National parks of England and Wales

Thirteen areas are designated as national parks in England and Wales.

The National Parks of the United Kingdom are controlled areas of outstanding landscape where settlement and commercial activities are restricted. Almost all of the land in UK national parks is privately owned and managed. There are 14 national parks in the UK today, of which 9 are in England covering 7% of English territory and 3 in Wales covering around 20% of Welsh land area.

1. Peak District, created in 1951, with 1,438 km2
2. Lake District, created in 1951, with 2,292 km2
3. Snowdonia (in Welsh): Parc Cenadlaethol Eryri), created in 1951, with 2.142 km2
4. Dartmoor, created in 1951, with 956 km2
5. Pembrokeshire Coast (in Welsh): Arfordir Penfro), created in 1952, with 620 km2
6. North York Moors, created in 1952, with 1,436 km2
7. Yorkshire Dales, created in 1954, with 1,769 km2
8. Exmoor, created in 1954, with 693 km2
9. Northumberland, created in 1956, with 1,049 km2
10. Brecon Beacons (in Welsh): Bannau Brycheiniog), created in 1957, with 1.351 km2
11. The Broads, created in 1988, with 303 km2
12. New Forest, created in 2005, with 580 km2
13. South Downs National Park, created in 2011 with 1,627 km ².

Control of national parks in the UK is decentralized, with each county developing its own policy and regulations.

The two in Scotland are the Cairngorms and the Loch Lomond and Trossachs. There are currently no national parks in Northern Ireland, but, as in other parts of the UK, there are many areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are controversial moves to establish a national park in the Morne Mountains.