| 가야산국립공원, 伽倻山國立公園 | |
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| Gaya Mountain National Park | |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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Sanghwang peak, 2004. |
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| Nearest city | Daegu, South Korea |
| Area | 64.71 sq mi (167.6 km2)[1] |
| Established | 13 October 1972[1] |
| Governing body | Korea National Parks Service |
| Gayasan National Park | |
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| Hangul | 가야산 |
| Hanja | 伽倻山 |
| Revised Romanization | Gaya-san |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kaya-san |
Gaya Mountain National Park, also spelled Kaya Mountain National Park (Korean: 가야산국립공원, 伽倻山國立公園), in South Korea covers an area of more than 80,000 square kilometers, and extends from the top of South Gyeongsang (경상남도, 慶尙南道) province to the bottom of North Gyeongsang (경상북도, 慶尙北道) province. The Sobaek Mountain range (소백산맥, 小白山脈) runs through this area. On this mountain, there are two major peaks, one of them is Sangwangbong Peak and the height is 1,430 meters but the other, Chulbulbong is 1,433 above sea level. It was declared Scenic Site No. 5 by the Korean government in 1966, and turned into an official national park in 1972.
The main attractions are Haeinsa (해인사, 海印謝), a standing Buddha figure carved into sheer rock face, Yongmun Falls, and Hongnyudong Valley. There are 380 species of plants growing there as well as 100 species of birds and animals roaming free.
Its remoteness played a role in protecting it from destruction in the past, specifically the Japanese invasions of 1592-98, when much of the country was razed. Since that time, it is said that the area around the Gaya Mountains is free from the Three Disasters: fire, floods and wind.
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Gayasan is a small park, but blessed with wonderful moderate-level day-hikes. The ascent to Sangwangbong takes about 2 hours from Haeinsa, winding up through lush forest along the river. As hikes go, it's not a steep climb, but rises quite gently most of the way until the final 30 minutes. At that point, the trail breaks out of the trees and amazing views of the valleys and ridges can be seen (if the weather allows it). The trails are well-maintained and well-marked. From Sangwangbong, you can hike over to Chilbulbong in about 15 minutes. As always, to enjoy your hike the most, it's best to start early while the light is still spectacular and before the mountains are flooded by mobs of yappy tourists. The crowds generally gather around 11:00 AM. If your purpose in hiking is to enjoy the peace, quiet, and beauty of nature, you probably want to be heading down by that time.
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