There is no need to climb all the way to a mountain summit. There is little worry about being jostled by crowds at famous tourist sites. Visitors can slowly walk shaded forest trails, rest in a hammock, dine in a garden, and spend half a day. This is the story of summer forest travel.
A growing number of people are enjoying "sup-meong" trips, in which they relax while gazing at the forest. It is a way of staying and resting within nature. Those who do not want to stand in line even on vacation or rush through tight schedules pressed for time are heading to the forests.
According to a Trend Trip Report released by the Korea Tourism Organization on the first of this month, among destinations chosen by people in their 20s and 30s and those in their 50s and 60s based on 2025 telecommunications data, visits to natural scenery parks rose the most, by 31.1% and 21.9% respectively. By contrast, mountain visits fell by 2.5% and 2.6% respectively. Choices have shifted from hiking to the summit toward places such as parks, arboretums, and forest trails where one can stay without walking for long.
Competition to book lodgings at recreation forests is fierce every summer peak season. Lodging reservations for the peak season (July 15 to August 24) at 47 national recreation forests nationwide were accepted from the 9th to the 16th of this month, and payment for selected rooms must be completed by the 24th of this month to be finalized. Rooms remaining due to non-selection or non-payment will be accepted again on a first-come, first-served basis from the 25th. In last year's summer peak season lottery for national recreation forest lodgings, 138,827 people applied, recording an average room competition rate of 7.74 to 1. The competition rate for one room at Daeyasan Recreation Forest on a specific date reached 425 to 1.
Sup-meong, in which one stays in the forest and enjoys the very act of resting and doing nothing, is no longer an unfamiliar travel option. "More travelers have recently come to value time spent leisurely staying in one place and resting, rather than busily touring many places," a tourism industry official said. "Day-trip programs operated in forests and gardens are also diversifying beyond simple walks toward enjoying experiences and food and drink together."
Even without staying overnight, visitors can enjoy sup-meong at "healing forests." A healing forest is a forest welfare facility created by the Korea Forest Service to expand forest welfare services. It operates day-trip forest healing programs such as forest trail walks, meditation, stretching, hammock rest, fragrance therapy, and heat healing. Unlike recreation forests, where one books a forest lodging and spends a night, these are spaces where visitors can experience forest-based rest programs even by staying just a few hours.
Healing forests have been popular enough to draw more than 50,000 visitors every year since 2022. Paid visitors to major healing forests rose from 47,976 in 2021 to 55,626 in 2022, and 54,026 visited in 2025 as well. The program experience fee is around 6,000 won per person for one hour. At healing forests, walking and rest are tied together in a single program. For example, the "sup-meong hammock" program at Yangpyeong Healing Forest lets visitors walk along a deck trail and lie in a hammock at any time to enjoy the sounds and air of the forest. The cypress fragrance therapy and heat healing programs let visitors feel the scent and warmth of the forest and let go of stress accumulated in daily life. These are programs that allow one to fully enjoy the forest without climbing to a mountain summit.
The footsteps of those enjoying sup-meong extend not only to public recreation forests but also to private arboretums. "Hwadam Forest," operated by the LG Evergreen Foundation, is an ecological arboretum of about 165,000 square meters (50,000 pyeong). It features 16 themed gardens and more than 4,000 plant species, and visitors can walk the forest trails or tour the forest by monorail. At Hwadamchae, a complex cultural space inside Hwadam Forest serving as an exhibition area, visitors can rest briefly during their walk and view exhibitions.
Hwadam Forest is a good place for the whole family to enjoy sup-meong together. Gentle deck trails extend deep into the forest, making it easy to tour even with a stroller or wheelchair. Sections that feel steep can be navigated by monorail, so families who find it difficult to walk for long can also see the scenery deep inside the forest. Last month, it also organized events tailored to family visitors to mark Family Month.
Garden-style arboretums near the Seoul metropolitan area are also suitable for a day trip sup-meong course. "Jade Garden," operated by the Insight division of Hanwha Solutions in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, is an arboretum of about 160,000 square meters (48,000 pyeong) with more than 4,000 plant species and over 20 themed gardens. About an hour's drive from Seoul, it draws visitors who want to spend a weekend day in the forest and garden even without going far on vacation.
At Jade Garden, walking, resting, eating, and experiencing are all possible. From June to August, seasonal flowers fill the garden, and the moss garden remains relatively cool even in summer, making it pleasant for walks to escape the heat. It also operates the "Blue Garden Class," a family experience in which participants harvest organic blueberries and then make desserts. There is also a "Healing Sound in the Garden" program, where visitors can rest while listening to the sound of singing bowls among the trees of the moss garden. It is a composition that goes beyond seeing flowers and taking photos to include harvesting, crafting, and rest programs.
After touring the garden, visitors can rest without having to move back outside. Salon Jade inside Jade Garden serves menus using herbs grown on-site and ingredients from the Gangwon region. During blueberry season, it also offers seasonal menus such as blueberry latte, ade, and crumble cake. At Studio Jade, visitors can see gardening tools, craft items, and eco-friendly brand products. Strolling, experiencing, and dining all continue within the garden.
