Climbing Hallasan: Reservations, Entry Cutoffs and Rules

To hike Hallasan's summit trails on Jeju, you reserve in advance on the national park office's reservation system, and you must enter each trail before a set cutoff time. As of October 2026, the booking form offers two courses, Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa. The pages below are written in Korean; the home page says the reservation system provides foreign-language service. The details here are translated from the Korean reservation guide.

1. Reservations

The park office's guide says reservations open at 09:00 on the first business day of the month before your hike. For a hike in March, the guide's example is a booking start of February 1 at 09:00. If the 1st is a holiday, it opens on the next business day, and the guide gives an example of a start on the 2nd. Bookings can be made for dates through the end of the following month.

Other rules from the guide:

• After you book, entry and exit QR codes are sent to the phone number you entered, so enter a correct number.
• A date that is reserved without personal details stays "incomplete" and is cancelled automatically after one day.
• There is no waitlist.
• The booking form on the home page lets you choose 1 to 4 people per reservation.
• To cancel, sign in using the same authentication method you booked with, and cancel before your reserved time ends. If one person in a group drops out, cancel that part before the reserved end time too.
• The phone line is open on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:30 (064-713-9953); on weekends and holidays, use the website.

2. The no-show penalty

The park office applies a penalty. If you reserve and then neither hike nor cancel, you cannot reserve for 3 months after the first no-show, and for 1 year after the second.

3. Entry cutoff times

The guide sets entry and descent times by season. October through March counts as the winter schedule, and April through September as the summer schedule. As of October 2026, the winter column applies. The office says Hallasan is a same-day hike, and the cutoffs exist so hikers can finish before sunset.

Check the table against the park's current notice on the day you hike, since the office can change times and close trails during bad weather. The office says entry can be partly or fully closed during Korea Meteorological Administration warnings for heavy rain, typhoons or heavy snow, and tells hikers to check the control status on its website on the day.

4. Gwaneumsa trail: recent closure

A notice dated June 19, 2026 announced booking limits on the Gwaneumsa trail, with the Samgakbong-to-Baengnokdam summit section under control. A later notice dated September 18, 2026 said construction on that section was complete and the section would reopen on September 24, 2026 at 05:00. Reservations resumed on September 21 at 09:00, with September 24 to 30 bookable. The home page in mid-October 2026 listed both courses as operating under the reservation system.

5. What you cannot bring or do

The park's guide lists these rules:

• Use only designated trails.
• No picking plants, collecting insects or stones, or any damage to nature.
• Camping and cooking are banned except at the Gwaneumsa campground.
• Disposable lunch boxes, fire-starting materials, drinking and smoking are prohibited. Fines apply under Article 27(1) of the Natural Parks Act. The guide says kimbap and hamburgers are allowed.
• The park is a World Natural Heritage area, so take your trash home and keep your pack light.

6. What to carry

The guide warns that Hallasan's weather changes quickly. It recommends emergency food such as candy, chocolate or salt, and spare clothing. For winter hikes, it lists warm clothing, crampons (aizen), gloves and warm water.

7. In an emergency

Call the Hallasan National Park office or 119, and give the number from the trail marker nearest you. The guide asks hikers to check that number.

8. Key takeaways

• Reserve first: bookings open at 09:00 on the first business day of the month before your hike.
• A no-show without cancelling means a 3-month ban; a second brings a 1-year ban.
• In the October to March schedule, the Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa trailheads close to new entries at 11:30.
• The Gwaneumsa summit section reopened on September 24, 2026.
• No disposable lunch boxes, camping, drinking or smoking; kimbap is allowed.
• Check the park's website for weather closures on the day.