List of national parks of the Netherlands

National Parks in the Netherlands

National parks in the Netherlands were defined in the 1960s as areas of at least 10 km² consisting of natural terrains, water and/or forests, with a special landscape and flora and fauna.

The first two national parks were founded in the 1930s by private organisations. The first official national park, on Schiermonnikoog, was not established until 1989. The most recent national park to have been established is the De Alde Feanen National Park, in April 2006. In 2009 the Weerribben national park was extended with the Wieden area, bringing the total area covered by national parks to 10.500 ha.

In 2011, the government decided to make the provinces responsible for the national parks. As a consequence the future of the national parks is uncertain. Probably the Netherlands is the only country where the state does not take its responsibility for national parks.

National parks

Name park	Province	Size	Established
Lauwersmeer National Park	Groningen, Friesland	6.000 ha	2003
Schiermonnikoog National Park	Friesland	5.400 ha	1989
Alde Feanen National Park	Friesland	4.000 ha	2006
Drents-Friese Wold National Park	Drenthe, Friesland	6.100 ha	2000
Dwingelderveld National Park	Drenthe	3.700 ha	1991
Drentsche Aa National Landscape	Drenthe	10.600 ha	2002
De Weerribben-Wieden National Park	Overijssel	10.500 ha	1992 / 2009
Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park	Overijssel	2.740 ha	2004
Veluwezoom National Park	Gelderland	5.000 ha	1930
Hoge Veluwe National Park	Gelderland	5.400 ha	1935
Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park	Utrecht	6.000 ha	2003
Dunes of Texel National Park	North Holland	4.300 ha	2002
Zuid-Kennemerland National Park	North Holland	3.800 ha	1995
Oosterschelde National Park	Zeeland	37.000 ha	2002
De Biesbosch National Park	North Brabant, South Holland	7.100 ha	1994
De Zoom - Kalmthoutse Heide Cross-Border Park	North Brabant, Antwerp (Belgium)	3.750 ha	2001
De Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park	North Brabant	3.400 ha	2002
De Groote Peel National Park	Limburg/North Brabant	1.340 ha	1993
Maasduinen National Park	Limburg	4.200 ha	1996
Meinweg National Park	Limburg	1.700 ha	1995

Images and maps from the National Parks

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  Lauwersmeer National Park

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  Map of Lauwersmeer National Park

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  Schiermonnikoog National Park

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  Map of Schiermonnikoog National Park

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  Alde Feanen National Park

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  Map of Alde Feanen National Park

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  Drents-Friese Wold National Park

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  Map of Drents-Friese Wold National Park

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  Dwingelderveld National Park

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  Map of Dwingelderveld National Park

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  Drentsche Aa National Landscape

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  Map of Drentse Aa National Park

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  Weerribben-Wieden National Park

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  Map of Weerribben-Wieden National Park

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  Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park

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  Map of Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park

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  Veluwezoom National Park

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  Map of Veluwezoom National Park

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  Hoge Veluwe National Park

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  Map of Hoge Veluwe National Park

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  Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park

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  Map of Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park

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  Dunes of Texel National Park

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  Map of Dunes of Texel National Park

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  Zuid-Kennemerland National Park

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  Map of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park

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  Oosterschelde National Park

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  Map of Oosterschelde National Park

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  Biesbosch National Park

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  Map of Biesbosch National Park

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  Zoom - Kalmthoutse Heide Cross-Border Park

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  Map of Zoom - Kalmthoutse Heide Cross-Border Park

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  Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park

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  Map of Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park

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  Groote Peel National Park

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  Map of Groote Peel National Park

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  Maasduinen National Park

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  Map of Maasduinen National Park

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  Meinweg National Park

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  Map of Meinweg National Park

External links

• National Parks in the Netherlands