Palgongsan Trail Closure, Cheonruk Garden to Birobong Closed for 86 Days Starting October 12
Three Palgongsan National Park trails are closed for construction. The Cheonruk Garden to Birobong section, the shortest route to Birobong, is closed from October 12 to January 5, 2027.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
86 days. This is the period during which the path from Cheonruk Garden to Birobong at Palgongsan will be closed. This count includes both the start date of October 12 and the end date of January 5, 2027. Overlapping with fall foliage season, the shortest route to Birobong will be closed for nearly three months. Among the three sections being controlled this time, this has the longest period and the latest end date.
National Park Service Real-time Closure Information When you open the screen, the characters "partial closure" appear in the Palgongsan East section. The last update time is October 6 at 09:17. Right next to it, Palgongsan West shows "normal" as of September 1 at 23:00 update. The East Office posted a closure notice at 11:31 on the same day. Since the registration year is 2026, this is not last year's notice being reshared.
Palgongsan Closure Period: Three Sections 82 Days, 76 Days, 86 Days
Dates by section are BeganNews reporting and Waigogzip data organizing the agency's list. Sutaegol to Choltap Samgeori has already been closed since October 6. Gyejaesa to Gyejaerae and Cheonruk Garden to Birobong are scheduled to begin closure on October 12. The periods in the table below include counts of both the start and end dates.
Closure Period by Section at a Glance (As of 2026.10.08)
| Section | Closure Start | Closure End | Period (Days) | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutaegol to Choltap Samgeori | 2026.10.06 | 2026.12.26 | 82 | Under Closure |
| Gyejaesa to Gyejaerae | 2026.10.12 | 2026.12.26 | 76 | Closure Planned |
| Cheonruk Garden to Birobong | 2026.10.12 | 2027.01.05 | 86 | Closure Planned |
The confusing part is the end date. Sutaegol and Gyejaesa sides both end on December 26, but Cheonruk Garden to Birobong January 5, 2027goes 10 days longer. If you only hear that other sections have reopened by year-end and head up toward Cheonruk Garden, you may have to turn back in front of Birobong. The original announcement text was not confirmed, so the nature of the construction is not included.
Two Paths to Cheonruk Garden, Cannot Reach Birobong
You can still reach Cheonruk Garden even during the closure period. According to BeganNews and Waigogzip, you can continue to use the Dongsan Parking Lot to Odoam to Cheonruk Garden route and the Cheonruk Garden Visitor Support Center to Cheonruk Garden route. However, both paths end at Cheonruk Garden. From October 12 onward, access beyond that point is blocked and you cannot reach the Birobong summit marker.
Cheonruk Garden became the shortest route to Birobong because of its location. Gyeongyang Newspaper According to reports, Cheonruk Garden is located at the summit of Palgongsan in Dongsan-ri, Bugye-myeon, Gunwi-gun, Daegu, and is approximately 600 m north of Birobong. Gunwi-gun from 2011 to 2014 3 billion woninvested to build observation decks, walking paths, restrooms, and parking lots at the summit that had been blocked by military facilities.
This closure cuts off the path connecting Cheonruk Garden to Birobong. For visitors aiming to get a summit marker photo, the same path becomes half-usable. The Sutaegol route is also already closed. If you were planning to reach Birobong, you need to revise your route before departing.
Palgongsan East Partial Closure, Changed from 'Normal' on September 30
Palgongsan was promoted to national park status after passing review by the National Park Committee in 2023. The agency manages it through East and West offices and is promoting trail infrastructure maintenance work this year. WaigogzipAccording to reports, Palgongsan East was 'normal' as recently as the September 30 check, but has changed to 'partial closure' in this latest check.
Confirm before departing, East Office 053-989-8300
Schedules may change depending on construction progress and weather. Before departing, it's good to check the Palgongsan East status again on the National Park Service Real-time Closure Information. The Palgongsan National Park information page lists the East Office 053-989-8300, and West Office 054-970-8300 as main numbers. The 'normal' marking for the West office means there is no closure notice on the agency's list. This does not mean safety is guaranteed.
There is mention that entering controlled areas may result in fines under the Natural Parks Law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can you still reach Cheonruk Garden during the Palgongsan Cheonruk Garden closure period?
You can. You can use the Dongsan Parking Lot to Odoam to Cheonruk Garden route and the Cheonruk Garden Visitor Support Center to Cheonruk Garden route. However, from October 12 onward, the path from Cheonruk Garden to Birobong is closed and you cannot reach the summit marker.
Q. When will the Palgongsan Birobong closure be lifted?
The Cheonruk Garden to Birobong section is scheduled to remain closed until January 5, 2027. Sutaegol to Choltap Samgeori and Gyejaesa to Gyejaerae are scheduled to reopen by December 26, 2026. Schedules may change depending on construction progress.
Q. Can you use the Palgongsan Sutaegol route now?
The Sutaegol to Choltap Samgeori section has already been closed since October 6, and the closure extends through December 26.
Related Official Websites
- National Park Service Real-time Trail Closure Information — Confirm the final closure status of Palgongsan East and West before departing
- National Park Service Palgongsan National Park Visitor Guide (Routes and Closures) — Verify Palgongsan hiking routes and office contact information
- National Park Service Official Website — Notices and visitor information for national parks throughout the country
Featured image · Archival photo · Not a scene photo of the current event in the article · Photo = Wikimedia Commons (HwangHuang), CC BY-SA 4.0
Related Resources Worth Reading
We Sports Editor · Profile · See More Articles