The autumn foliage wasn’t at its peak, but Hwadam Forest was wonderful. It was close enough for a day trip, so I didn’t book any accommodation. Even though it was a weekday, there were quite a lot of people. I visited on October 30, 2025.
Admission Ticket & Monorail Ticket Purchase
I purchased the admission ticket for Hwadam Forest and the monorail ticket in advance through the Yanolja app. (Foreigners may also need a mobile phone registered under their own name and activated in South Korea.) Because many people try to book them, getting tickets is competitive, so you need to check frequently.
The Hwadam Forest admission ticket costs 11,000 KRW for adults.
The monorail fare varies by section, but the circular route costs 9,000 KRW for adults.
The circular route starts at Station 1, passes through Stations 2 and 3, and returns to Station 1. You can get off at Stations 2 and 3, but you cannot get back on once you get off.
Both entry to Hwadam Forest and monorail boarding were done by scanning a QR code.
Location
Hwadam Forest is located next to Gonjiam Resort. You can park in the parking building at Gonjiam Resort, and if you wait at the bus stop in front of the building, a free shuttle bus to Hwadam Forest will arrive.
Cafe
When you enter Hwadam Forest, you’ll see a cafe on the right. The receipt lists the name as “Hwadam Forest Cafe.” I ordered three kkwabaegi (twisted doughnuts), a pumpkin tea, and an omija tea. Both teas were iced.
The prices were 7,000 won for three kkwabaegi, 5,000 won for the iced pumpkin tea, and 6,000 won for the iced omija tea. The kkwabaegi has noticeable layers—it’s not the typical style you usually see. They tasted good, but they felt a bit greasy, so one piece was enough for me.
I would recommend the kkwabaegi, but I wouldn’t recommend the iced teas. They felt like a waste of money.
Haenuri Dongsandeulbap
The Hae-jeongsik set costs 19,000 won per person. We ordered two servings. The set includes grilled pork with a charcoal flavor and grilled mackerel. The grilled pork was delicious. The only downside was that there were 2–3 live flies around the table. (Not from the food, though.)
