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Travel photo of New Zealand

National parks · 13 parks

Flag of New ZealandNational Parks in New Zealand

New Zealand has 13 national parks covering about 28,856 km² in total. The largest is Fiordland National Park (12,500 km²); the oldest, Tongariro National Park, dates from 1887.

Fiordland National Park Fiordland National Park12,500 km² · since 1952 Kahurangi National Park Kahurangi National Park4,520 km² · since 1996 Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Aspiring National Park3,550 km² · since 1964 Rakiura National Park Rakiura National Park1,683 km² · since 2002 Westland Tai Poutini National Park Westland Tai Poutini National Park1,275 km² · since 1960 Arthur's Pass National Park Arthur's Pass National Park1,185 km² · since 1929 Nelson Lakes National Park Nelson Lakes National Park1,020 km² · since 1956 Tongariro National Park Tongariro National Park796 km² · since 1887 Whanganui National Park Whanganui National Park742 km² · since 1986 Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park707 km² · since 1953 Egmont National Park Egmont National Park342 km² · since 1900 Paparoa National Park Paparoa National Park300 km² · since 1987 Abel Tasman National Park Abel Tasman National Park237 km² · since 1942

Data: Wikidata (CC0), English Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. Photos under their Commons licences — the author is credited on each park page.

National parks in New Zealand at a glance

New Zealand has 13 national parks covering about 28,856 km² — roughly 10.7% of the country's 268,838 km². The 3 largest parks together account for 71% of that area.

Largest national parks

  1. Fiordland National Park — 12,500 km², since 1952
  2. Kahurangi National Park — 4,520 km², since 1996
  3. Mount Aspiring National Park — 3,550 km², since 1964
  4. Rakiura National Park — 1,683 km², since 2002
  5. Westland Tai Poutini National Park — 1,275 km², since 1960

Oldest national parks

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Frequently asked questions

How many national parks are there in New Zealand?

New Zealand has 13 national parks covering about 28,856 km² in total. The largest is Fiordland National Park (12,500 km²); the oldest, Tongariro National Park, dates from 1887.

What are the largest national parks in New Zealand?

Fiordland National Park (12,500 km²), Kahurangi National Park (4,520 km²), Mount Aspiring National Park (3,550 km²), Rakiura National Park (1,683 km²) and Westland Tai Poutini National Park (1,275 km²).

How much of New Zealand is national park?

About 10.7% of the country — 28,856 km² of national parks out of 268,838 km² in total.

What is the oldest national park in New Zealand?

Tongariro National Park, established in 1887, followed by Egmont National Park (1900), Arthur's Pass National Park (1929) and Abel Tasman National Park (1942).