Jeolmul Natural Recreation Forest: Hiking the Jangsaeng-gil Forest Trail
Jeolmul Natural Recreation Forest is one of those places I come back to over and over, mostly for the cedar trees — there's something about how tall and quiet they are that resets my whole week. I'd always stuck to the shorter Neonadri-gil loop or hiked up Jeolmul Oreum, but I'd never actually walked the full 11.1km of Course A from start to finish. So this time I committed to walking the entire course, and it took me almost exactly three hours. The path is so well maintained that even in summer heat, it never felt like too much.
Through the Cedars to the Trailhead
The parking lot alone is surrounded by cedars on every side, so the forest atmosphere hits you before you've even bought a ticket. Admission is only 1,000 won for adults, which barely registers as a cost for what you get in return.
Walking further in along Samul-gil, a short boardwalk path, I passed a row of carved wooden totem figures standing among the trees. It turns out they're made from cedars that fell during typhoons — repurposed rather than discarded, which felt like a thoughtful way to give those fallen trees a second life.
Past the boardwalk, a stone gate marks the true start of Jangsaeng-gil Forest Trail — the name roughly translates to "forest path of longevity." This is where the real walk begins.
An Easy Path Cushioned With Palm Mats
Right at the entrance there's a detailed trail map, which I used to double-check my route. Most of the path is covered in soft palm-fiber matting, so it's a comfortable surface to walk on, even for several hours.
Some stretches replace the matting with round concrete stepping-stones set into the dirt, which turned the walk into a little game of hopping from one to the next. Around the cedars, moss grows in every direction — I found one stump so thickly covered it looked like it was wearing a green fur coat. I ended up crouched in front of it for a while just taking photos.
A Bench to Rest On, and a Fork in the Trail
Every so often the trail has these simple benches — just a log with the top sliced flat enough to sit on. They looked so at home in the forest that I couldn't resist sitting down for a photo. Not far past one of them, the path splits toward Sootmoroo Trail, Jangsaeng-gil, and back to the parking lot — I kept heading along Jangsaeng-gil.
Nurijangnamu Flowers and Choosing Course A
Along the way I ran into a nurijangnamu (Harlequin Glorybower) in bloom, its white flowers scattered through the leaves. Once the flowers fade, the calyx behind them turns red, and a jewel-like blue-black berry appears in the center. The name itself comes from its smell — the leaves and stems give off a strong, distinct odor when touched.
A bit further on, the trail splits between the shorter 7.2km Course B and the full 11.1km Course A. Since I'd already decided to walk the whole thing, I didn't hesitate — straight onto Course A.
Where the Name "Jeolmul" Comes From, and a Story of Two Trees
At a mid-way rest area I sat down for a while. Beside it stood a sign explaining where "Jeolmul" comes from — there used to be a temple (jeol) near here with a spring (mul) beside it, and the two words merged into the forest's name. Even a name can carry its own small story, which I found oddly charming.
A little further along I came across another sign, this one about "yeolliji" — two different trees, in this case a mountain cherry and a painted maple, that grew close enough together for their branches to fuse into one. Rubbing against each other, their bark wore away, and through that same spot they began sharing water and nutrients until they were essentially living as a single tree. People call them "love trees" because the process resembles two people becoming one through marriage. Seeing it in person, up close, was genuinely strange in a good way.
Right beside the yeolliji, there's a mossy stone table with matching stone stools — it fits the mood of the forest perfectly.
A Turn Toward Jeolmul Oreum, and Sticking With the Full Trail
Not long after, I reached a set of stairs branching off toward Jeolmul Oreum. I'd usually climbed that oreum from the front entrance, so I hadn't realized this trail connected to it too. This time, though, I kept walking toward the rest of Jangsaeng-gil instead of detouring up.
A Low Stone Wall With a History, and a Sea of Bamboo
Soon I noticed a low stone wall running alongside the trail, barely knee-high and covered in moss. This is a jatseong, a traditional boundary wall built during the Joseon era to keep horses from wandering too far up the slopes of Hallasan, where they could be exposed to severe winter conditions.
I remember wondering how something this low could have kept horses from crossing it. But the wall wasn't meant to be a tall barrier. It marked the boundary and helped keep the horses within the pasture. Standing there, it was hard to imagine that this small, moss-covered wall once played a practical role in Jeju's traditional horse-grazing system.
Not long after, the cedar forest gave way almost entirely to jorittdae — Jeju's native dwarf bamboo — covering the ground in every direction. The whole mood shifted so suddenly it felt like stepping into a different forest.
A Small Roe Deer, and the End of the Trail
In this stretch I ran into a small, thin fawn. It didn't run off when it saw me, and looking closer I could tell it was underweight, which tugged at me a little. I've crossed paths with roe deer often enough on Jeju that it never stops feeling special — I'd seen one recently at Keun Jigeurioreum in Gyorae, and running into another one here felt like a small gift. Wild boar warning signs were posted all along this section too, so I kept hoping I'd only meet more deer and no boars.
A young roe deer I met along Jangsaeng-gil Forest Trail
Past the bamboo, it wasn't long before I saw the exit of Jangsaeng-gil Forest Trail ahead. Nearly three hours in, I didn't feel worn out so much as quietly proud of having finally walked the whole thing.
Cooling Off at the Newly Renovated Footbath
By the time I finished the trail, my feet were burning. It happened that Jeolmul's footbath area had just been renovated, so I stopped by. New tiles made the whole space look much cleaner, and the seating was redesigned so you can sit comfortably while soaking your feet.
The water comes straight down from a natural spring, so it's cold — genuinely cold — the moment your feet go in. After more than three hours of walking, my feet were still warm from the trail, and the cold spring water pulled the fatigue right out of them.
Walking for more than three hours, I kept noticing the same thing: Jeolmul isn't just about pretty cedar trees. There are small stories tucked into almost every stretch of the trail that make you stop and look twice — the totems, the moss, the yeolliji, the jatseong, the roe deer. I'm already curious what I'll come across next time. If you have the time, walking the full Course A is worth trying at least once.
| 📍 Address | 584 Myeongnim-ro, Jeju-si, Jeju Island |
|---|---|
| 🕖 Hours | Mar–Oct: 07:00–18:00 · Nov–Feb: 07:00–17:00 |
| 💰 Admission | Adults 1,000 KRW · Youth 600 KRW · Children 300 KRW |
| 🚗 Parking | Compact/eco 1,500 KRW · Mid-size 3,000 KRW · Large 5,000 KRW |
| 🥾 Jangsaeng-gil Forest Trail | Course A 11.1km (~3 hrs) · Course B 7.2km |
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As a local resident of Jeju Island, I explore places in person and share my honest experiences, travel tips, and photos whenever possible. I continue to update my guides with new information and changes that may help your Jeju trip.
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