I went to Naejangsan National Park after a visit in Gwangju. We unknowingly went up one of the higher peaks–722 meters! When you go in at Baegyangsa–where the bus from Gwangju drops you–there is a little uninhabited village at the very bottom.
After a bit of flat walking you will come to Baegyangsa temple which is really big! Pretty nice too as there are only 2 places selling touristy things. There is a beautiful walk from the starting village to the temple along a river which you end up following up to the start of the hike (not the Cheonjinam Temple part, the Yaksaam Temple part).
The walk up to Yaksaam temple is incredibly steep, but on our way up we saw some older people coming down so I figured I had to push on no matter what! Also saw some monks coming down who looked like they did that walk everyday of their life.
After that is the Yeongcheongu Cave, which has a buddha in it and some candles which you should pay for.
Next is another steep hike filled with helpful stairs to Baekhakbong Peak. Beautiful views from the top, even when it is a bit cloudy.
After that we headed down into a valley and back along the river. We had run out of water and my companions did not bring any food so we could not go on to the Helliport, second peak and waterfall. The plan is to come back in spring and go straight for the waterfall!
World Traveler: Asian Edition 