Guide[Juheulsan] Black Yak 100 Famous Mountains Shortest Route: Hiking Guide from Mungyeongsaejae
A hiking log of Juheulsan (Main Peak) in Mungyeong, the guardian mountain of the city and one of Black Yak's 100 Famous Mountains. This post covers the lively atmosphere of Mungyeongsaejae during the Mungyeong Chasabal Festival, along with a record of the shortest-route hike combined with a family outing at Mungyeongsaejae Provincial Park.
Today I'm sharing my hiking log of Juheulsan (Main Peak, 1,075m) — the guardian mountain of Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, and one of Black Yak's 100 Famous Mountains. My visit happened to coincide with the Mungyeong Chasabal Festival, so I got to experience Mungyeongsaejae buzzing with far more energy than usual.
🏺 The Chasabal Festival and a Packed Mungyeongsaejae
When I arrived at Mungyeongsaejae Provincial Park — the trailhead for Juheulsan — on May 2nd, the first thing that hit me was the sheer number of people. It turned out my visit overlapped perfectly with the Mungyeong Chasabal Festival (2026.05.01–05.10).
- About the Festival: The Mungyeong Chasabal Festival is one of the region's signature events celebrating Mungyeong's traditional ceramic culture. Held around the Mungyeongsaejae open film set, it features a wide range of pottery experiences and exhibitions.
- Parking Chaos: This place is popular on any given day, but during the festival, finding a parking spot was a real battle. After circling the lot once and nearly giving up, I was fortunately guided by parking attendants near the entrance and managed to park along the roadside — which meant a long walk just to reach the trailhead.
👨👩👧 Family Outing + Solo Hike
My wife and kid decided to take their time exploring Mungyeongsaejae Provincial Park at a leisurely pace. The area also includes filming locations from the drama "The Man Living in Our House", so they planned to check that out too. While the family enjoyed their stroll, I set off to knock out Juheulsan as quickly as I could.
I kept it light — just one 500ml bottle of water and a single energy gel.
⛰️ The Climb Begins: From Yeogung Falls to 900 Steps
The actual trailhead for Juheulsan branches off to the right after passing through Gate 1 of Mungyeongsaejae, but I accidentally started my timer from the market entrance.
- Forest Road Section: Following a gently graded forest road for a while, I eventually reached a fork. I didn't overthink it and went straight.
- The Real Climb Starts: Once the forest road ended and the proper mountain trail began, the gradient kicked up noticeably. Before long, a small waterfall came into view — this appeared to be Yeogung Falls. I briefly dampened my handkerchief and pressed on without stopping.
- Battling the Heat: I spotted a spring along the way and topped up my water — the hot, humid conditions had me drinking more than expected. On top of that, gnats kept swarming around me, and swatting them away was draining more energy than I'd like to admit.
After a long stretch of climbing, I came across three elderly hikers taking a rest. When they told me "it's just stairs from here," I took that as my cue to pull out the energy gel I'd been saving for the final push.
🪜 Endless Steps, Then the Summit
From that point on, it was nothing but stairs — roughly 900 steps in total. I kept my eyes fixed on my feet and just kept moving, one step at a time.
When the stairs finally ended, I assumed I'd made it to the top — but checking the map revealed I was at Jubong (the Main Peak). I briefly considered pushing on to Yeongbong, where the official summit marker stands, but since my goal today was the Black Yak certification stamp and my kid had been calling repeatedly asking when I'd be back, I decided Jubong was far enough.
- Ascent Time: Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes (from the market entrance)
📉 The Descent
I headed back down the same staircase I'd climbed. The descent was no walk in the park either.
After a satisfying descent, I reunited with the family. Total time including rest stops came to approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.
After coming down, we took another lap around the provincial park together, then fueled up with a bowl of jajangmyeon at a nearby restaurant before heading home.
It was a short but intense hike — and all the more memorable for being paired with the festival's lively atmosphere and a fun family outing all in one day.
📌 Hike Summary
- Route: Mungyeongsaejae Market Entrance → Yeogung Falls → 900 Steps → Main Peak (out-and-back)
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- What to Bring: Water, energy gel, handkerchief
- Tips: Expect heavy parking congestion during the festival; if you're with family, the provincial park itself is well worth exploring