The UK’s national parks are, quite simply, the country’s pride and joy. They are the best places in the UK to breathe fresh air, stargaze, spot protected wildlife and experience endless, stunning vistas. In this essential guide to the best national parks in the UK, you’ll find out where the country’s highest peaks and biggest lakes are, as well as the very best places to take an adventure holiday.
In fact, wherever you stay in Great Britain, you’ll be able to access one of these wonderful parks in less than two hours, located as they are all over Scotland, England and Wales. In fact, 10% of the UK landmass is covered by its protected national parks.
How many national parks are there in the UK?
There are actually 15 national parks in the UK. This national parks in the UK list features the ten very best parks, which between them boast some of the county’s most unforgettable scenes. However, the parks that didn’t make this ‘best national parks’ list are all still exceedingly beautiful and well worth a visit. They include the South Downs, Exmoor, Dartmoor and the North York Moors, all visible on a map of the national parks in the UK.
Choosing one of the best national parks in the UK as your holiday destination gives you the chance to enjoy the country’s finest landscapes, as well as experience new adventures with family and friends. Use a map of the national parks in the UK to find the right location for your trip. Stay in fine hotels with luxury facilities, cosy B&Bs, traditional inns, Michelin-starred pubs or lakeside lodges, and enjoy a holiday you won’t forget in a hurry.
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, Scotland
Just a 30-minute drive from Glasgow, this large park marks the boundary between Scotland’s Lowland and Highland regions. Home to Loch Lomond, the largest lake in the UK, the park also features a number of fine peaks including Ben More and Ben Lomond. Further natural highlights include the Great Trossachs Forest and the Cowell Peninsula. Holidaymakers can choose from historic hotels and wooden holiday lodges, many of which are found right on the banks of the park’s great lakes.
The Cairngorms, Scotland
Located entirely within the Scottish Highlands, the vast, 1748m² Cairngorms is one of the UK’s most majestic settings and easily one of the best national parks in the country . It’s also the most mountainous of the natural parks in the United Kingdom, home to five of Scotland’s six highest peaks. It’s not just a hiker’s delight, but it’s also the perfect place to explore traditional whisky distilleries and discover the history of the Scottish clans, their castles and unique tartans.
Lake District, Cumbria
Occupying a huge area of 885m² in Northwest England, the Lake District is the most popular national park in the country. The park is largely mountainous, but also features large forested areas and, as the name suggests, two of the UK’s deepest lakes. Known fondly as ‘The Lakes’, the park has a number of literary associations. It was where Beatrix Potter created Peter Rabbit and where Arthur Ransome set six of his adventure stories. It also inspired the poetry of Wordsworth. Not just a national park, but a UNESCO World Heritage Site too, The Lakes are one of Britain’s finest landscapes and one of the most stunning national parks of the UK.
Many visitors stay in the park’s biggest towns such as Windermere, Keswick and Ambleside, where you’ll find adventure specialists, as well as shops, pubs and restaurants. Hikers are spoiled for choice but many are drawn to the Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England. In the last decade the Lake District has also become synonymous with fine dining, with many exceptional pubs and restaurants, including five with Michelin stars.
Peak District, Derbyshire
So-named because of the Anglo-Saxon Pecsaetan tribe who settled here, this wonderful park is actually formed of gentle hills and limestone crags, rather than mountainous peaks. Located across five counties in the Heart of England, the Peak District is relatively easy to get to from anywhere in Britain. It’s a hiker’s delight and probably one of the best national parks for outdoor activities, but it’s also teeming with historic gems such as the ‘Plague Village’ of Eyam and the fascinating Youlgreave. Further highlights include the charming town of Bakewell, home of the Bakewell Tart, as well as the fine spa town of Buxton, the quirky resort-like town of Matlock Bath and the splendid Chatsworth House.
Snowdonia (Eryri), Wales
Occupying a vast 823m² of North Wales, this diverse national park comprises a number of majestic, snow-capped mountain ranges, as well as deep blue lakes, rivers and a large coastal area. Snowdonia National Park is also home to the biggest mountain in Wales, Mount Snowdon. Those who don’t fancy the hike can also reach the peak via the Snowdonia Mountain Railway. Holidaymakers are spoilt for choice with a number of picturesque towns and villages dotted all over Snowdonia, namely the charming and historic Betws-y-Coed and the colourful Caernarfon, home to a UNESCO-protected castle.
Northumberland National Park, Northeast England
A designated Dark Sky Reserve, and the largest area of protected dark sky in the UK, Northumberland National Park is arguably the best place to stargaze in the country. It’s worth seeing what’s on at the Kielder Observatory. The most sparsely populated and also the least visited of the best national parks, which means you can walk for miles in the Northumberland National Park before you even see another face.
Brecon Beacons (Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog), Wales
Situated in South Wales, this entirely inland park is characterised by green hills and mountains. Discover the park on foot, on two wheels or on horse-back. Try activities as diverse as kayaking, abseiling or caving, attempt to climb the highest peak, Pen-y-Fan, or explore the park’s gorgeous towns and villages including Abergevanny, Hay-on-Wye, Brecon and Crockhowell. Another UK Dark Sky Reserve, many visitors come in late September to enjoy the Dark Sky Festival, although stargazing is popular throughout the year.
Norfolk Broads, East Anglia
The most easterly of the national parks in the UK, the Norfolk Broads are totally unique. The area stretches from the charming city of Norwich to the seaside resort of Great Yarmouth and into Suffolk to the south. The Broads were formed in the Medieval era when the area was mined for peat. These excavations filled with water from the network of rivers that now connect the broads, namely the Yare, Wensome, Chet, Waveney, Thurne, Ant and Bure.
A popular choice for a boating holiday, the navigable waterways and broads are filled all year with river boats, traditional wherrys, sailing boats, canoes and paddle boards. Many visitors hire boats to enjoy a nomadic holiday, mooring at pubs and restaurants in picturesque locations, others stay at some of the park’s top hotels such as the Hotel Wroxham or the Wayford Bridge Inn. It’s very popular with wildlife enthusiasts, especially birdwatchers, being home to some of the UK’s rarest wetland birds.
Pembrokeshire Coast (Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro), Wales
The only fully coastal of the national parks of the UK, the Pembrokeshire Coast is an unforgettable blend of rugged cliffs and secluded bays. Keen hikers can actually walk along any section, from one end to the other, along the dedicated 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path. The park is very popular with water-sports enthusiasts thanks to the sheer wealth of activities available including coasteering, surfing and diving. Top Pembrokeshire Coast hotels include the fabulous Ecton House B&B and the historic Llwyngwair Manor, both of which are just a short drive from the national park.
Find stays in Pembrokeshire Coast
Yorkshire Dales, North England
The stunning and serene Yorkshire Dales occupy a space of 841m² in the Pennine uplands. So-named for the dales (valleys) that characterise the landscape, it’s a hilly, green park with limestone features, waterfalls and large swathes of protected farmland, marked out by miles of traditional dry stone walls.
Visitors looking to holiday in the Yorkshire Dales can choose between several picturesque villages, such as Hawes with its traditional stone cottages, or Appletreewick, a tiny and immensely pretty village that looks like it hasn’t changed for a hundred years. The Yorkshire Dales doesn’t receive nearly the number of visitors that the Peak District or Lakes do, but that means it’s easier to find your own quiet spot in one of the most tranquil of the natural park UK options.
