List of national parks of France
List
Table:
Name

Image

Department

Area

Established

Vanoise National Park
(Parc national de la Vanoise)

Savoie

1,250 km2 (483 sq mi)

6 July 1963

Port-Cros National Park
(Parc national de Port-Cros)

Var

7 km2 (3 sq mi)

14 December 1963

Pyrénées National Park
(Parc national des Pyrénées)

Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques

457 km2 (176 sq mi)

23 March 1967

Cévennes National Park
(Parc national des Cévennes)

Lozère, Gard, Ardèche and Aveyron

913 km2 (353 sq mi)

2 September 1970

Écrins National Park
(Parc national des Écrins)

Isère and Hautes-Alpes

918 km2 (354 sq mi)

27 March 1973

Mercantour National Park
(Parc national du Mercantour)

Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

685 km2 (264 sq mi)

18 August 1979

Guadeloupe National Park
(Parc national de la Guadeloupe)

Guadeloupe (overseas department)

173 km2 (67 sq mi)

20 February 1989

Guiana Amazonian Park
(Parc amazonien de Guyane)

French Guiana (overseas department)

33,900 km2 (13,089 sq mi)

27 February 2007

Réunion National Park
(Parc national de la Réunion)

Réunion (overseas department)

1,054 km2 (407 sq mi)

5 March 2007

Calanques National Park
(Parc national des Calanques)

Bouches-du-Rhône

520 km2 (201 sq mi)

18 April 2012

Forêts National Park
(Parc national des forêts)

Haute-Marne and Côte-d'Or

560 km2 (216 sq mi)

8 November 2019

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Vanoise National Park ( French : Parc national de la Vanoise ) , is a French national park between the Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys in the French Alps , containing the Vanoise massif . It was created in 1963 , and is the first French national park . The Vanoise National Park is in the département of Savoie . Small villages like Champagny-le-Haut , Termignon , La Chiserette , Bramans , Sollières-Sardières , Friburge , Pralognan-la-Vanoise and Séez , lie near the park . The park is bordered by several large French ski resorts ( Les Trois Vallées , Tignes , Val-d'Isère , Les Arcs , La Plagne ) . On the Italian side of the border , the park is continued by the Gran Paradiso National Park . Together , these two parks cover over 1250 km² , making the area the largest alpine national park .
Savoie ( pronounced [ savwa ] ; Arpitan : Savouè , Italian : Savoia [ saˈvɔːja ] , English : Savoy /səˈvɔɪ/ ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France . Its prefecture is Chambéry ; it is located in the French Alps . In 2016 , it had a population of 429,681 . Together with Haute-Savoie , Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy ; the Duchy of Savoy was annexed by France on 14 June 1860 , following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on 24 March 1860 . Savoie is known for its contribution to French cuisine with culinary specialities such as fondue savoyarde , génépi , as well as various sorts of saucisson .
Port-Cros National Park ( French : Parc national de Port-Cros ) is a French national park established on the Mediterranean island of Port-Cros , east of Toulon . It also administers natural areas in some surrounding locales .
Var ( French pronunciation : ​ [ vaʁ ] , Occitan : [ ˈbaɾ ] ) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France . It takes its name from the river Var , which flowed along its eastern boundary , until the boundary was moved in 1860 . The Var department is bordered on the east by the department of Alpes-Maritimes , to the west by Bouches-du-Rhône , to the north of the river Verdon by the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and to the south by the Mediterranean Sea . Toulon is the largest city and administrative capital of Var . Other important towns in Var include Fréjus , Saint-Raphaël , Draguignan , Brignoles , Hyères and La Seyne-sur-Mer . Var is known for the harbour of Toulon , the main port of the French Navy , for its seaside resorts , the most famous of which is Saint-Tropez , for some fine examples of Romanesque and medieval architecture , such as Le Thoronet Abbey and the Fréjus Cathedral , for its wines , particularly the wines of Bandol , as well as for its motorsport race track Circuit Paul Ricard , located in Le Castellet .
The Pyrénées National Park ( French : Parc national des Pyrénées ) is a National Park of France located within the French departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques .
Hautes-Pyrénées ( French pronunciation : ​ [ ot pi.ʁe.ne ] ) ( Gascon/Occitan : Nauts Pirenèus / Hauts Pirenèus [ 'awts piɾeˈnɛʊs ] ; Spanish : Altos Pirineos ; Catalan : Alts Pirineus [ 'alts piɾiˈneʊs ] ) is a department in southwestern France . It is part of the Occitanie region .
Pyrénées-Atlantiques ( French pronunciation : ​ [ piʁene atlɑ̃tik ] ; Gascon : Pirenèus-Atlantics ; Basque : Pirinio Atlantiarrak or Pirinio Atlantikoak ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine . It takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean . It covers the French Basque Country and the Béarn .
The Cévennes National Park ( French : Parc national des Cévennes ) is a national park located in southern France , in the mountainous area of Cévennes . Created in 1970 , the park has its administrative seat in Florac at Florac Castle . It is located mainly in the départements of Lozère and Gard , and covers some parts of Ardèche and Aveyron . The Aven Armand cave is located in the park . In 2011 , the Park was made a part of The Causses and the Cévennes , Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape UNESCO World Heritage site .
Lozère ( French pronunciation : ​ [ lɔzɛʁ ] ; Occitan : Losera [ luˈzeɾɔ ] ) is a department in the region of Occitanie in Southern France , located near the Massif Central . It is named after Mont Lozère . With a 2016 population of 76,422 , it is the least populous French department .
Gard ( French pronunciation : ​ [ ɡaʁ ] ) is a department in Southern France , located in the Occitanie region . It had a population of 742,006 as of 2016 ; its prefecture is Nîmes . The department is named after the Gardon River ; the Occitan name of the river , Gard ( Occitan pronunciation : [ gaɾ ] ) , has been replacing the French name in recent decades , both administratively and among French speakers .
Ardèche ( French pronunciation : ​ [ aʁdɛʃ ] ; Occitan and Arpitan : Ardecha ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France . It is named after the Ardèche River and had a population of 320,379 as of 2013 . Its largest cities are Aubenas , Annonay , Guilherand-Granges , Tournon-sur-Rhône and Privas ( prefecture ) .
Aveyron ( French : [ avɛʁɔ̃ ] ( listen ) ; Occitan : Avairon ; [ aβajˈɾu ] ) is a department located in Occitanie region of Southern France . Named after the Aveyron River , it had a population of 278,697 in 2016 . Its inhabitants are known as Aveyronnais or Aveyronnaises in French . The inhabitants of Rodez are called Ruthénois , based on the first Celtic settlers in the area , the Ruteni .
Écrins National Park ( French : Parc national des Écrins , pronounced [ paʁk nasjɔnal dɛz‿ekʁɛ̃ ] ) is one of the ten French national parks . It is located in the south-eastern part of France in the Dauphiné Alps south of Grenoble and north of Gap , shared between the départements of Isère and Hautes-Alpes . It rises up to 4,102 m ( 13,458 ft ) at the Barre des Ecrins and covers 918 km2 ( 354 sq mi ) of high mountain areas , with high peaks , glacier fields , glacier valleys , alpine pastures , subalpine woodlands and lakes . Its borders mostly correspond to these of the Massif des Ecrins , delimited by the main valleys of rivers Drac , Romanche and Durance ( with its Guisane dependency ) . It attracts up to 800,000 tourists each year . The park has been awarded the European Diploma of Protected Areas .
Isère ( US : /iːˈzɛər/ ee-ZAIR , French : [ izɛʁ ] ( listen ) ; Arpitan : Isera ; Occitan : Isèra ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France named after the river Isère .
Hautes-Alpes ( French : [ ot.z‿alp ] ; Occitan : Auts Aups ; English : Upper Alps ) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France . Located in and named after the French Alps , it had a population of 141,107 in 2016 . Its prefecture is Gap ; its sole subprefecture is Briançon .
Mercantour National Park ( French : Parc national du Mercantour ) a French national park located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes departments . Since it was created in 1979 , the Mercantour Park has proven popular , with 800,000 visitors every year enjoying the 600 km of marked footpaths and visiting its villages .
Alpes-Maritimes ( French : [ alpmaʁitim ] ; Occitan : Aups Maritims ; Italian : Alpi Marittime , Maritime Alps ) is a department of France located in the extreme southeast corner of the country , on the border with Italy and on the Mediterranean coast . Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region , it had a population of 1,803,704 in 2016 . It has become in recent years one of the world 's most attractive destinations , featuring cities such as Nice , Cannes , Antibes and Grasse , and numerous alpine ski resorts . Alpes-Maritimes also entirely surrounds Monaco . The department 's inhabitants are called Maralpins or Maralpines ; it has the same flag and arms as the City of Nice .
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ( French : [ alp də ot pʁɔvɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ; Occitan : Aups d'Auta Provença ; lit . Alps of Upper Provence ) is a department in Southeastern France , located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region . Formerly part of the province of Provence , it had a population of 161,916 in 2013 . Its main cities are Digne-les-Bains ( prefecture ) , Manosque , Sisteron , Barcelonnette , Castellane and Forcalquier . Inhabitants of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence are called the Bas-Alpins or Bas-Alpines referring to the department of Basses-Alpes which was the former name of the department until 1970 .
Guadeloupe National Park ( French : Parc national de la Guadeloupe ) is a national park in Guadeloupe , an overseas department of France located in the Leeward Islands of the eastern Caribbean region . The Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve ( French : Réserve Naturelle du Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin ) is a marine protected area adjacent to the park and administered in conjunction with it . Together , these protected areas comprise the Guadeloupe Archipelago ( French : l'Archipel de la Guadeloupe ) biosphere reserve .
Guadeloupe ( /ˌɡwɑːdəˈluːp/ , French : [ ɡwad ( ə ) lup ] ( listen ) ; Antillean Creole : Gwadloup ) is an archipelago forming an overseas region of France in the Caribbean . It consists of six inhabited islands , Basse-Terre , Grande-Terre , Marie-Galante , La Désirade , and the Îles des Saintes , as well as many uninhabited islands and outcroppings . It lies south of Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat , and north of Dominica . Its capital is Basse-Terre on the west coast ; however , the largest city is Pointe-à-Pitre . Like the other overseas departments , it is an integral part of France . As a constituent territory of the European Union and the Eurozone , the euro is its official currency and any European Union citizen is free to settle and work there indefinitely . As an overseas department , however , it is not part of the Schengen Area . The official language is French ; Antillean Creole is also spoken .
Guiana Amazonian Park ( French : Parc amazonien de Guyane ) is the largest National Park of France , aiming at protecting part of the Amazonian forest located in French Guiana which covers 41% of the region . It is the largest park in the European Union , and one of the largest national parks in the world . It can not be accessed from the sea-shore or by any other means other than by airplane or pirogue . The protected area covers some 20,300 square kilometres ( 7,840 sq mi ) for the central area ( where full protection is enforced ) and 13,600 square kilometres ( 5,250 sq mi ) for the secondary area . Thus , the overall protected area represents some 33,900 square kilometres ( 13,090 sq mi ) of rain forest . The park has been built upon territories belonging to the communes of Camopi , Maripasoula , Papaïchton , Saint-Élie and Saül .
French Guiana ( /ɡiˈɑːnə/ or /ɡiˈænə/ ; French : Guyane [ ɡɥijan ] ) is an overseas department and region of the French Republic on the northern Atlantic coast of South America in the Guianas . It borders Brazil to the east and south and Suriname to the west . French Guiana is the only territory of the mainland Americas to have full integration in a European country . With a land area of 83,534 km2 ( 32,253 sq mi ) , French Guiana is the second-largest region of France ( it is more than one-seventh the size of Metropolitan France ) and the largest outermost region within the European Union . It has a very low population density , with only 3.6 inhabitants per square kilometre ( 9.3/sq mi ) . ( Its population is less than 1/200 the population of Metropolitan France . ) Half of its 296,711 inhabitants in 2019 lived in the metropolitan area of Cayenne , its capital . 98.9% of the land territory of French Guiana is covered by forests , a large part of which is primeval rainforest . The Guiana Amazonian Park , which is the largest national park in the European Union , covers 41% of French Guiana 's territory . Since December 2015 both the region and the department have been ruled by a single assembly within the framework of a new territorial collectivity , the French Guiana Territorial Collectivity ( French : collectivité territoriale de Guyane ) . This assembly , the French Guiana Assembly ( French : assemblée de Guyane ) , has replaced the former regional council and departmental council , which were both disbanded . The French Guiana Assembly is in charge of regional and departmental government .
Réunion National Park ( French : Parc national de La Réunion ) is a National Park of France located on the island of Réunion , an overseas department in the western Indian Ocean . Established on 5 March 2007 , the park protects the endemic ecosystems of Les Hauts , Réunion 's mountainous interior , and covers around 42% of the island . Notable endemic species include the Réunion cuckooshrike and the Reunion Island day gecko . Plans for a park date back to 1985 , and in a public survey in 2004 , the communes of Réunion approved the creation of a national park . It officially came into existence in 2007 . The park 's volcanic landscape , including the Piton de la Fournaise , an active volcano , was designated a World Heritage site in 2010 , under the name Pitons , cirques and remparts of Reunion Island . The park 's mission , other than preserving landscape and biodiversity , is to share knowledge and welcome visitors , and to work together with local communes . It is a popular destination for hiking and mountaineering . Controversies have emerged over economic development in the park , notably the exploitation of geothermal power . In 2016 , the Regional Council of Réunion had plans to downgrade the national park to a regional nature park to ease tourism development . This was contested by the park authorities and opposition politicians .
Réunion ( French : La Réunion [ la ʁe.y.njɔ̃ ] ( listen ) ; previously Île Bourbon ) is an overseas department and region of the French Republic and an island in the Indian Ocean , east of Madagascar and 175 km ( 109 mi ) southwest of Mauritius . As of January 2019 [ update ] , it had a population of 866,506 . The island has been inhabited since the 16th century , when people from France and Madagascar settled there . Slavery was abolished on 20 December 1848 ( a date celebrated yearly on the island ) , when the French Second Republic abolished slavery in the French colonies . However , later on indentured workers were brought to Réunion from South India , among other places . The island became an overseas department of France in 1946 . As in France , the official language is French . In addition , the majority of the region 's population speaks Réunion Creole . Administratively , Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France . Like the other four overseas departments , it is also one of the 18 regions of France , with the modified status of overseas region , and an integral part of the republic with the same status as Metropolitan France . Réunion is an outermost region of the European Union and , as an overseas department of France , part of the eurozone .
Calanques National Park ( French : Parc national des Calanques ) is a French national park located in Bouches-du-Rhône , in Southern France . It was established in 2012 and extends over 520 km2 ( 201 sq mi ) , of which 85 km2 ( 33 sq mi ) is land , while the remaining is marine area . It includes parts of the Massif des Calanques stretching between Marseille , Cassis and La Ciotat . Several of the park 's best known features include the Calanque de Sormiou , Calanque de Morgiou , Calanque de Port-Miou , Calanque de Sugiton , as well as the Cosquer Cave .
Bouches-du-Rhône ( French pronunciation : ​ [ buʃ dy ʁon ] , locally [ buʃə dy ʁonə ] ) ; Occitan : Bocas de Ròse , pronounced [ ˈbukɔz de ˈʁɔze ] ; literally Mouths of the Rhône ) is a department in Southern France named after the mouth of the river Rhône . It is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region with 2,019,717 inhabitants in 2016 ; it has an area of 5,087 km2 ( 1,964 sq mi ) . Its INSEE and postal code is 13 . Marseille is Bouches-du-Rhône 's largest city and prefecture .
Haute-Marne ( French pronunciation : ​ [ ot.maʁn ] ) is a department in the northeast of France named after the Marne River .
Côte-d'Or ( IPA : [ kot dɔʁ ] ; literally , golden slope [ citation needed ] ) is a department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté .