Sanjangsan Hiking in Daejeon 2026: An Easy, Family-Friendly Trail

Sanjangsan Mountain in Wonnae-dong is

a great place to visit, as it's not too challenging, and

it's perfect for hiking with kids too.

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There are several courses, but I'll introduce you to a route that takes about 1.5 to 2 hours if you walk at a leisurely pace.

Sanjangsan Mountain

Location: Wonnae-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon

Height: 265.4m

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Sanjangsan Mountain has multiple entrances,

and the courses are incredibly varied, each with its own charm.

Among them, I often use the path behind Jinjampo Elementary School.

The trailheads are located behind Jinjam Catholic Church (①) and behind Jinjampo Elementary School (②).

This course takes you up the mountain via the path behind Jinjampo Elementary School (②)

and brings you back down the same way.

If you head behind Jinjampo Elementary School, you'll find this enormous zelkova tree.

There's a drinking fountain nearby, but it's closed! Haha.

You'll also find some exercise equipment.

Once you pass through the underpass ahead, your adventure begins!

The trailhead on the Jinjam Catholic Church side also requires you to go through an underpass.

Next to the hiking trail, you'll spot Dungunamu-jip restaurant.

This place is one of my absolute favorite eateries!

Their Cheonggukjang (fermented soybean paste stew) is incredibly delicious.

I'll post about it later!

There's a monument explaining the origin of Sanjangsan.

So it is...

The Sanjangsan Dulle-gil (circumference trail) is quite expansive, isn't it? You can even go all the way to Sutonggol… wow!

For my hikes, I usually start at the Sanjangsan mineral spring behind Jinjampo Elementary School, head left to visit the stone pagoda and the Sanjangsan peak,

then pass the exercise facilities and rest area, and finally return to the Sanjangsan mineral spring.

Inside the underpass, you'll find drawings by students from a nearby elementary school on display.

I'm not a big fan of dark and gloomy places, so I usually pass through quickly!

You can go right and come back left, or

go left and come back right – both options work!

The right side has steeper courses,

so if you're with children or

just want a simple walk like me, the left course is a great choice.

I usually take the left path.

The hiking trails are well-maintained, so it's not difficult to navigate.

You'll pass by fields and even some graves.

The paths are so well-maintained, I love it.

Especially around here, the sound of cars gradually fades away, making it easy to hear the wind rustling through the forest and the chirping of mountain birds.

You'll come across a fork for the Park Dong-jin Special Forces Trail (Bakdongjin Teukgong-gil), but I'm heading towards Sanjangsan (Sanjang Mountain).

As you continue, you'll reach the Red Spider Lily (Lycoris radiata) section.

Though it's spring now and the Red Spider Lilies aren't blooming,

just a little later, when autumn arrives,

they'll burst into full bloom, making for a truly delightful sight!

The first stone pagoda.

It's not exactly a mineral spring, but someone has left a dipper there.

The water flowing down from the mountain is indeed very clear.

There are plenty of benches along the way, making it perfect for taking breaks and enjoying a leisurely climb.

To the right is Sanjangsan (Sanjang Mountain),

and if you go down to the left,

you can descend towards Bangdong Reservoir.

I'm heading right! Haha.

The mountain path is so peaceful and beautiful, isn't it? Hehe.

After a slightly breathless uphill climb, you'll come across a pavilion and a stone pagoda.

Take a nice, long break here,

then you can head up to the right.

I highly recommend resting here.

Because from here, a steep path begins to the right.

It's not terribly long, but it is a bit challenging.

That's why when I come with my kids, we usually just make it to this pavilion and then head back down.

After a tough climb all the way up, you'll find this burial mound,

and from here, the ups and downs truly begin!

As soon as I reached this spot, I met a cute little water deer! Haha.

The baby water deer kept scampering ahead on the trail;;;

It would appear, disappear, and then appear again just a little further along.

Eventually, it darted into the forest to avoid people coming from the other direction.

On Sanjangsan, you'll find not only Eurasian red squirrels but also chipmunks.

Especially in springtime like now, you might even encounter snakes,

so make sure to tread carefully~~!

If you hike up from the Bak Dong-jin Special Forces Monument, you'll discover this spot.

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"Neoreokbawi (Wide Rock)"

You'll come across a truly grand and expansive rock here.

On this particular day, the fine dust levels were quite high,

so visibility wasn't great, but even from a distance,

the view of Bangdong Reservoir was still incredibly impressive.

The breeze up here is so refreshing and invigorating – it's wonderful!

It's the perfect spot to sit on this wide rock and take a short, peaceful break.

As you continue along the mountain path, with its gentle ups and downs,

you'll soon see a charming pavilion in the distance.

Yes! We've finally made it to Sanjeongsan Peak! Haha.

At 265m, it's not a towering height.

From here, you can see all the way to Shinsegae Department Store and even Expo Park in the distance.

That day, the severe fine dust meant everything appeared a bit hazy. ;;;;

After a brief rest in the pavilion, it was time to continue our journey, traversing more ups and downs.

This area used to be open to visitors,

but somewhere along the way, a 'No Entry' sign appeared.

There was a big rock ahead,

and the view of Bangdong Reservoir from there was truly wonderful, but...

It seems like it's probably because of the risk of falling from the rock.

Go a little further and you'll find some exercise equipment! Haha

And now, you'll need to descend a steep path.

This is the steepest course on Sanjangsan Mountain.

It's quite a climb if you're coming up from the bottom of the mountain.

That's why I always choose the descending path!

Hahahaha

There are benches placed along the way,

so feel free to rest as you go up and down!

After descending, you'll come to a fork in the road.

The left path is the one ascending from Jinjamsanseong Catholic Church,

while the right path leads to the back road of Jinjam Elementary School, which is the way we came earlier.

Even when taking the shorter Jinjamsanseong Catholic Church -> Jinjam Elementary School route, you turn here to descend.

We've almost reached the bottom now!

At the end of this path, you'll discover Sanjangsan Mountain's mascot –

a magnificent double-flowered cherry tree!

It's quite a magnificent double-flowered cherry tree.

It's worth coming just to see this in spring!

As you continue down the path,

you'll arrive back at the fork in the road we encountered after passing through the underpass at the start.

From this fork, it's just about 10 minutes to the double-flowered cherry tree!

A short but fulfilling course.

It feels too much like a hike to be just a stroll, but too much like a stroll to be a full-on hike, haha!

Sometimes, after a hike like this, I feel like I've really exercised,

and my body feels a little less guilty, haha.

If you're a beginner hiker or planning a hike with kids,

Sanjangsan Mountain in Wonnae-dong

I highly recommend it.