Yongdae National Recreational Forest

This description was machine-translated from the Korea Tourism Organization's Korean original.

It is located near the summit of Jinburyeong on the northern side of the Taebaek Mountains, which form the waist of the Korean Peninsula, and lies around National Highway 46 leading to Seoraksan National Park and the East Sea. Situated at an elevation of 600 m in the northernmost area near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), this recreation forest is nestled in a deep mountain valley surrounded by dense forests where even in midsummer the valley water is so cold that one cannot soak one’s feet for more than 10 minutes. Most of the recreation forest consists of planted larch forests in harmony with natural forests of oak, basswood, Korean birch, pine, and others, and with diverse forest tree species, the natural scenery of greenery, autumn foliage, and snowscapes according to the season is magnificent. Clear, clean water flows into the center of the recreation forest along large and small valleys formed from Maebongsan (elevation 1,271 m) and Chiljeolbong (elevation 1,172 m), and the natural monument Manchurian trout and diverse wildlife inhabit the area. Yeonhwadong, the recreation forest area, has a topography of “lotus basin form,” taking the shape of a lotus flower floating on water. It is suitable as a stay-type recreation destination that can be linked with nearby tourist sites such as Baekdamsa Temple, Sibi Seonnyeotang, Jangsudae, and Daeseung Falls within Seoraksan National Park, as well as the East Sea tourism zone. In Inje-gun, festivals are held for pond smelt in January, tree sap in March, dried pollack in May, and leisure sports in July, and in October the Hapgang Cultural Festival and other local festivals are also held, so it is also recommendable to enjoy the festivals in season and take a comfortable rest at the recreation forest.