Mountain park · Daegu, North Gyeongsang
Palgongsan
팔공산국립공원
Korea's newest national park, and the stone Buddha everyone climbs to.
Palgongsan was upgraded from a provincial park to a national one in 2023, making it the most recent addition to the list. It sits immediately north of Daegu.
Gatbawi, a seated stone Buddha carved in the 9th century wearing what looks like a flat stone hat, stands near the top of a long stairway and draws a steady stream of people coming to make a wish. Donghwasa temple, founded in 493, is on the southern side.
Photograph by mumutia, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Resized for this page.
Getting there from Seoul
Door-to-door estimates for a normal day; they stretch on a holiday weekend. Check the timetable before you rely on a last bus back.
Train
KTX to Dongdaegu, about 1h 50m, then bus 401 or the Palgongsan-bound express bus, roughly 40 minutes.
Bus
Express coach to Daegu, around 3h 30m.
Car
About three hours. There is a cable car on the southern side if you would rather not walk up.
Wildlife & plants
Animals
Wild boar, roe deer and marten. The park's upgrade to national status in 2023 came partly on the strength of its biodiversity survey.
Trees & flowers
Mixed pine and oak with substantial old-growth around Donghwasa. Cherry along the ring road in April, and maple through the valleys in autumn.
Korea’s wildlife is shy and mostly nocturnal — you’re far more likely to see tracks than animals. Wild boar are the one to know about: keep your distance, don’t run, and never get between a sow and her young.
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Songnisan
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