance is short, the summit area includes rocky sections, so ordinary shoes intended only for walking on flat ground may not be suitable.
For a longer course, Course 3 of the Seoul Dulle-gil, the Bulamsan section, is 6.9 km and takes approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. If you prefer a forest trail instead of the summit, the easy Bulamsan Foothill Trail is 0.8 km and takes approximately 20 minutes, while the Bulamsan Walking Trail is 1.2 km and takes approximately 40 minutes. No separate official operating hours or seasonal mountain-entry control standards have been confirmed for the summit hiking trail.
The 420 m Bulamsanseong Site and Seoul’s Night View from the Summit
Bulamsanseong Fortress is located at an elevation of 420 m, and the mountain’s rocky cliffs are also used for rock climbing. The reason hikers encounter both fortress remains and rocky terrain is that Bulamsan is not a mountain consisting only of dirt paths; it has exposed rocky ridges.
From the summit, visitors can see views over central Seoul at night. However, because whether photography is prohibited in the summit area has not been confirmed, it cannot be stated definitively that photography is restricted as it is at certain facilities. Bulam Waterfall is known as a winter ice-climbing site, so winter visitors should not regard the area around the waterfall as merely an ordinary walking section.
How to Choose the 2.1 km Accessible Forest Trail Instead of the Summit
Bulamsan Healing Town has an accessible deck trail with a gradient of 8% or less. The route from behind the Forest Therapy Center, past the observatory, and down to the Ecological Learning Center is 2.1 km long and is a circular walking trail designed to allow people with limited mobility to enjoy the forest. For visitors who find a summit hike over rocky ridges burdensome, this section is a more practical choice.
The Healing Town also has a 10 m-high observatory equipped with a 15-person elevator. A Butterfly Garden, Garden Support Center, Cafe Forest, Forest Therapy Center, Four Seasons Garden, Healing Garden, Children’s Forest Experience Area, picnic area, Bulamsan Art Fore Gallery, and BangStroke Book Rest Area have also been established. The accessible deck trail and elevator-equipped observatory are confirmed, but there is no information guaranteeing wheelchair accessibility throughout the entire summit hiking trail.
The Butterfly Garden and Ecological Learning Center Close on Mondays
Bulamsan Ecological Learning Center operates from 08:00 to 17:00, closes every Monday, and offers free admission. The inquiry telephone number is 02-2116-2725. Inside are exhibits on Bulamsan’s ecology, trail maps for Bulamsan and Suraksan, photographs of famous rocks, and photographs of Baeksa Village. There is also a frog exhibition hall that permanently displays approximately 1,300 frog sculptures.
The Butterfly Garden is open from 10:00 to 17:00, with admission closing at 16:30, and is closed every Monday, New Year’s Day, and the day of each major traditional holiday. Admission is free, and the inquiry telephone number is 02-936-0900. The first floor is a plant greenhouse where butterflies fly freely, while the second floor is an insect specimen exhibition hall, so late-afternoon visitors should not miss the 16:30 admission cutoff.
What to Know Before Visiting the April Azalea Garden and Reserving the Forest Therapy Center
Approximately 100,000 azalea plants grow in the Bulamsan Azalea Garden, beginning to bloom around mid-April. A deck trail has been built along the mountain foothills, allowing visitors to walk the azalea path without climbing to the summit. If spring flowers are your objective, do not confuse a summit hike with a walk through the azalea garden; it is better to treat the Healing Town facility area as a separate destination.
Forest Therapy Center programs are listed as operating Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00. The fee is 10,000 won per person for one two-hour session, and the center is closed every Monday and during the Seollal and Chuseok holiday periods. The inquiry telephone number is 02-3392-4142. Nowon Garden Support Center is listed as operating from 10:00 to 19:00 from March to October and from 10:00 to 18:00 from February to November; its inquiry telephone number is 02-2116-0598.
Operating Information and Contact Details to Note Before Departure
Hiking Bulamsan and using the Healing Town are free, as are the Ecological Learning Center and Butterfly Garden. The Forest Therapy Center, however, charges 10,000 won per person for one two-hour session. No representative telephone number for Bulamsan itself has been confirmed, so visitors should use the contact details for each facility. The Nowon-gu Office management departments are listed as 02-2116-3953, 02-2116-0546, 02-2116-0703, and 02-2116-7154.
Official information is available on Nowon-gu’s Bulamsan Healing Town page. If the summit is your sole objective, choose the short hiking course from the Byeollae-dong or Bulamsan Station trailhead. If your group includes an international family or wheelchair or stroller users, prioritize the accessible deck trail and elevator observatory at the Healing Town, accessed from Exit 2 of Sanggye Station.
],An Easy-to-Miss Facility Sequence at Bulamsan
The Healing Town is an area where visitors can see the Butterfly Garden, Ecological Learning Center, Azalea Garden, accessible forest trail, and observatory in one visit. The Ecological Learning Center opens at 08:00, but the Butterfly Garden starts at 10:00 and closes admission at 16:30, so if you want to see both, it is safer to schedule the Butterfly Garden first.
The Forest Therapy Center operates programs from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00, with a fee of 10,000 won for one two-hour session. Distinguish ordinary walking from paid programs, and consider avoiding Mondays for a facility-focused visit because the Ecological Learning Center, Butterfly Garden, and Forest Therapy Center each have Monday closure conditions.
],A One-Day Itinerary Suited to a Bulamsan Visit
If summit scenery is your goal, you can choose the 1.3 km one-way course from the Bulamsan Station trailhead or the 1 km one-way course from the Byeollae-dong trailhead. For a forest-focused outing, plan around the Bulamsan Foothill Trail at 0.8 km and approximately 20 minutes, the Walking Trail at 1.2 km and approximately 40 minutes, or, for a longer outing, Course 3 of the Seoul Dulle-gil at 6.9 km and approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.
To include the facilities, walk for 15 minutes from Exit 2 of Sanggye Station, visit the Butterfly Garden and Ecological Learning Center, then continue along the 2.1 km accessible forest trail to the 10 m observatory. The official operating hours, closing days, photography restrictions, and cash-only policy for the hiking trail have not been confirmed, so the conditions for visiting the mountain summit should not be treated as identical to those for visiting the facilities.
],Before You Go
- Address
- Provided coordinates and address: Byeollae-dong, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, 37.663672, 127.095271. Representative tourist information address: Sanggye-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul; Bulamsan Healing Town is located around San 42-3, Junggye-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul
- Hours
- Bulamsan Forest Therapy Center programs: 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00; operating days: Tuesday–Sunday
- Closed
- No regular closing day for Bulamsan itself. Ecological Learning Center: every Monday; Butterfly Garden: every Monday, New Year’s Day, and the day of each major traditional holiday; Forest Therapy Center: every Monday and the Seollal and Chuseok holiday periods
- Admission
- Bulamsan hiking and Healing Town: free. Ecological Learning Center and Butterfly Garden: free. Forest Therapy Center: 10,000 won per person for one two-hour session
- Phone
- Nowon-gu Office management departments: 02-2116-3953, 02-2116-0546, 02-2116-0703, 02-2116-7154; Ecological Learning Center: 02-2116-2725; Butterfly Garden: 02-936-0900
- Official site
- https://www.nowon.kr/www/culture/culture3/info1_11_01/culture3_01_01.jsp
- Transport
- Bulamsan Healing Town: a 15-minute walk from Exit 2 of Sanggye Station on Subway Line 4. Take bus 1140, 1142, or 1224 and get off at Junggye Jugong 2 Complex or 3 Complex
- Parking
- Bulamsan Healing Town permanent parking lot: 52 spaces. Around 368-1, Junggye-dong; four hours free, then 1,800 won per hour. Temporary festival parking varies by schedule and whether it rains
- Time needed
- According to review and hiking information, the Byeollae-dong summit course is approximately 1 km one way, with a 19-minute ascent and 10-minute descent; the Bulamsan section of Course 3 of the Seoul Dulle-gil takes approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. Facility viewing time is separate
- Accessibility
- Bulamsan Healing Town has an accessible deck trail with a gradient of 8% or less and an elevator observatory, designed for use by people with limited mobility
The information above is current as of the time of writing. Check the official information again before visiting.
Places
Nearby Attractions 2
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1
Hwarangdae Railway ParkA park where you can stroll along old railway tracks and view train exhibits. -
2
Seoul Museum of History of Everyday LifeA museum that exhibits the history of everyday life of Seoul’s citizens since liberation.
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