Seoul National University Gwanak Arboretum Review: Parking & Hours

Hi! Seoul National University Gwanak Arboretum has fully opened to the public after 58 years, and I visited the very next day for a fresh review. Since it was late autumn with foliage still around, I expected the weekend crowds to be huge. I have been to Anyang Art Park many times, so make sure to check the parking tip below. There are also programs inside the arboretum, so I recommend reserving in advance if you want to join one.

The location is at the far end of Anyang Art Park. I heard that if you continue up through Gwanak Arboretum and reach the rear gate, you can cross over toward Sillim and Seoul National University.

It fully opened from November 5, and the source said it would later change to a reservation system. There were also rumors that it might become paid, but nothing was certain, so I felt it was better to visit sooner. Winter hours, November to March, are 10:00 to 17:00. Summer hours, April to October, are 09:00 to 18:00. It is closed every Monday, and last admission is one hour before closing.

The most important part is parking. Parking anywhere around Anyang Art Park is really difficult. The easiest option is to use the Anyang Arboretum Parking Lot or the Arboretum Entrance Public Parking Lot. But as you can see from the photo, the parking lot is quite small. It looked like only about 30 cars could fit. I went on a weekday for the 10:00 opening and arrived around 9:50. There were only about two spaces left, so I barely managed to park before walking up.

This was at 10:50, when I was leaving the parking lot after coming back down. The line for the lot had become incredibly long. All the cars visible ahead were waiting in line. Because the road has one lane in each direction, once you enter that line, it is hard to turn around. If you are going right at opening time, you can try for this parking lot, but if you are visiting during a peak time such as the afternoon, it is better to park lower down and walk a bit.

Anyang Art Park Parking Lot is another option. From there, it is about a 10-minute walk to the arboretum entrance. If it already looks like a time when many people will be there, it is better to park below from the start and walk up.

Because it is a public parking lot, the fee is on the affordable side. If you plan to park for more than 3 hours and 30 minutes, it is cheaper to prepay for the all-day ticket. The one-day prepaid ticket was 9,000 won, while 3 hours and 30 minutes of parking was 9,400 won. We parked for about one hour and paid a little over 1,000 won.

Right near the arboretum entrance, there is a barefoot walking path. It is a place where you take off your shoes and walk barefoot. It was a bit cold for me, so I decided to save it for next time. I had also tried something similar a few times when I was young. It feels like walking on very soft dirt.

Inside, the ground is made of fine soil, so you can walk while fully feeling the dirt with your bare feet. Of course, there is a place to wash your feet on the way out, and the water works well. There is also an air gun nearby for blowing off dust. If it is your first time, the barefoot experience is fun, so I recommend giving it a try.

After passing the parking area and walking straight up the road, you reach the arboretum entrance. On the left is a bypass hiking trail around the arboretum, and you can hike up the mountain that way too. I saw many people wearing hiking clothes that day. It is good both for hiking along the side trail and for taking a walk inside the arboretum.

This was a weekday at 10 a.m., the second day after opening, and there were more people than I expected. Since it was a weekday, there were also many daycare groups, and perhaps because there were various weekday experiences, it felt fairly busy. There are three programs in total: a forest healing program, a woodworking experience program, and a forest interpretation program. All of them require reservations. You can reserve through the Anyang Urban Corporation website, so search for your planned date and consider doing an experience while you are there.

There is a restroom at the arboretum entrance. There are also restrooms here and there inside, so it is convenient to visit.

Once you enter, there is a simple route explanation and notes about where certain trees and flowers are located. There is no separate booklet, so it is a good idea to take a photo. That way, you can roughly understand where you are as you walk around.

Inside, the paths are quite varied: uphill paths, downhill paths, mountain trails, and asphalt roads. The area is arranged in many different ways. However, there were hardly any places where the autumn leaves were beautifully colored, so I was a little disappointed.

These were some of the few flowers I found while walking. There are many trees, and flowers have been planted too, but most were not blooming, so I had to look around here and there to find them.

This is the Great Lawn area. You can see the green ground in front, right? It is covered with very soft-looking grass, and when I looked at it up close, it was really pretty. There are rest areas like this here and there.

This was the restroom near the Great Lawn area.

After going up the final uphill section near the end, there were these pretty autumn leaves. There were many places with colorful leaves, but this was the only spot that felt especially good for taking photos. A lot of people were taking pictures in front of it.

I did not make it all the way to the rear gate, but if you go to the rear gate and then come back down, I think it would take about 1 hour and 30 minutes. It is not a place I would say you need to be overly excited about, but since this previously closed place has now opened, I recommend that people living nearby visit at least once. The source says it had only opened temporarily before, and this was the first time it fully opened like this. Go before the autumn foliage fades.