Neopgeori Oreum & Sayeoni Oreum - Two Quiet Peaks Inside Hannam Saryeoni Forest [Oreum #006-007]
Last time, I covered how to reserve a spot at Hannam Saryeoni Oreum Forest and shared the story behind its cedar exhibition forest. This time, I want to walk you through the two oreums hidden inside that same forest — Neopgeori Oreum and Sayeoni Oreum — and what it was actually like to climb them.
| 📍 Address | 235 Seoseong-ro 651beon-gil, Namwon-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Island |
|---|---|
| 💰 Admission | Free — advance reservation required via Jeju Forest Trip (foresttrip.go.kr) |
| 🕖 Open | Mid-May to late October, Wednesday–Sunday only (closed Monday and Tuesday) |
| 🥾 Courses | Course A: 1.7km / 40 min · Course B: 2.3km / 50 min · Course C: 3.0km / 60 min |
| 🚗 Parking | Temporary lot at the entrance |
Climbing Neopgeori Oreum
Right at the entrance, a signboard caught my eye. It listed the total trail length at 1,200 meters, with 550 meters of that being boardwalk. The boardwalk is built from black pine and Japanese cedar, and apparently the summit has both a viewing deck and a cluster of Ternstroemia trees. You climb up on an easy boardwalk, circle the crater on a narrow dirt path at the top, then come back down a completely different set of stairs.
This was the first thing I noticed at the entrance. It laid out the trail length, the boardwalk distance, and even the wood species used — a handy overview before starting the climb.
From the very start, wooden steps lined with trees on both sides made for a pretty walk.
The steps were wide enough to walk comfortably, and the trees on either side set a forest mood right from the start.
At the top, the crater opened up right in front of me. Then, while walking the summit loop, a black snake suddenly darted across the path, and my friend and I nearly jumped out of our skin. For a second we considered turning back the way we came, but it felt like a waste to miss the rest of the forest, so we kept going.
Inside the crater, tall trees were growing in a way that looked almost deliberate. Not far along the loop, a bench came into view. The trees blocked most of the view, but it was still a nice spot to catch my breath for a minute.
No view, but the shade was cool, and it wasn't a bad place to rest.
One thing worth knowing: Neopgeori Oreum doesn't send you back down the way you came up. There's a separate descent trail. Keep following the loop, and the way down will show up.
If I'd missed the trail markers, I would have doubled back the way I came. Following the arrows carefully really matters here.
On the way down, I noticed rubber strips lining the edge of every single step to prevent slipping. The steps stretching out one after another looked almost like a long row of piano keys. This forest gets more humid and rainy than most other spots on Jeju, so the stairs get slippery — which probably explains the rubber trim. It might not come through in photos, but walking down in person, each step really did feel like part of a piano keyboard — I found it fascinating the whole way down.
The Trail to Sayeoni Oreum
Coming down from Neopgeori Oreum and following Course C, you pass back through the cedar exhibition forest before reaching the entrance to Sayeoni Oreum. Near a tree along that path, I ran into yet another snake — the second one that day. It was a little unnerving, but I wasn't about to give up on a forest this beautiful.
The map lays out the whole route clearly, from Neopgeori Oreum through the cedar forest to the entrance of Sayeoni Oreum. Even first-timers shouldn't get lost if they check this map beforehand.
And there it was — the sign marking the entrance to Sayeoni Oreum.
Climbing Sayeoni Oreum
From the entrance, the trail wound its way up past trees with roots exposed between the rocks.
The roots wrapped around the rocks like they'd been growing there for decades, and I felt that sense of age the entire walk up.
The crater came into full view along the summit loop, and it felt completely different from Neopgeori Oreum's. Where that crater had tall, straight cedars, this one was filled with smaller, twiggy trees — the kind you'd find in a gotjawal, the rugged lava-rock forests unique to Jeju.
It's strange to think these two oreums sit inside the same forest, yet the trees inside their craters look nothing alike.
The summit marker read 524 meters above sea level. I'd finally made it to the top of Sayeoni Oreum.
Seeing that marker made the climb suddenly feel real.
Standing on the viewing deck, I could make out Beomseom, Munseom, Seopseom, and Jigwido — all four islands — even on a cloudy day. A view this wide open is rare, so I just stood there for a while, taking it in.
A cool breeze was blowing, and I honestly didn't want to leave.
On the way down, I passed a cluster of cedars known as the "Ten Sibling Cedars." My friend, who'd visited a few years back, said they used to be called the "Seven Siblings." Since then, three more trees have grown into the cluster, making ten in all. Since it was my first time seeing them, I found the whole thing fascinating.
It's remarkable how much this cluster has grown in just a few years — a reminder that this forest is still very much alive and changing.
Descending Sayeoni Oreum
A few years ago, you could apparently head straight down from the summit by stairs. That section is now blocked off as unsafe, and a new detour loops further around the forest instead. Looking down from above, those old stairs were steep enough to look dangerous when wet. The stairs would have been faster, but taking the detour actually made me feel like I was going deeper into the forest.
Right next to it stood a signboard explaining the Ogosaengi Trail — "ogosaengi" meaning "just as it originally was" in the Jeju dialect. What I found funny was that each stretch of stairs was literally named after its step count: starting at step 593, resting at the step-420 deck, passing through the cedar forest to step 333, then finishing at step 88. There was even a separate 777-step trail for anyone up for more of a challenge.
Having each set of stairs labeled by number made the walk down oddly entertaining. Checking which step I was on as I went became its own small game.
Once on the summit loop, once near the cedar forest — I'd already seen two snakes that day, so I was extra careful on the way down. The trail was narrow and left mostly untouched, so I kept a close eye on my surroundings the whole way.
When I mentioned the snakes while returning my visitor pass, the staff member simply said we were the ones walking into their home, so we just needed to be careful. That comment stuck with me. Well-manicured trails have their charm, but Sayeoni Oreum is the kind of place that makes you feel like part of the forest itself. It's quiet, with hardly any crowds, and between the birdsong and the smell of the woods, you almost forget to be nervous about snakes at all.
And that's how the day wrapped up, after climbing both Neopgeori Oreum and Sayeoni Oreum. There were a couple of startling moments thanks to the snakes, but honestly, that's probably a sign of just how untouched this forest still is.
☀️ One More Thing from Sunny
As a local resident of Jeju, I explore the island in person and share practical tips, honest experiences, and photos from my travels.
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