Family camping in the city

Families in Seoul are scrambling to camping sites in the city. The Noeul Campground and the Gangdong Greenway Family Campground, which were closed during winter, have opened for spring. Campers are also setting up their camps at the Jungnang Family Campground and the Nanji Campground on the side of the Han River.

The Jungnang Family Campground, an auto camp site, can accommodate more than 200 people a day on its 37,200-square-meter ground. It is very popular among parents with children, as it is equipped with a playground in the forest for spring and a small pool for summer. The site takes reservations from the 15th day of each month on a first-come-first-served basis. Fees are 25,000 won per day. The site also has power facilities and offers rental mats.

Located above the Noeul Park within the World Cup Park in western Seoul, the Noeul Campground is a site on natural turf. As it is nestled on a ground at a height of 98 meters from sea level, campers can enjoy the sunset view while feeling the cool spring breezes. There are also a golf course and firefly and honey bee experience zones for free. The site is closed on Mondays but remains open to juvenile group campers. Fees are 10,000 won ($8.72) per lot. Reservations are available for up to three days (two nights). The campground offers a stargazing program from June. An international work camp is scheduled to take place at the site where university students from Korean and abroad will perform volunteer work while camping on the site.

The Gangdong Greenway Family Campground is located south of the Herb Park in Gangdong-gu in eastern Seoul. It added 23 new lots, now offering a total of 80 lots for camping. Eight are for auto campers, while the rest are for family campers. From April, families with toddlers can use a nearby forest experience ground. Campers can also gaze stars at the Herb Park. Fees are 20,000 won (17.44 dollars) per lot and 21,000 won (18.31 dollars) per lot on the auto campground.

The Nanji Campground is Seoul’s most popular camp site, which attracts nearly 150,000 campers a year on average. It can accommodate up to 1,000 people a day with 194 lots on 26,000 square meters of land. It is divided into three zones: one for pre-set tents (117 lots), another with yurts for group campers (56 lots) and a picnic zone (21 lots) for cooking and barbecuing. Each lot costs 15,000 won (13.08 dollars) per night. Tent rental fees vary depending on the size.

Seoul provides all information about the campgrounds on its website for parks (parks.seoul.go.kr/parks). Most of the weekend camping sites have already been booked, with some remaining for weekdays. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to open temporary weekend campgrounds in seven parks to meet increasing demand in summer. Reservations for the temporary sites can be made from June.

김민기자 kimmin@donga.com