Dave McNally Photography

For adven­tur­ers who want to explore the penin­sula, look no fur­ther than the hori­zon. Kore­ans have a say­ing: “You will see a moun­tain in Korea no mat­ter where you look.” Here on this moun­tain range north of Seoul, a trek up the trails is sort of a national pastime.

A trip on the sub­way between Seoul and Uijeongbu, offers a view to one of the most promi­nent geo­graph­i­cal fea­tures in the area: Dobongsan.

The mountain’s solid rock face is a spec­tac­u­lar and unique sight. Bukhansan National Park oper­ates many trails through­out the moun­tain range.

For a chal­leng­ing hike, many Kore­ans try the Dobongsan entrance. On week­ends, if you arrive on Sub­way Line No. 1 or No. 7, you will notice hun­dreds of Korean hik­ers get­ting off at the same stop.

It’s rather easy to iden­tify them because they dress from head to toe in hik­ing garb. Back­packs, vests, hats, can­teens, spe­cial­ized hik­ing clothes, and even bells — noth­ing is too exotic for the Korean hiker.

Fol­low this mass of hik­ers from the Dobongsan Sub­way Sta­tion across the street to the ticket booth at the park entrance. As you look up, you will be rewarded with a view of the mag­nif­i­cent sheet of rock that adorns Dobong Mountain.

The entrance fee is nom­i­nal, less than a cou­ple of thou­sand Korean won per per­son. There is even a dis­count for a group of three peo­ple or more.

Although the major­ity of signs in the park are writ­ten in Korean, you will not have any dif­fi­culty if you fol­low the crowds. Tip: The moun­tain is up! Good weather draws thou­sands to the park on Sun­days dur­ing the summer.

Park offi­cials esti­mate more than 16,000 peo­ple take to the trails on a good day.

The Bukhansan National Park swells almost to capac­ity. Yes, there are even traf­fic jams on moun­tain trails — but with people.

Dur­ing your trek from the sub­way stop to the park entrance you will find a myr­iad of snack options: cucum­bers, kim-bob, rice and boiled eggs.

There are scads of eater­ies offer­ing roast pig, beef, or almost any other food you may desire. But, noth­ing beats eat­ing lunch at the peak of Dobong Moun­tain. Tip: Get some lunch to go and take it to the top.

Many Kore­ans enter the park just to have a pic­nic near the entrance. They set up small day camps along the cool, moun­tain stream that runs along the main trail.

Moti­vated hik­ers, though, will find a chal­lenge in the trail to the top. The path turns aus­tere the higher up you go. From well-worn rock stairs to dirt slopes, the trail gets more and more difficult.

About two-hours into the ascent you come to an area with restroom facil­i­ties. From this point the peak is another 700-meters, and the trail is more phys­i­cally taxing.

A trip to the peak is accom­plished at your own risk. An occa­sional rope is all the help you can expect. If you attempt to climb to the peak, it will test your rock-climbing abilities.

The reward at the top is the view, and the cool breeze in your face. The hike is hardy car­dio­vas­cu­lar exercise. If you drink enough water, you should be soaked with sweat. Tip: Bring enough water and avoid dehydration.

After a well-deserved rest, you begin your trip down the moun­tain. This requires extra cau­tion and con­cen­tra­tion. Your knees may be weak from the stress of the climb.

Choos­ing which rock to step on becomes essen­tial — your descent becomes a con­trolled fall. The trip down is by far easier.

Kore­ans are proud of their coun­try and what it offers. As you pass the hun­dreds of fel­low hik­ers up and down the moun­tain, you will be greeted with smiles and salu­ta­tions. Although you may see an occa­sional for­eigner, not many choose to explore Korea in this way.

Whether your hik­ing expe­ri­ence is Dobongsan, or any other moun­tain in Korea, a trip to the coun­try­side can be a reward­ing expe­ri­ence. Hik­ing can be an inex­pen­sive way to get out and dis­cover Korea, and get in some healthy exercise.