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Geography
| Kunsan Peninsula   | 
| Page Type: Area Location: Korea/South, Asia Lat/Lon: 35.94188°N / 126.65417°E Trail Type: Cross Country, Downhill, Mountain Season: Spring, Summer, Fall | Page By: Beau Created/Edited: Nov 7, 2007 / Nov 16, 2007 Object ID: 263997 Hits: 577 Loading... Page Score: 87% - 4 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Overview
The Kunsan Peninsula is located on the West Coast of South Korea about 3 hours south of Seoul. There are three main areas of interest: Kunsan City, the Kunsan Industrial Zone and Kunsan Air Base (USAF & RoKAF). Kunsan Air Base is the second largest USAF installation in South Korea and home to the 8th Fighter Wing "The Wolfpack". This page is designed to help airmen stationed at Kunsan find places to ride in the local area.
Despite the large population base and industrial complexes there are several nice areas to mountain bike in the area. Excellent trails can be found in surprisingly small hilly and wooded areas outside the gate. Typically, you will be required to ride a large percentage of time on roads or among the rice paddies to find the good stuff. During my time there - '05 to '06 - I would link trails together for longer rides. Over time, you will figure out which route best fits your style.
TrailsHELICOPTER HILL:
Located directly north of the base near the RoKAF compound and is an out & back that climbs the hill next to the rock quarry. The climb is fairly steep and about .5 miles long. There is a helicopter LZ at the top - hence the name. Nice views to the north and west!
DISNEYLAND TRAIL:
Located to the east of the RoKAF compound and contains some really nice flowing singletrack and one steep climb. There are several ways to access this area. I'm not sure where the name Disneyland originated, but that is what my friends called it when I got there. It might have something to do with the silouhettes of North Korean soldiers located in the area for training. Good view of the base to the south from the top of the hill!
KUNSAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY:
Located around the Kunsan National University campus on the south side of Kunsan City. It is about a 4 mile ride to the trails and there are several ways to access the area. A good 14 mile loop includes a climb up Helicopter Hill, a cruise through Disneyland and then out to the University. These are the best trails in the region!
WOLMYEONG PARK:
Located in downtown Kunsan City, this is a very nice park with a myriad of trails and access points. It is crowded on weekends with Koreans hiking, but they are friendly if you're willing to be courteous and say hello. The trails range from a paved path to some technical downhill. Great place to ride and really awesome views of the entire peninsula on a clear day.
OTHER AREAS:
There are other trails out there to be explored - particularly to the south east of the base. Any information on these trails would be great!Getting ThereJoin the Air Force and volunteer for a one-year remote tour to Korea. Here are some maps I traced out via Google Earth images. There are many possible routes to take - these just indicate my preferred routes and where the trails are generally located. Get out and explore!
 Trails just outside the gate
 Directions to the University Trails
 Directions to the University Trails
University Trails - South  University Trails - North  Directions to Wolmyeong Park
VideosLinks to my helmet cam videos covering all the trails mentioned. These range in size from 40-50mb each, but are of better quality than what you see on YouTube. (Right-click and "Save Target As")
University Trail (May 2006)
Helicopter Hill & Disneyland Trails (April 2006)
Wolmyeong Park (July 2005)
Helicopter Hill & Disneyland Trails (July 2005)
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