In our guide to the Ara Waterway at Gyeyang Bridge, we followed the canal path where Korea’s cross-country bike route begins. Keep going a little further along that same waterway and you reach a place even fewer outsiders know about — a wetland park where a wooden boardwalk winds through tall reeds and dense trees, and the noise of the city simply falls away.
This is Duri Ecological Park (두리생태공원), also known for its “Baengnyeon-sup,” the Hundred-Year Forest. It’s an official scenic point on the Ara Waterway, yet almost nothing about it exists in English. For locals in the know it’s a quiet spot to cycle, walk, picnic, and breathe — and it’s the kind of place that feels like stepping into another, calmer world.
What Is Duri Ecological Park?
Duri Ecological Park is a wetland park built along the Gyeongin Ara Waterway, the canal that links Incheon’s Yellow Sea coast to Seoul’s Han River. It sits at a spot where the Gulpocheon stream meets the main canal — a “dumulmeori,” or meeting-of-two-waters — which makes it both a natural wetland and, at dusk, a well-loved sunset viewpoint.
Officially, it’s one of the eight scenic highlights of the Ara Waterway, listed as the sixth “Suhyang” view. But unlike a manicured tourist garden, Duri keeps a wild, natural feel: marsh plants, reed beds, open sky, and a forest you can walk straight into. It’s the sort of place designed for slowing down rather than sightseeing — which is exactly its charm.
The Hundred-Year Forest and the Boardwalk
The heart of the park is the walk into the forest itself. Step off the main path and onto the wooden boardwalk, and the landscape closes in around you: reeds on both sides, trees overhead, and a raised timber walkway carrying you through the middle of it all.
This is what makes Duri special. Living surrounded by apartment blocks and traffic, you rarely get to walk through a stretch of genuine, untamed nature this easily — and here it’s just steps from a parking lot. The boardwalk means anyone can do it: it’s a barrier-free, step-free path, gentle enough for all ages. Walking it feels like entering a separate, peaceful world tucked inside the city’s edge, the kind of quiet that makes your shoulders drop without your noticing.
In autumn the reeds turn silver and catch the light; in spring the whole park softens green; and at the far points the open sky gives way to distant views — on a clear day you can pick out Gyeyangsan, the mountain that watches over this part of Incheon.
More Than Just a Walk
Duri Ecological Park works for a lot of different visits, which is part of why locals keep coming back.
- Cycling: the park sits right on the Ara Cycleway, so it’s a natural stop — or destination — for a ride. Many people pedal out from Gyeyang Station, lean the bike against a rack, and wander in.
- Picnics: there are grassy areas where people spread out a mat and settle in for an afternoon. Bring food, bring a book, and claim a patch of green.
- Light exercise: the park has simple outdoor exercise equipment and open paths, good for a run, a stretch, or a casual workout in the open air.
- Camping: there’s an auto-camping ground in the area for those who want to stay longer, with restrooms and washing facilities (reservation required).
- Sunsets: because it sits where two waters meet, the park is a known spot to watch the sun go down over the canal. Planes climbing out of nearby Gimpo Airport add to the view.
Why Almost Nobody Knows About It
Duri Ecological Park is a genuine local secret, and for understandable reasons. It’s a wetland park attached to a canal in a quiet corner of Incheon — not near any famous tourist attraction, not marketed to overseas visitors, and barely documented in English at all. Even many Seoul residents have never heard of it.
That obscurity is exactly what makes it worth the trip. You get a peaceful forest walk, sunset over the water, and space to breathe, usually with only a handful of local cyclists and families sharing it with you. It’s the opposite of a crowded, ticketed attraction — and all the better for it.
How to Get There
Duri Ecological Park is easy to reach from central Incheon or Seoul thanks to the airport rail line. Take the Airport Railroad (AREX) or Seoul Subway Line 9 to Gyeyang Station (계양역). From there:
- By bike: about 15 minutes along the Ara Cycleway. This is the best way to arrive — you follow the canal the whole way and the park is right on the route.
- By car: roughly 5–10 minutes. There’s a dedicated Ara Waterway parking lot (Parking Lot 15) near the park entrance, and drivers also commonly park along the roadside off Jeongseojin-ro before walking in.
Because Gyeyang Station is on the line straight from Incheon International Airport, this is one of the more convenient stretches of green space to reach if you’re arriving in or leaving the country and want a quiet few hours outdoors.
Where to Stay Nearby
Most people visit Duri as a half-day escape rather than an overnight destination, and its location makes that easy. Since Gyeyang Station sits on the airport line between Incheon Airport and Seoul, you can fold a visit into a travel day without staying nearby at all.
If you do want to stay close, look around Gyeyang Station, where you’ll find business hotels and smaller motels within a short distance. For a longer, nature-focused trip, the park’s own auto-camping ground lets you sleep beside the wetland itself — just book ahead. Otherwise, basing yourself in Incheon city or Seoul and treating Duri as an easy day trip works perfectly well. As always, check current rates and reviews before booking.
Is It Worth Visiting?
If you want a side of Korea that’s calm, green, and completely off the tourist map, Duri Ecological Park delivers. It won’t fill a whole day on its own, but paired with a ride along the Ara Waterway it makes for a genuinely restful outing — a boardwalk through the reeds, a picnic on the grass, and a sunset over the water where two rivers meet. Come in the late afternoon, walk into the Hundred-Year Forest, and stay for the light. Few visitors to Korea ever find a place this quiet so close to the city.
Keep Exploring
Duri Ecological Park is one stop on a much longer waterway. For the neighboring stretch where Korea’s cross-country bike route begins, read about the Ara Waterway at Gyeyang Bridge. For more of Incheon beyond the airport, see G-Tower’s free observatory in Songdo and Cheongna, a district built on the sea.