December arrived, and with it Gamnaetgil Section 7’s first half — a walk that picks up exactly where our earlier Baekyangsan-to-Seongjigok walk left off, at the entrance to Children’s Grand Park. My friend Areum and I joined the same full-trail challenge group, past the halfway point in their 23-section series, a Christmas tree already up near the reservoir entrance as a small reminder of how far into the year we’d come.
The entrance to Children’s Grand Park, where this section of Gamnaetgil begins.
Route waypoints
Cypress forest and a familiar reservoir
The trail opens through Nokdam-gil’s cypress forest on a well-built deck path, past Seongjigok Reservoir looking especially calm in the early morning light — a stretch of trail our group’s leader admitted he still finds impressive no matter how many times he’s walked it. Late autumn color lingered on a few stubborn trees even this deep into the season, catching the morning sun as we passed.
An optional detour through Guminui Forest
The deck path through Nokdam-gil’s cypress forest, part of the trail’s opening stretch.
Before the trail properly climbs, our guide offered an optional detour up a striking wooden staircase toward Guminui Forest, for anyone curious about an alternate route he’d never actually walked himself despite years leading this section — those who preferred not to climb continued along the standard path with the group’s rear guide instead. Along the way, a trailside sign told the story of Geumyongsan, the modest peak we were climbing, whose name and folklore trace back to women hiding from Japanese soldiers during the 16th-century invasions.
Ridge walking toward Namcheon
Past the detour’s reconnection point, the trail continues through a genuinely pleasant stretch of ridge forest, squirrels appearing regularly enough at one rest area that it seemed to be something of a local hangout for them. The path eventually splits toward Namcheon (Busanjin, Dongnae, and Buk districts converging near here) before curving into Geumjeong district proper, a short climb bringing the group to a hazy-day viewpoint where Sangyebong and the wider valley would normally be visible.
A steady climb to South Gate
The final approach to Nammun (South Gate) involves a longer, steadier climb than the ridge sections before it — steep enough that the group moved at individual paces, regrouping periodically to rest and share snacks. Along the final stretch, unfamiliar stone cairns had appeared alongside the trail’s usual ones, an unplanned little addition to the landscape that sparked some discussion about who might be building them and why.
South Gate to East Gate along the fortress wall
At South Gate, the group stamped in at the midpoint checkpoint before continuing along Geumjeongsanseong’s fortress wall toward East Gate — a stretch mixing forest trail with an unavoidable patch of loose rock road that nobody particularly enjoys but everyone gets through. By the time East Gate came into view, the group’s mood had shifted into that familiar late-hike combination of tiredness and quiet satisfaction, a final group photo marking the end of the day’s walk.
Trail info at a glance
- Distance: approx. 9–10 km
- Walking time: about 4 hours, average pace 3 km/h
- Difficulty: Moderate — a steady forest climb to South Gate, plus a rocky stretch of fortress-wall road
- Start: Children’s Grand Park, near Seongjigok Reservoir
- Finish: Geumjeongsanseong East Gate
- Highlights: Nokdam-gil cypress forest, the optional Guminui Forest staircase detour, fortress wall views near East Gate
Map of the route
The route at a glance
A few practical notes
The climb to South Gate is the toughest part of this section, so pace yourself on the ridge stretches beforehand. The rocky fortress-wall road between South and East Gates is uneven underfoot, so watch your footing even this close to the finish. Trekking poles are genuinely useful here given the sustained climbing.
For getting to Seongjigok and Geumjeongsanseong, see our guide to getting around Busan.
Walked in early December under cool, clear conditions, continuing an ongoing full-trail challenge series.
More walks nearby
Other walks in Northern hills: Beombangsan to Hoedong Reservoir on this site: