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National Parks in France
Explore the natural beauty of unspoilt wild France with a holiday in or near one of its many National Parks.
France has 9 national parks, or 'national parcs' as they are known in French. Together they attract over 7 million visitors a year and are known as 'monuments of nature'.
The national parks can be found mainly in the southern half of the French mainland and overseas in Corsica, Reunion and Guadaloupe.
The national parks were originally selected for both their outstanding scenery but also the cultural heritage they represent, and all the parks are protected by charter, overseen by the organisation Parcs Nationaux de France.
Read our guide to some of the most popular national parks to visit.
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Les Ecrins National Park
Les Ecrins is the largest of France’s national parks and contains some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the whole Alpine range.
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Pyrenees National Park
The Pyrenees National Park covers an area of over 45000 hectares across the Hautes-Pyrénées (65) and Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64) departments.
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Vanoise National Park (Parc national de la Vanoise)
The Parc National de la Vanoise occupies the eastern end of the Vanoise Massif. It is extremely popular, with over 500km of marked paths, including the GR5, GR55 and GTA (Grande Traversée des Alpes), with numerous refuges along the trails. For information on the spot, the tourist offices in Modane, Val d''Isère and Bourg-St-Maurice are helpful. The Maison du Parc in Chambéry also gives advice and sells maps.
