UK National Park guide: history, wildlife and best walking routes

Our guide to the UK’s 15 National Parks looks at the history of each park, with information on how to visit and the best walking routes, plus local wildlife to spot.

How many National Parks are there in the UK?

In the UK, there are currently 15 national parks across the country. These protected areas are set aside for their beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage.

Why are national parks important?

In England and Wales, national parks have two statutory purposes: to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage; and to provide the public with enjoyment and an understanding of the special qualities of national parks. If both the statutory purposes are achieved, national parks also have the duty to: seek to foster the socio-economic development of local communities.

The Broads was given equivalent status to that of a national park, with one additional purpose: “protecting the interests of navigation over and above the two given to the English National Park Authorities”.

Meanwhile in Scotland, the parks have four aims: to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area; to promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area; to promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public; to promote sustainable economic and social development of the area’s communities.

More related content:

• Celebrating 70 years of Britain’s National Parks
• Why our national parks need more wildlife
• Do national parks need reform?

When were Britain’s national parks established?

The 15 national parks were established in the UK between 1951 and 2010. There are 10 national parks in England (covering a land surface area of 9.3%), Three national parks in Wales (covering a surface area of 19.9.%), and two national parks in Scotland (covering a land surface area of 7.2%). Northern Ireland currently has no national parks.

Which is the biggest national park in the UK?

The wild landscape of the Cairngorms in Scotland is Britain’s largest national park – almost twice the size of the Lake District – and is home to four of the five highest mountains in Britain. The park is pockmarked with 60 lochs and many more lochans (small lochs), along with more than half the surviving Caledonian forest. It was first established in 2003, before being extended in 2010.

The Lake District is the largest national park found in England – comprising of 912 square miles of high mountains, lakes, rivers and coastline, and receives almost 16 million visitors a year.

How to visit the UK’s National Parks

Dartmoor National Park

• Designated as a national park in 1951

Dartmoor is a breathtaking and mysterious place. The moor’s light distorts well-known places into unrecognisable forms, shadows stretch across its heath, and the gorse holds tight to its luminous yellow.

Best walks in Dartmoor National Park

This huge moorland scattered with staggering granite tors in the south-east of Devon is a hiker’s paradise.

Find more Dartmoor content:

• Day out: Dartmoor Artisan Trail, Devon
• Day out: Baskerville country, Dartmoor, Devon
• Visit Dartmoor National Park: Places to stay, things to do

 

You can explore the park’s 368 square miles of terrain by boot, bike and horseback, while a smattering of small villages and towns provide a great based from which to begin and end your adventures.

Wildlife highlight: otter

Otters breed all year round and you are as likely to see one in the depths of winter as you are at the height of summer. They can be found in all the main rivers in and around Dartmoor, but are hard to spot.

Lake District National Park

• Designated as a national park in 1952

The Lake District National Park comprises 912 square miles of high mountains, lakes, rivers and coastline, and receives almost 16 million visitors a year. No wonder, then, that it was loved so dearly by Beatrix potter, Alfred Wainwright, Arthur Ransome and William and Dorothy Wordsworth.

Best walks in the Lake District National Park

Of all the national parks in Britain, the Lake District in Cumbria is arguably the most celebrated – discover the the area’s fells, rivers, waters and towns with our favourite walks. 

Find more Lake District content:

• Lake District holiday guide: where to stay and eat, days out and beautiful walks
• Coniston, Lake District: history and best places to visit
• Walk: Wasdale Head Inn, Gosforth, Lake District

The Lake’s landscape is steeped with footpaths, and by simply climbing from your tent or stepping out of your front door, you’re likely to find yourself walking some ancient trail with unerring scenery flanking your gait.

Wildlife highlight: red squirrel

Britain’s native red squirrels first appeared 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age when the land between Britain and Europe began to disappear. These acrobatic rodents are one of the UK’s most loved animals and can be seen in the Lake District.

See our guide to red squirrels, including how to identify and where to see

Brecon Beacon National Park

• The Brecon Beacons were designated a National Park in 1957

Home to a mix of mountains and moorland, standing stones, castles, waterfalls and wildlife, the Brecon Beacons National Park extends for 42 miles from east to west, and is divided into three distinct areas: the Black Mountains in the east, the Brecon Beacons and Fforest Fawr in the centre, and the Black Mountain region (formerly called the Camarthen Fans) in the largely Welsh-speaking west.

As well as mountains to climb, there is a huge range of outdoor activities to try – mountain biking, horse riding, abseiling, paragliding, rafting and more. The region is also one of the UK’s four International Dark Skies Reserves and part of the national park is a UNESCO Global Geopark, protecting and showcasing its geology, archaeology and history.

Best walks in the Brecon Beacons National Park

From spectacular ridgelines and mountains to glistening waterfalls, rivers and lakes, the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales has something for everyone. Our guide looks at the best walks in the Brecon Beacons – all within an hour’s drive of several major cities.

Find more Brecon Beacons content:

• Brecon Beacons guide: where to go and places to stay
• Builth Wells, Powys: history and best places to visit
• Brecon Beacons aircraft crash sites

Wildlife highlight: red kite

Thirty years ago, the number of red kites in Britain was down to near single figures. Since then, careful breeding programmes have brought this magnificent bird of prey, famous for its russet colour and forked tail, back from the brink. Red kites have been reintroduced in the Chilterns, the Midlands and parts of Scotland, but mid Wales and the Beacons provides a chance to see native kites in their ancient stronghold.

See our birds of prey guide

Broads National Park

• The Broads were designated a National Park in 1989

Best walks in the Broads National Park

Discover Norfolk’s wildlife-rich waterways and wild beaches with our favourite hikes in the national park.

Find more Norfolk Broads content:

• Day out: River Bure, Norfolk Broads
• Visit The Norfolk Broads: Places to stay, things to do
• A canoe adventure on the Norfolk Broads

 

Wildlife highlight: grey seals

More than 2,000 grey seal pups were born on the coastline near Horsey this winter (2018/2019). Seals are remarkably well adapted to their environment and have developed some truly impressive senses to help them thrive in it. They can taste minute variations in seawater salinity and smell a chemical released when zooplankton feed on phytoplankton, both indicators of potentially rich feeding areas.

Cairngorms National Park

• The Cairngorms were designated a National Park in 2003

The Cairngorms National Park was established in 2003, and later extended in 2010.

It is Britain’s largest national park – almost twice the size of the Lake District – and is home to four of the five highest mountains in Britain. The park is pockmarked with 60 lochs and many more lochans (small lochs), along with more than half the surviving Caledonian forest.

Best walks in the Cairngorms National Park

The Cairngorms teems with towering trees, shimmering lochs and busy wildlife. Take a hike through this vast, untamed area of Scotland with our list of the area’s best walks.

Find more Cairngorms content:

• Roaming reindeer, Cairngorms, Scottish Highlands
• Mountain playground: Cairngorms for kids
• Wild Royal Retreat: Balmoral, Cairngorms

 

A quarter of Britain’s threatened animal, plant, insect and fungi species are found in the Cairngorms, some of which are endemic to the park.

Wildlife highlight: pine marten

The pine marten (Martes martes) has a long, thin body, round ears, chocolate-brown fur and creamy-white throat. It is a member of the Mustelidae family, along with stoats, weasels, badgers, otters, mink and many more.

It weighs between 0.9-2.2kg and has a lifespan of up to 12 years. Populations are restricted largely to northern and central Scotland, along with a few small pockets in southern Scotland, northern England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

See our pine marten guide for more information about the elusive species

Exmoor National Park

• Designated a national park in 1954

From dramatic coastal footpaths and gentle river walks to pretty cafes and beer-drinking by the sea, there are myriad ways to enjoy the rolling heath and dramtic shorelines of Exmoor National Park.

Best walks in Exmoor National Park

From dramatic coastal footpaths to gentle river walks, there are myriad hikes to be enjoyed in Exmoor National Park – here is our guide to some of the best walking routes.

Find more Exmoor content:

• Exmoor National Park guide: where to go, places to stay and best walks
• Walk: Badgeworthy Water, Exmoor National Park
• Water voles returning to Exmoor after 30 years

Wildlife highlight: red deer

Red deer migrated to Britain from Europe 11,000 years ago, making them one of two of the country’s truly indigenous species. Since their arrival, populations have risen and fallen with the loss and creation of suitable habitat. Head to Exmoor in autumn for the annual rut.

See our British deer guide

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

• Designated a national park in 2002

This is a diverse and fabled landscape of deep blue lochs, soaring Munros, rumbling rivers and lush glens. Easily accessible from Glasgow, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is a popular playground for locals and tourist alike, providing activities for families, adventure-seekers and those in need of a relaxing break. Follow in the footsteps of Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy and visit the castles once inhabited by kings and queens.

Best walks in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park in Scotland boasts steep mountain peaks, overlooking rolling hills, untamed forests and glistening lakes. Here is our guide on the best hikes in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

More Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park content:

• Guide to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park: where to stay, places to eat, camping and best walks
• Walk: Loch Lomond, Scotland
• Walk: Loch Ard Forest, Stirlingshire

 

Wildlife highlight: mountain hare

Only a handful of British species turn white in winter to blend with the expected snow and hide from predators. The mountain hare is perhaps the most impressive and by November will have shed its brown coat to become blue-ish white. Mountain hares are relatively common throughout the Highland region of Scotland, including the Trossacks.

New Forest National Park

• Designated a national park in 2010

Hampshire’s New Forest is famous for its history and wildlife – indeed, venture into the national park and you will find it difficult to avoid either. “Everywhere you go you will be borrowing a trail with a human history,” suggests natural history writer Dominic Couzens in his account of the New Forest, “possibly bloody and almost always intriguing, while nowhere can you escape the all-pervading wildlife. The ponies wander the area’s villages as if they are idly window-shopping. This is a place of intermingling: local with visitor, wild with domestic, past with present.”

Best walks in New Forest National Park

New Forest National Park is famed for its beautiful heathland and myriad forest trails – discover its beauty on foot with our favourite hikes.

Find more New Forest content:

• Visit the New Forest: Things to do and places to visit
• Red deer, New Forest, Hampshire
• Cadman’s Pool, New Forest

Wildlife highlight: pearl-bordered fritillary

It flies mainly during May, but has early and late years, depending on the vagaries of spring weather. Cannily, it flies when the bugle, its favoured nectar source, is in flower. This is one of our most graceful butterflies in flight, skimming low over the ground vegetation, pausing only to visit flowers or bask, the males ceaselessly searching for females. Can be seen in the New Forest woods north-east of Brockenhurst (Pignal, New Copse and Parkhill in closures).

See our butterfly guide

Northumberland National Park

• Designated a national park in 1956

Northumberland National Park is the least populated park in Britain, known for its clean air, beautiful rivers and dark skies. The county of Northumberland includes the Northumberland Coast AONB, Kielder Forest, part of the North Pennines AONB and the Northumberland National Park.

It’s a landscape steeped in history, from the snaking stonework of Hadrian’s Wall to ruined castles and holy monasteries. But it’s also one of England’s wildest counties, where wave-raked beaches sweep towards rugged islands, and open moorland stoops into deep forests and enormous lakes.

Best walks in Northumberland National Park

The darks skies, open moorland, wild woodland and splashing waterfalls of Northumberland National Park hug the border between England and Scotland – explore the park on foot with our favourite walks.

Find more Northumberland content:

• Day out: Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, Northumberland
• Guide to Northumberland National Park: places to stay, days out, best walks and wildlife highlights
• Walk: Allen Banks, Northumberland

Wildlife highlight: black grouse

Between the months of March and June (usually April and May) at dawn and also in the autumn,  male black grouse gather together on a daily basis, occupying their own little piece of territory in a makeshift arena. Each male attempts to visually impress their female counterparts with an extravagant display of dancing and flashing white feathers, in an attempt to win a mate. Once abundant in the park, there are now only a few remaining.

North York Moors National Park

• Designated a national park in 1954

Discover ancient trees, majestic birds of prey, rich heritage and a fascinating coastline of towering cliffs and nestled villages. The North York Moors are a nature-lover’s dream, but there’s history too. Explore a landscape steeped in evidence of the past, from as far back as the Iron Age through to the present day.

Best walks in the North York Moors National Park

The North York Moors landscape comprises more than 1,400 miles of public footpaths – discover the national park’s vast moorland and sweeping coastline with our favourite walks

Find more North York Moors content:

• River Esk, North Yorkshire
• Guide to the North York Moors: where to eat, drink, walk and stay
• Walk: Great Ayton Moor, North Yorkshire

Wildlife highlight: bluebells

Take walk to the summit of Roseberry Topping in the North York Moors National Park. Quilted with banks of bluebells, sorrel and stitchwort, Yorkshire’s Matterhorn is a spring masterpiece.

See our bluebell guide and find beautiful walks

Peak District National Park

• Designated a national park in 1951

This upland area of limestone, gritstone and moorland deserves special mention as the pioneer of the national park system. Designated in 1951, the Peak District was the first national park to be formed, paving the way for 15 more. Covering 555 square miles, the upland region attracts cyclists, hikers, horseriders and campers, as well as archaeologist who come to explore the area’s rich past.

Best walks in the Peak District National Park

The Peak District National Park in Derbyshire is one of Britain’s most iconic landscapes – hike over hills, moors and mountains, amble beside idyllic rivers and climb through deep gorges with our guide to the best walks in the Peak District.

Find more Peak District content:

• Seven days in the Peak District
• ‘Extinct’ plant rediscovered in Peak District
• Ellastone, Peak District

Wildlife highlight: short-eared owl

Often active during the day, the short-eared owl is restricted as a breeding species to upland moorland and, occasionally, coastal grazing marsh.

This latter habitat is often used in winter, when it may hunt alongside barn owls. Rather nomadic in its movement, the bird moves between Britain and overseas in response to vole numbers. Population: around 1,400 pairs, some of which can be spotted in the Peak District.

Learn about Britain’s owl species

Pembrokeshire Coast

• Designated a national park in 1952

With its sprawling sandy beaches, endless skies, atmospheric castles and churches, and a dramatic coastline teeming with wildlife, Pembrokeshire is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Britain. From hiking the gorgeous Pembrokeshire Coast Path to sea kayaking or surfing or even coasteering, this wild and wonderful place is the perfect holiday destination for families, friends and lone-rangers alike.

Best walks in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

Explore the rugged cliffs, sweeping bays, rolling hills and extraordinary wildlife of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in south-west Wales. 

Find more Pembrokeshire content:

• Walk: Porthmelgan, Pembrokeshire
• Walk: Skomer, Pembrokeshire
• Day Out: St Bride’s Bay, Pembrokeshire

Wildlife highlight: puffin

Puffins are carnivores, living off small fish such as herring, hake and sand eels. They can hold their breath for up to a minute – although they generally stay underwater for about thirty seconds – and can dive as deep as sixty metres. Head to the Pembrokeshire  and spot these comical seabirds perched on the cliffs and neighbouring islands.

Snowdonia

• Designated a national park in 1951

Steeped in myth and legend, the dramatic landscape of Snowdonia is an adventurer’s dream. There’s mountains to be explored – true mountains, worthy of ropes and crampons and a head for heights – and deep gorges and cliffs to be climbed. But there’s a gentler side too; winding rivers and hidden villages, shallow shores and chugging trains.

Best walks in Snowdonia National Park

Packed with great mountain climbs, idyllic river walks, lakeside rambles and coastal hikes, Snowdonia National Park is the perfect getaway location for hiking – our pick of the best walks in Snowdonia, Wales.

Find more Snowdonia content:

• Walk: Cnicht, Snowdonia
• Walk: Pen-y-Gwryd, Snowdonia
• Llanberis Lake Railway, Snowdonia National Park

Wildlife highlight: purple saxifrage

In Snowdonia, the months of March, April and May, like the rest, are often wind-whipped, veiled in cloud and doused in rain. It is the flowering of special Arctic-alpine flowers that distinguish spring from the rest of the year. The first to flower in the mountains – such as Cwm Idwal – is purple saxifrage. Even when snow lies late into the season, Saxifraga oppositifolia prospers, growing in fragrant cushions on the basalt rocks.

South Downs

• Designated a national park in 2005

England’s newest national park is a tranquil landscape of rolling hills, chalk cliffs and crystal-clear rivers. It’s one of the busiest parks in Britain, yet solitude is easy to come by. Walk among the ancient yew trees of Kingley Vale and listen to skylarks above the parks farmland, and discover the South Down’s extensive history with Bronze Age barrows and World War II pill boxes.

Best walks in the South Downs National Park

From the chalk streams of Hampshire to the towering cliffs of East Sussex, here is our guide to the best hikes in the South Downs National Park.

Find more South Downs content: 

• South Downs in winter: where to stay, best places to visit and walks
• Beavers to be reintroduced in southern England
• Best walks in Hampshire

Wildlife highlight: Duke of Burgundy

No one knows how this tiny early spring butterfly obtained its name. Formerly common locally in woods, the duke is now a rare and rapidly declining butterfly, primarily of rough, ungrazed or lightly grazed limestone grassland, such as the Seven Sisters cliffs.

Yorkshire Dales

• Designated a national park in 1954

Best walks in the Yorkshire Dales National Park

The valleys, moors, hills and caverns of the Yorkshire Dales are etched with miles and miles of rolling footpaths – explore this atmospheric limestone landscape with our guide to the national park’s best hiking trails.

Find more Yorkshire Dales content:

• Walk: Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales
• Hazel dormice return to Yorkshire Dales National Park
• Day out: Wensleydale, North Yorkshire

Wildlife highlight: pipistrelle bat