guemosan provicial park
At 976 meters Guemosan is by far the highest mountain in the city and is a challenge for any hiker. It is quite popular, especially, on weekends, but like many mountains the higher you climb, the thinner the crowd. At the base of the mountain there is a decent Botanical Garden. To get to the garden, turn right just after the lake on the way to the mountain. Pass the restaurant that rents the duck boats and keep walking. The garden is straight ahead. One third of the way up the mountain is a beautiful waterfall that can freeze solid in winter, and be thundering in summer and spring. There is also a cave about 0.2 km to the right of the waterfall and well worth the detour from the top. To reach the summit, allow about 2 hours; 3.5 hours round trip. At the summit, there is also a gorgeous temple that provides spectacular views. It is a great place to sit and relax after a tough hike. Hikers love to have a picnic at the helicopter pad near the summit as well. This is a popular spot for a great view as well. Continue walking past the temple and you will reach the stone carving of Buddha that is nearly 700 years old. This route meets back to the main trail near the waterfall and is a fantastic hike.
To get to Geumosan Park from the train station, turn right out of the front of the station and walk through downtown Gumi toward the Lotte Castle apartments. Turn right at a major intersection that has a discount outdoor equipment store on the left side, and a gaming store on the right. The store will be marked with a giant Playstation 2 logo. There is also a big brown sign hanging above the intersection. Turn right at this intersection and walk approximately 1.5 kilometers to the park. Turn left at the burned down restaurant that looks like a ship. It is actually a very pleasant walk along a small creek. You will walk around the lake at Geumosan and be at the park within 30 minutes of leaving the train station.
From the bus terminal, take the #12 bus straight to Guemosan. It leaves every 90 minutes and is the only bus that goes to the park. The #12 bus also leaves from Gumi Station every 90 minutes.
