Mt. Munboksan & Epic Camping In Korea

Camping in Korea has gotten more and more popular over the past few years though it could seem like it’s more popular than it really is with the number of tents that can be seen in every park on every weekend. Don’t be confused. If you want to go camping in Korea, look into some of the great mountainous camp sites like the ones on Munboksan Mountain. We stayed at Munboksan Camping Grounds (문복산캠핑장) and it was great, family-friendly, and near some beautiful views.

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Basic Info

Address: 333-199 Munbok-ro Sinnae-myeon Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do (경상북도 경주시 산내면 문복로 333-199)

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Camping on Munboksan Mountain

On almost every weekend from spring through fall, you can head to the banks of the Han River and see tons of tents set up. No, these people are NOT camping. They’re just enjoying the vicinity. Most people in the city don’t have their own yards as you would expect and so parks and the Han River banks become THE place to hang out. Tents are scattered throughout the World Cup Parks system and every other park around the city. Koreans just love their camping gear, don’t they? Don’t think that there aren’t actual camping grounds and forests to camp in though.

There are plenty well equipped and more rustic places to set up that tent and have some fun with friends or family. If rustic isn’t your thing though, glamping has become a big thing in Korea as well and there are spots easily accessible from Seoul too!

We headed to Munboksan Mountain (문복산) in the Yeongnam Alps  or the Gajisan Provincial Park (가지산도립공원-울주) to introduce our daughter to the fun that can be had while camping. The camping turned out to be more than just a first sleep in the woods for her though. There was learning how to unzip a tent and escape, a bird fell out of a tree and we had to give it a pep talk to get it up to flying again, our tent flooded and there was one night spent in the car. But who doesn’t like to make fun family memories? The mountain provided some amazing views and even in the rain, the beauty of nature was palpable.

Mt. Gajisan, Mt. Unmunsan and Mt. Jaeyaksan also in the area are a bit more popular for camping and hiking so Mt. Munboksan provides a relatively off the beaten path experience in the woods. Not the easiest place to hike with a two year old since the mountain soars up to an altitude of 1,015 meters, just being in the midst of the trees is what we were after and it certainly provided that. 

Even the camping grounds we chose to stay at were so off the beaten path that Naver (map app in Korea) didn’t even recognize the name. We had to put in the exact address in order to get GPS to get us there. The Munboksan Camping Grounds (문복산캠핑장) are a collection of wooden platforms built into the side of the mountain as well as some pebbled areas for campers to set up.

We were on one of the wooden platforms near the top away from most people and closer to the forest. I really enjoyed the platforms especially since they were obviously flat so we didn’t have to worry about rocks in our backs as we slept and there was a railing around them so our little one wasn’t going to go tumbling down the mountain. Our group reserved four of these so we had three with tents and one with a huge eating and hanging out tent. Our friends sure know how to camp. Seriously.. none of their tents flooded.

The camp grounds also have plenty of restrooms and shower rooms for men and women as well as a washing area to clean up cutlery and more. There was also a convenience store too. It was really well equipped especially for families with young children yet still in the woods away from anything else. We definitely weren’t the only ones with little kids to watch over so we clearly found camping grounds that cater to the families among us. Even though we weren’t quite as prepared as we needed to be (obviously we need a waterproof tent!), we had a great time and just loved being surrounded by such nature. We now need to figure out the best camping gear to stock up on so we’re prepared for next time. Rain, snow, shine and all, we’re into it.

Not only did we enjoy the natural aspects of being in the forest together, but we also visited the nearby and beautiful Seongnamsa Temple. Because we weren’t going to attempt to scale the mountain with a two year old in tow, we thought a temple and the grounds were ideal for a jaunt out and it really was. The path leading up to the temple is woodsy and there is a stream to sit around as well. From the trees and birds, to paths and temples, it was a great first camping experience for out little one and for us.

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The summer may be ending, but this is an ideal time to get out and about, set those tents up in the woods and enjoy some fresh air and gorgeous scenery. The leaves will soon be changing colors and you can bet that will be epic as nature always is.

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