National Park facts and figures

Did you know that the 3 Welsh National Parks cover 20% of the land area in Wales?

Find out more in Physical facts and figures

Did you know that the Peak District was the first National Park to be designated in 1951 and that the New Forest was the most recent addition to the family in 2005?

Find out more in Social and historical facts and figures

Want to know what National Parks are for and why we need them?

Find out more in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page

Physical facts and figures

Land area covered by National Parks:

England: 8 National Parks cover 7% of the land area

Wales: 3 National Parks cover 20% of the land area

Scotland: 2 National Parks cover 7.3% of the land area

Internationally: 6,000 National Parks and similarly protected areas cover approximately 12% of the Earth's surface, that's about 1 million square kilometres! (Source - The World Conservation Union, IUCN)

National Park name	Area (square miles)	Highest point (metres)	Coastline (miles)
Brecon Beacons	519	Pen y Fan - 886	0
Broads	117	Bath Hills - 12	1.7
Cairngorms	1467	Ben Macdui - 1309	0
Dartmoor	368	High Willhays - 621	0
Exmoor	267	Dunkery Beacon - 519	34
Lake District	885	Scafell Pike - 978m	14
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs	720	Ben More - 1174	36
New Forest	220	Telegraph Hill - 167	26
Northumberland	405	The Cheviot - 815	0
North York Moors	554	Urra Moor - 454	26
Peak District	555	Kinder Scout - 636	0
Pembrokeshire Coast	240	Foel Cwmcerwyn - 536	260
Snowdonia	840	Snowdon - 1085	37
South Downs (proposed)	1020	Blackdown - 280	9
Yorkshire Dales	685	Whernside - 736	0

Social and historical facts and figures

A scheduled ancient monument is a protected archaeological site or building that is of national importance.
Conservation areas are villages or towns with important architecture that is protected. There is a full explaination on the conservation projects page

National Park name	Year of designation	Population	Main settlements	Scheduled ancient monuments	Conservation Areas	Visitor days a year (million)
Brecon Beacons	1957	32,000	Brecon, Crickhowell, Gilwern and Hay			7
Broads	1989	5,721	Stalham, Wroxham, Brundall, Acle, Loddon, Beccles and Oulton Broad	13	18	5.4
Cairngorms	2003	16,000	Aviemore, Ballater, Braemar, Grantown-on-Spey, Kingussie, Newtonmore, and Tomintoul	60	4	1.5
Dartmoor	1951	29,100	Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, Chagford, Moretonhampstead	1208	23	4
Exmoor	1954	10,600	Lynton, Dunster, Porlock and Dulverton	208	16	1.4
Lake District	1951	42,200	Ambleside, Bowness, Coniston, Grasmere, Keswick	over 200	21	22
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs	2002	15,600	Balloch, Callander and Tarbet	60	7	4.11
New Forest	2005	34,400	Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst and Burley	61	18	Not available
Northumberland	1956	2,200	Haltwhistle, Bellingham, Rothbury and Wooler	196, including 1 World Heritage Site	1, plus 31 SSSIs and 3 National Conservation Areas	1.5
North York Moors	1952	25,000	Helmsley and Thornton-le-Dale	846	42	9.5
Peak District	1951	38,000	Bakewell and Tideswell	457	109	22
Pembrokeshire Coast	1952	22,800	St Davids, Tenby and Saundersfoot		13	4.7
Snowdonia	1951	25,482	Aberdyfi, Dolgellau, Trawsfynydd and Beddgelert	359	14	10.5
South Downs (proposed)	Still to be formally designated	115,000	Arundel, Steyning, Lewes, Midhurst and Petersfield	741	165	39
Yorkshire Dales	1954	19,654	Grassington, Settle, Hawes and Sedbergh	203	37	9

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