Ulsan's Ganwoljae: The Two Weeks When the Silver Grass Runs Deepest

Take a bus from Ulsan Station for just over 40 minutes, climb a mountain road, and a silver-grass-covered pass opens up before you. This is Ganwoljae, sitting at about 900 meters between Mt. Ganwol and Mt. Sinbul. The silver grass (eulalia) peaks from mid-October to early November, so heading there now means catching the fields at their best, rippling in the ridge-top wind.

At a glance: Start from the Yeongnam Alps Welcome Center (103-8 Alps-oncheon 5-gil, Sangbuk-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan) · The Deer Farm course is about 6 km one way, roughly 3 hours round trip, gentle enough for beginners · No admission fee · Free public parking at Baenae 2 Public Parking Lot (855 Icheon-ri, Sangbuk-myeon) · Take bus 323 from Ulsan Station or Eonyang Intercity Bus Terminal to the Welcome Center (bus 328 for the Baenae Pass direction)

There are two main routes up to Ganwoljae. The Deer Farm course has a gentle slope, making it suitable for families, while the route via Hongryu Falls is a bit faster overall, at around 2 hours total — 15 minutes from the Welcome Center to the fork, 45 minutes along the forest road, and another 45 minutes to the pass. Either way, once you reach the ridge, the silver grass fields stretch out in every direction.

On October 3, the one-day mountaintop concert "Ulju Odyssey" drew around 5,000 visitors to the Ganwoljae silver grass fields, but that event has already ended for this year and won't return. The grass itself keeps going until early November, so missing the concert is no reason to skip the view. During peak season, the Baenae 2 public lot fills up quickly, so those driving should arrive early in the morning to be sure of a spot.