We hiked Munsusan (문수산) in Gimpo on a clear autumn day, taking Course 1 from Munsusan Forest Park (문수산산림욕장). It took us exactly an hour to reach the summit, then we came back down the same way. For a 376 m mountain, it was a longer walk than I expected.
The easy start made me a little too confident. By the time we reached the last set of stairs, I was ready to sit down.
Parking and the Course 1 Trailhead
We drove to Munsusan Forest Park and parked there. If you’re taking Course 1 or 2, head for Lot 2 rather than stopping at the first parking area; it’s closer to those trail entrances.
The yellow Course 1 sign was just beyond the parking area. From there, the trail went straight into the trees.
We stopped at the restroom before starting. It was clean and stocked with toilet paper when we visited. I didn’t see another restroom on the way to the summit, so this is the one to use before you start.
The trail board lists four routes, with Course 1 marked as 3.8 km and about two hours. That’s for the loop, though. We took Course 1 up and retraced our steps, so our walk wasn’t the exact route shown on the board.
A Gentle Start, Then Plenty of Stairs
We eased into the hike on a broad path under the trees. Nothing steep yet; I was enjoying the walk.
Then the wooden stairs began. There were a lot of them, but the level stretches between flights kept the climb manageable. All those StairMaster sessions I’d been doing finally felt useful.
The sign said 1.6 km to the summit. It felt like we’d covered about a third of the climb. So far, my legs were cooperating.
The trail eased off again into a gravelly path under the trees. I liked getting these flatter stretches between the stairs; they gave me a chance to catch my breath without really stopping.
The flat stretch didn’t last. More stairs followed, then another easy bit. I kept my pace slow, which made the repeated climbs feel easier than they looked.
The Pavilion View
We reached the octagonal pavilion around the two-thirds mark. I needed a break by then. We stopped and looked out across the water before continuing.
From the pavilion, we could see water, fields and distant ridges. The far ridges were in North Korea, which surprised me. I couldn’t have pointed out the border on my own, but I stood there looking for a while.
The Fortress Wall and the Final Stairs
Past the pavilion, we walked alongside the old stone wall of Munsusanseong Fortress (문수산성). I liked this part more than another stretch of stairs; there was something to look at all the way up.
Before long, I could see the structure at the summit above the trees. The leaves were more colorful up here, and for a minute I thought we were nearly done. I was wrong.
The stairs had been gone long enough that I’d decided they were over. Then another flight appeared. Of course.
I sat down for a moment at the last staircase. My legs were done. The climb hadn’t been hard overall, but another flight so close to the top caught me off guard.
The summit marker came into view just after that last staircase. We’d made it in exactly an hour. The fortress wall led right up to the restored command post behind it. I loved that final stretch.
We took in the view, then headed back the same way. I haven’t enjoyed a hike this much since Inwangsan. If you’re new to hiking, Munsusan is a good one to try, as long as you’re ready for all those stairs.
Where to Start the Hike
Set your map to Munsusan Forest Park, at 102-38 Munsusan-ro, Wolgot-myeon, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기도 김포시 월곶면 문수산로 102-38). Once you’re inside, follow the signs for Lot 2 and the Course 1 entrance. The pin below is for Munsusan Forest Park, not the summit.
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