Nature preserve · Jeju-si

궷물오름

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Gwetmul Oreum (궷물오름) is a low, gentle volcanic cone on Jeju's mid-mountain fringe at Yusuam-ri in Aewol-eup, Jeju-si. Though its rim sits at 597m above sea level, it rises just 57m above the surrounding pasture, so it is one of the easiest of Jeju's hundreds of oreum to walk up and around—an unhurried loop rather than a climb.↗↗

What gives the hill its name is water: a spring called '궷물' wells up through rock cracks in its horseshoe-shaped crater, and the restored herders' hut, wetland and old royal-pasture stone wall tell the story of the cattle and horses that once grazed here. It is a quiet, beginner-friendly spot for a green forest walk, autumn silver grass and easy views toward Aewol and the neighbouring Nokkome cones.↗↗↗

A cone named for a spring

Gwetmul Oreum takes its name from the '궷물' spring that seeps out from the crevices of the rock at one side of its crater—essentially 'well-up water' in the Jeju dialect. The cone's landform is a classic horseshoe shape, its rim broken open so the crater bowl is exposed, and the hill sits among a cluster of volcanic cones in the Aewol highlands.

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Nature preserve · Jeju-si

궷물오름

Jeju-si, KR 4.2 (341 Google reviews)

Photo: Google Maps

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Gwetmul Oreum (궷물오름) is a low, gentle volcanic cone on Jeju's mid-mountain fringe at Yusuam-ri in Aewol-eup, Jeju-si. Though its rim sits at 597m above sea level, it rises just 57m above the surrounding pasture, so it is one of the easiest of Jeju's hundreds of oreum to walk up and around—an unhurried loop rather than a climb.↗↗

What gives the hill its name is water: a spring called '궷물' wells up through rock cracks in its horseshoe-shaped crater, and the restored herders' hut, wetland and old royal-pasture stone wall tell the story of the cattle and horses that once grazed here. It is a quiet, beginner-friendly spot for a green forest walk, autumn silver grass and easy views toward Aewol and the neighbouring Nokkome cones.↗↗↗

A cone named for a spring

Gwetmul Oreum takes its name from the '궷물' spring that seeps out from the crevices of the rock at one side of its crater—essentially 'well-up water' in the Jeju dialect. The cone's landform is a classic horseshoe shape, its rim broken open so the crater bowl is exposed, and the hill sits among a cluster of volcanic cones in the Aewol highlands.

↗↗

In figures, the official oreum inventory lists the summit at 597.2m above sea level but only 57m of height above the surrounding ground, with a rim circumference of about 1.4km. That small relative height is the real story: this is not an exhausting ascent but a short walk where the number on the signpost matters far less than the gentle slope underfoot. The spring and crater wetland are best admired from the path rather than stepped into.↗↗

What to notice along the loop

From the trailhead the way in opens onto a wide, comfortable path—part paved, then a soft natural forest track—before a modest slope lifts you to the rim. Most people reach the summit in well under an hour, and the little summit marker stone is easy to walk past on the broad rim path, so keep an eye out for it. Returning the way you came, or simply continuing along the rim, brings you back to the start without retracing the same steps.↗↗

The hill's character comes from the details along the way: a restored teuri-maksa, the small stone hut where herders (teuri) once sheltered while watching the grazing cattle and horses; a fire-watch lookout with open views across the slopes; a nature-learning area and a managed wetland near the trail. Up on the grassy rim the views open out—across to the pointed Keun Nokkome and lower Jogeun Nokkome cones beside the hill, and on a clear day out toward the Aewol coast and, from the summit meadow, a look at Hallasan beyond.↗↗↗

Each season shifts the mood. In late summer the trailsides are deep green and hikers note wild mountain raspberries ripening along the path; by autumn the slopes bristle with silver grass (억새) rippling in the wind, a landscape the official tourism guide highlights as the cone's most beautiful moment.↗↗

A hill shaped by herding history

The ground around Gwetmul Oreum was once part of Jeju's state-run horse pasture, laid out in the early Joseon period around the eleventh year of King Sejong (1429), and the remains of the old upper pasture wall (sanjat-seong) still run nearby. The hill has its own quiet ceremonial memory: the village traditionally held a Baekjung ritual on the full moon of the seventh lunar month at the summit to pray for the safe grazing of the livestock.↗↗

Modern visitors see this history in a managed, walkable form. In October 2009 the city completed a dedicated trail and restored the ecological wetland around the hill, so the old pasture landscape now reads as a gentle interpretive circuit rather than open grazing country.↗

Pairing the walk with the Nokkome cones

The main reason hikers give this corner of Aewol more than an hour is that Gwetmul Oreum links directly to the 'brother cones' beside it—the tall, pointed Keun Nokkome (833.8m) and the lower, forested Jogeun Nokkome (774.4m), whose craters likewise open to the northwest. From a junction on Gwetmul's rim a comfortable path leads onward to Jogeun Nokkome, and walkers commonly do Gwetmul first, then loop the neighbouring cone and return to the same car park.↗↗

One recorded circuit combining Gwetmul Oreum and Jogeun Nokkome from the Gwetmul car park runs roughly 3.6km and took about two and a half hours with rests; the climb up Jogeun is steeper than Gwetmul itself, so the pairing turns a short stroll into a proper half-day hike. From Keun Nokkome's summit, on a clear day, the panorama reaches Hallasan and the sea off Hallim—but that taller cone is a more serious forest climb of around an hour each way.↗↗

Planning your visit

Gwetmul Oreum is an open, self-guided walk with no ticket, and the official tourism directory lists it as accessible year-round and open around the clock, with parking available. Set your navigation for the '궷물오름' car park in Yusuam-ri, Aewol-eup; the site is a free volcanic hill rather than a gated attraction, so a visit is mostly a matter of weather and daylight.↗↗

A few practical realities keep the visit pleasant. The hill is described as a low, easy oreum suitable for families and casual walkers, but the rim paths are exposed with little shade, so bring water, sun protection and grippy shoes, and expect mud or slick grass after rain. The spring and wetland are scenery to view from the designated path, not water to drink or paddle in, and the surrounding uplands can include private pasture, so stay on marked trails and respect any on-site closure notices.↗↗

What makes it special

01

Named for the '궷물' spring welling up in its horseshoe crater, with an ecological wetland and restored herders' hut (teuri-maksa) along the trail.↗↗

02

A genuinely easy oreum: about 57m of rise above the surrounding ground and roughly a 30-minute walk to a small, easily-missed summit marker.↗↗

03

Open views from the grassy rim toward the pointed Keun Nokkome and forested Jogeun Nokkome 'brother cones', and—on clear days—out to the Aewol coast and Hallasan.↗↗

04

In autumn the slopes turn into swaying silver grass (억새); the old Joseon royal-pasture wall (sanjat-seong) survives nearby.↗↗

05

A starting point for a ~3.6km, ~2.5-hour connecting hike to the neighbouring Jogeun Nokkome cone, looped back to the same car park.↗

A little planning goes a long way

Navigate to the '궷물오름' car park in Yusuam-ri, Aewol-eup; it has a reasonably large lot and on-site toilets, which are scarce elsewhere on the hill.↗↗
To do the Gwetmul-plus-Jogeun-Nokkome loop, take the right-hand fork at the entrance junction toward the teuri-maksa; reversing the order and using the left fork as your return avoids backtracking.↗
The summit marker is small and easy to walk past on the broad rim path—watch for it rather than expecting a grand viewpoint.↗
Go for Gwetmul itself if you want a gentle, family-friendly 30- to 45-minute walk; choose the Nokkome pairings if you want a longer forest hike with bigger views.↗↗
For the silver-grass scenery plan an autumn visit; the open rim and early path get little shade, so carry water, a hat and sun protection in summer and a windproof layer in cool weather.↗↗

About this guide

Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below; this is not a first-hand visit. Place details collected October 5, 2026. Hours, access and ratings can change; confirm with the venue before visiting.

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136-2 Yusuam-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea

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Opening hours +

As reported by Google Maps. Confirm holiday hours before you go.

Friday: Open 24 hours
Monday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours

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