Donghaksagyegok Valley (동학사계곡)

Donghaksagyegok Valley is the wooded mountain valley running up Mt. Gyeryongsan from Donghaksa Temple in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do, on the eastern flank of one of central Korea's headline national parks. The valley is best known for its dense old-growth deciduous canopy that produces some of the most reliable autumn-color displays in central Korea — wide bands of maple, oak, and ginkgo running from the temple up the trail in mid-to-late October. Trails fan out from Donghaksa toward Eunseonpokpo waterfall, the Namedaegae ridge, and further on toward Gapsa Temple on the western side of the mountain via a popular cross-mountain hike. Spring brings cherry blossoms along the temple approach, summer dense valley shade, autumn the headline color, and winter quiet. Best paired with the Donghaksa temple complex for a full Gyeryongsan day.