The 14.5km Gyejoksan Red Clay Trail Walked Barefoot: Why It Is Best to Visit 3 Days After Rain

There is a mountain where you can walk 14.5km on a red clay trail. It is the Gyejoksan Red Clay Trail introduced by the YouTube channel 'A Million Songhee in the Mountains'. The sections marked in orange on the map are all red clay trails, which is said to be the longest in the country. In the video, two people walked a course where they went all the way around the red clay trail, stopped at Gyejoksanseong Fortress, and then descended back to the starting point via the red clay trail.

The entrance feels like kneading dough; 3 days after rain is ideal

The participants introduced that while barefoot hiking is good, it can actually be dangerous because one might step on sharp objects, but this place is a path specifically made for walking barefoot, so it can be walked comfortably. At the entrance of the red clay trail, the name Seonyang Soju is written, and it is said that the chairman of Seonyang Soju created this path with his own funds. At the start of the forest bathing area, there are foot-washing stations and shoe racks. You can leave your shoes here, but since the participants had to hike up to Gyejoksanseong Fortress, they carried their shoes with them.

The red clay at the entrance was so soft that feet sank deep into it. The participants described it as feeling like kneading bread dough. They compared one side, which was very soft, to the other side, which was slightly firm, as being like medium-rare and well-done, and some parts were slippery. The participants shared that it is best to come about three days after it rains; immediately after rain, it is actually too slippery, but after about three days, it reaches the perfect "kneaded" state. Even though it was a weekday, there were quite many people, and they mentioned that since the path is not too difficult, it would be a good date course.

As they moved higher up, the red clay was a bit drier. While it didn't have the same chewy feeling as the entrance, they commented that the acupressure feeling was good, though they noted that the soles of their feet hurt a little after walking for a long time. The participants said that because they were looking only at the ground to avoid stepping on branches or stones, they became immersed without any distracting thoughts, making it a good place to walk for those with many worries.

Bypassing the collapsed section of the Gyejoksanseong Fortress wall

After passing the red clay trail and washing their feet at the foot-washing station, the uphill climb to Gyejoksanseong Fortress begins. There is also a natural place to wash hands and feet where a valley flows. If you follow the stairway path from here, you can reach the summit in 0.8km, or if you go around the side, you can climb up to Gyejoksanseong Fortress. The participants chose the route that goes around toward the fortress following the path where the sunlight comes in.

On the way, there was a section closed due to the collapse of the Gyejoksanseong Fortress wall, so they had to bypass it following the guidance. The participants advised bringing wet wipes. As the walking time increased, their soles began to hurt, making it increasingly difficult to walk, and they remarked that they truly realized why humans wear shoes. While the stairs leading up to the fortress are well-equipped, the slope is steeper than expected, so they urged those coming here to be sure to wear hiking boots.

A total of four hours of hiking; descend via the deck stairs next to the restroom

The participants entered the path climbing to the fortress two and a half hours into their hike, and it took about three hours one way to reach Gyejoksanseong Fortress before sunset. They cited the ability to choose different routes for the ascent as an advantage. Since the path continuing from the fortress was also blocked, they returned the way they came, noting that even when they visited about two years ago, this area was under construction and they had to return the way they came, so viewers can also just return to the starting point. When descending, you can return more quickly if you take the deck stairs located right next to the restroom. The total time taken was four hours, and if you want to take a shorter route, you can go straight up at the fork in the road.

The parking lot is spacious, and there is a bus stop right in front, so many people arrive via public transportation. There are restrooms at the entrance, and there are also places selling chicken feet and seafood pajeon.