Hiking Hwaseong Gandal Mountain with Kids (2026): Trails & Descent Tips

I visited Gondaesan (건달산) in Hwaseong (화성) for the first time in five years.

This time, with my kids!

Last time I hiked Mubongsan (무봉산), I was a little disappointed with the summit view.

So this time, to show my kids the true joy of hiking,

I took them to Gondaesan, which boasts amazing views.

I'll tell you about Gondaesan's hiking trails and parking,

and even some precautions for descending!

Gondaesan Hiking Trails and Parking

Gondaesan's **hiking courses** include:

the **gentle Course A**, which starts at Gicheon 2-ri Village Hall (기천2리 마을회관),

and the **shortest Course B**, which starts at Heindolsan Prayer Mountain (흰돌산 기도원) and descends to Segok-ri (세곡리).​

I took Course B five years ago,

but because descending to Segok-ri meant a walk back to the car at Heindolsan Prayer Mountain,

I planned to go up to the summit and come back down the same way this time.

However, on the way down, I somehow took a wrong turn.

It turned into quite an ordeal!

ㅠㅠ

After searching online, I found that many people, like us, take a wrong turn.

So, I'll explain **where you need to be careful**

below.

Most hikers park in front of Heindolsan Prayer Mountain,

the starting point for Course B.

The areas marked in blue on the map above

are all available for parking.

The road in front of the trail entrance is wide,

so it's fine to park on both sides.

This is what it looked like a little after 2 PM on a Saturday.

Heindolsan Prayer Mountain ▶ Gondaesan Summit

We followed the asphalt path

next to the hiking trail map.

Oh!

**There are no restrooms near the Gondaesan trailhead.**

Gondaesan became famous as a backpacking hotspot during COVID,

and it seems it still is.

This isn't because of Halloween;

my daughter wore light clothes and was cold, so

we covered her with a blanket from the car.

**Wear several thin layers of clothing.**

You can always take layers off if you get warm,

but if you get cold on the mountain, there's no easy fix.

After walking a bit, you'll see a path to the right

leading to the Bannamparkssi Ancestral Cemetery (반남박씨 묘원).

Just pass it and keep going straight,

and you'll reach a fork in the road, as shown in the picture above.

From here, head towards Gondaesan Summit (건달산정상)!

There are signs along the way pointing towards the summit,

so **you won't get lost on the way up.**

Course B has many stairs and steep slopes,

but both the 8-year-old and 10-year-old children

climbed it with ease.

My husband and I also found it less strenuous to reach the summit

than when we climbed Mubongsan.

The view from here was amazing five years ago,

but since then, the trees have grown so much

that they've completely blocked the view.

The mountain was so beautiful in autumn.

Hwaseong Geondalsan (화성건달산) has so many rocks

that there's even a quarry.

Kids could trip if they run around,

so you need to make sure they're careful.

Ropes are installed on most of the slopes,

so it was relatively easy to climb by holding onto them.

Your hands might get scraped on the way down,

so it's a good idea to bring gloves.

Hiking poles also make it much more comfortable.

When you're almost at the summit,

you'll encounter these iron stairs.

Make sure to check where you came from before you climb!

When climbing the mountain, I was only looking forward,

so I didn't realize the area near the iron stairs was a fork in the path ㅠㅠ

On the way down, I was like, "Huh?! This was a fork in the road?"

My husband and I kept descending endlessly in the direction we agreed upon

(we both admit we have no sense of direction).

By the time we realized we had taken the wrong path,

it was too late ㅠㅠ

I'll tell you more about this when we talk about descending the mountain~

When you see the Sansujang (산스장), you know you've almost arrived.

The Sansujang that even the kids enjoyed.

Arrived at the summit of Geondalsan!

Geondalsan Observation Deck

Geondalsan 328m Summit Marker

It took exactly 1 hour to climb with the kids.

Before heading down to the deck, there's a bench like this,

harmonizing beautifully with the pine trees behind it,

isn't it wonderful?

If you descend the stairs next to the summit marker,

you'll find a wide~~~ deck.

I heard backpackers do bivouacs here.

Five years ago, there was a circular table in the center,

which made photos look even better.

Now, the square table

is off to one side.

View from the summit.

To the west, you can see the sea,

Gicheon Reservoir (기천저수지), and

the ridges of the surrounding mountains.

It was around 3 PM on a late Saturday afternoon,

and there weren't many people around, so we took tons of photos!

The Challenging Return to Our Starting Point

From the summit of Gondalsan Mountain (건달산),

as you descend towards Hindolsan Prayer Retreat (흰돌산기도원),

you'll encounter a fork in the road, right?

You really need to remember the direction carefully as you go down.

We, however, accidentally went towards Gicheon Reservoir (기천저수지).

Oh no!

The sun was setting, so we couldn't go back up,

and we weren't sure exactly where we were,

but we had to choose between Gicheon 3-ri Lower Village (기천3리 아랫마을) and Upper Village (윗마을).

Since both were the same distance,

we just headed to the Lower Village.

We thought, "We'll just go down, catch a taxi, and drive to the car~"

but then...

After getting down, we tried to hail a taxi, but couldn't find one!

Oh no!

So, we took the H103 bus out to Baran Village (발안마을),

then caught the 8155 express bus,

and finally arrived at the Hindolsan Prayer Retreat Entrance (흰돌산기도원입구).

It was around 6 PM, and the sun had already set,

so my husband walked alone to the car,

and he said it was scarier than any horror experience he'd ever had...

Despite all the twists and turns and unexpected challenges,

the kids even said they liked Gondalsan Mountain better than Mubongsan Mountain (무봉산),

and because we had such an adventurous story of overcoming difficulties,

it turned out to be a hike we'll remember for a long, long time!

Next time, if we bring cup noodles to eat,

the kids will probably love it even more, right?

If you're considering hiking in Hwaseong (화성) or Dongtan (동탄) with your children,

Mubongsan Mountain is great, but we also recommend Gondalsan Mountain!

Their elevation and estimated time required are quite similar.