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Even if you are not interested in mountaineering at all, you have probably heard at least once how beautiful the sunrise is at Nogodan, Jiri Mountain. However, Jiri Mountain is the highest mountain in Korea other than Hallasan Mountain, and many people may have no idea how to get there. Fortunately, more than 90% of the way up to Nogodan can be climbed by car. If you have a car, you can conveniently see the sea of clouds and the sunrise from Nogodan. I’ll explain in detail below how to get there!
Nogodan, advance reservation is required before visiting
To visit Nogodan, you must make a reservation online in advance. To preserve the national park, there is a limit to the number of visitors per day, so if there are too many people, you cannot go to Nogodan. We recommend that you make a reservation through the reservation site at least a week in advance. See below for links!
Nogodan Trail Reservation Site Link
If you access the reservation site, select Jiri Mountain Nogodan in the ‘Trail Reservation System’ tab, enter the date, and proceed to the next step. Admission hours are from 05:00 to 17:00, and those with reservations are admitted by checking the QR code at the guard post about 10 minutes away from Nogodan. No matter how limited the space is, please be sure to make a reservation.
Once you complete all processes, you will receive a QR code sent by the National Park Service via KakaoTalk. Just hold the cell phone that received this QR code and go up to the entrance of the Nogodan Trail.
Should we go for a car stay early in the morning the night before?
If possible, rather than driving early in the morning, try going to a parking lot near Nogodan the day before and staying overnight. There are several parking lots on the way up to Nogodan, and I will introduce you to the two most famous parking lots.
- Cheoneunsa Temple parking lot
Cheoneunsa Temple is a famous large temple located on the way up to Nogodan Mountain in Jiri Mountain. There is a parking facility where you can park several vehicles right in front of Cheoneunsa Temple. Parking is free, so you can park here and stay in a stealth car. Of course, please be careful as camping with a car tent is absolutely not allowed.
- Seongsamjae Service Area parking lot
Seongsamjae Rest Area is the closest parking lot to Nogodan. It is so close that you can reach Nogodan in about an hour by walking up from this rest area. Climbing the Nogodan of Jiri Mountain, which I had only heard about, in just an hour, isn’t it easier than you think? However, since Seongsamjae Rest Area attracts many people from all over the country during the peak hiking season, a fee is charged. Fees are as shown in the table below
- Seongsamjae Service Area parking lot usage fee
The daily parking fee at Seongsamjae Rest Area is up to 13,000 won. If you arrive at Seongsamjae Rest Area around 11pm and sleep in your car for an hour before sunrise, then go up to Nogodan and watch the sunrise before descending, you will arrive at Seongsamjae Rest Area around 8~9am (approximately 8~9am). (based on winter).
Of course, if you go in the summer, the sun rises earlier, so you can come down early, so please check the sunrise time according to the season to roughly calculate parking costs. There is a 50% discount for low-emission vehicles, so if you are using an electric vehicle, we recommend a stealth car stay here.
How to get to Nogodan (FROM. Seongsamjae Rest Area)
The road from Seongsamjae Rest Area to Nogodan is a forest road large enough for vehicles to pass through. Therefore, there is less worry about getting lost, and there are well-marked signs along the way, so you can easily find your way even while hiking at night. Still, I recommend bringing a light just in case. For more information about the way up, you can refer to the video below.
Entrance to Nogodan Trail
First, you should aim to go to the Nogodan Trail, which is about 10 minutes away from Nogodan, and walk up. Near the parking lot of Seongsamjae Rest Area, you can’t see anything and there aren’t even street lights, so it’s better to bring a lantern rather than a cell phone light. As you go up the road, signs will appear one by one, and you can follow the direction pointing to Nogodan.
If you go up like that, the entrance to the trail will look like the picture. Here, visitors are strictly controlled by scanning the QR code received by those who have made reservations in advance to enter. Don’t just say you’ll go in without getting the QR code just because it’s annoying. Instead, it’s better to make a reservation first before visiting.
Summit scenery
I want to share the joy you can feel when you arrive at the top of Nogodan just before sunrise, so I’m going to upload a photo. My wife and I were lucky enough to arrive 10 minutes before sunrise so we were able to get a seat and watch the sunrise.
The altars piled up at Nogodan are like landmarks that symbolize Nogodan. The summit stone standing next to this huge altar always serves as a photo spot for many visitors.
The conditions for creating a sea of clouds
If you are lucky, you can see such wonderful clouds. The conditions for creating a sea of clouds are as follows.
- There is less wind
- The daily temperature difference is large
- The sun must rise in the morning without clouds
- It rained the day before so the humidity must be high.
If the above conditions are met, the probability of seeing the sea of clouds increases significantly. Especially if it rained the day before If you go up to watch the sunrise on a calm day with no wind, you will be able to see a wonderful sea of clouds like we did.
My husband and I are more immersed in the sea of clouds than the sunrise and are constantly amazed. I came here to see the sunrise, but I ended up being immersed in something else. It’s a place with a lot to see. Although I’m a little tired, I still can’t forget the excitement of this time.
The sea of clouds does not disappear for about 30 minutes after the sun rises, so you can enjoy even more beautiful scenery. Rather than going down right after seeing the sunrise, spend some time near the summit and enjoy the beautiful colors of the mountain. You will probably be able to see even more beautiful scenery. Nogodan is easy to climb even for beginners. Why not give it a try?
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