Both South Korea and Japan are popular destinations for viewing autumn leaves. If you want to see unique autumn foliage, you often have to spend several hours traveling to extremely remote areas. This time, we introduce a stunning autumn leaf viewing area near Seoul, which is only about an hour’s drive away!
The entire hilltop is covered with trees of different colors of leaves, bright red, fresh orange, clear yellow, light yellow, green, etc., presenting different levels on the high and low slopes. Especially unique is a single-track train running up and down the slope, with two small and cute streamlined carriages, slowly moving up and down, creating a picturesque scene with the red leaves, like a paradise on earth.
This suburban area is called “Heotan Forest,” located next to the Kuncheok Rock Resort in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, with over 50,000 pyeong of land planted with over 4,000 different types of plants, making it a unique landscape throughout the year. November is the peak season for viewing maple leaves, attracting many Koreans even on weekdays. Upon arrival, visitors can choose to take the monorail to the mountaintop, but many prefer to hike along the trail, enjoying a scenic view with every step, and even catching a glimpse of the monorail passing through the maple forest.
The route to and from the mountaintop only takes about two hours, but if you’re taking photos, it may take longer. You can take the train to Nami Island, but hiring a car for a round trip to Seoul is more convenient.
Hwadam Forest
Address: 278-1, Dochi-dong, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do
Transportation: Take a taxi from Kuncheiyan Station on the Gyeonggang Line to Hwadam Forest (about 10 minutes), or choose a chartered car round trip from Seoul
Official website: https://www.hwadamsup.com/relay/main/main.do
Note:
-Please check the opening days of the park in advance
-Entrance ticket required, can be purchased in advance on major travel websites
If you choose to charter a car, you can visit this super popular café on the way back to Seoul. The entire two-story building, with a spacious underground area, is truly stunning when you go up to the second floor. The entire row of floor-to-ceiling windows allows you to get a close look at the maple garden outside. Sitting by the window, sipping coffee, and casually taking photos will result in amazing Instagram-worthy shots! The menu includes pasta, risotto, desserts, and more, so you can fill your stomach after enjoying the maple leaves.
Smetlz
Geonggi-do, Gwangju-si, Opo-eup, Sinhyeon-ro, 103 KR
070-7724-2030
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smeltz_official/
