Hallasan National Park (Korean: 한라산국립공원; Hanja: 漢拏山國立公園) is located on and around Hallasan Mountain in Jeju Province, South Korea. It became the 9th national park in 1970.
Hallasan is a shield volcano and the tallest mountain in South Korea. It was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2002 and a World Heritage Site in 2007.
The park is managed by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. It is the only one of 22 national parks not managed by the Korea National Park Service.
Trails
Hallasan has seven trails: Eorimok Trail (6.8 km), Yeongsil Trail (5.8 km), Seongpanak Trail (9.6 km), Seokgulam Trail (1.5 km), Gwaneumsa Trail (8.7 km), Donnaeko Trail (7 km), and Eoseungsaengak Trail (1.3 km). The longest trail is Seongpanak Trail, which takes about 4.5 hours for a one-way trip.
- Eorimok Trail (어리목 탐방로; 6.8 km): Eorimok Trail begins at Hallasan National Park’s Visitor Center (elevation 970 meters) and ends at the South Cliff Junction (elevation 1,600 meters). A one-way trip takes about 3 hours.
- Yeongsil Trail (영실 탐방로; 5.8 km): Yeongsil Trail starts at Yeongsil Management Office (elevation 1,000 meters) and ends at the South Cliff Junction. A one-way trip takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes.
- Seongpanak Trail (성판악 탐방로; 9.6 km): Seongpanak Trail begins at the Visitor Center and ends at Hallasan Baengnokdam Lake Summit. A one-way trip takes about 4.5 hours.
- Seokgulam Trail (석굴암 탐방로; 1.5 km)
- Gwaneumsa Trail (관음사 탐방로; 8.7 km): Gwaneumsa Trail starts at Gwaneumsa Campground and ends at Hallasan Baengnokdam Lake Summit. A one-way trip takes about 5 hours.
- Donnaeko Trail (돈내코 탐방로; 7 km): Donnaeko Trail begins at the Visitor Center (elevation 500 meters) and ends at the South Cliff Junction. A one-way trip takes about 3.5 hours.
- Eoseungsaengak Trail (어승생악 탐방로; 1.3 km): Eoseungsaengak Trail starts at Hallasan National Park Visitor Center and ends at Eoseungsaeng-oreum Summit. A one-way trip takes about 30 minutes.
Topography
Hallasan covers an area of 153.112 square kilometers on Jeju Island. It rises 1,950 meters above sea level, making it the tallest mountain in South Korea. The mountain was formed during the Cenozoic era by volcanic activity. It is mainly made of basalt rock. The mountain stretches from east to west and has gentle slopes on these sides, while the southern part is steep. At the top, there is a crater lake named "Baekrokdam."
Because of its high elevation, Hallasan is home to many alpine plants and animals. There are 1,800 types of plants on the mountain, including 400 species of special plants and 50 kinds of unique plants. Jeju Island was named a Biosphere Reserve in 2002, and Hallasan National Park is one of the areas included in this reserve.