9 Insanely Beautiful French National Parks to See

Not being able to experience French National Parks in person at this point in the pandemic, I am happy to re-welcome Geraldine who has written a guest post before. Her love of travel shines through in her writing.

From pristine beaches to the stunning Alps and quaint countryside, France has a wide array of natural sights. This explains why a lot of tourists are drawn to this country.

Being one of the most visited countries in the world, France continues to enamor tourists. Thanks to its historic sites, well-renowned cuisine, and vibrant culture.

But that does not mean that France has nothing on offer for the adventurous traveler. To help you out, here are the nine breathtaking French national parks that you can visit when you are there.

Mercantour National Park

Photo by Philippe Delavie

This is definitely one of the top French national parks that you should visit. Nestled in Southeast France, it is near the border of Italy and filled with stunning natural landscapes.

All in all, the park features over 600 km of hiking trails winding through villages and hills. Hence, you might need your trusted trekking poles when you head to Mont Bégo’s summit.

You will also come across a couple of petroglyphs or ancient carvings dated back in the Bronze Age.

Most of these carvings feature people from the Bronze age, animals, and weapons. These carvings are so stunning that you should at least see them once your lifetime.

Réunion National Park

If you are searching for national parks in Paris, France, unfortunately, there are none  right in Paris. But you can take a flight to the nearby Réunion island.

This park was first established back in 2007, and since then in 2010, has become a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Nestled on the island of Réunion, this French national park has two volcanic mountains, the Piton de la Fournaise and the now extinct Piton des Neiges. It’s also home to endangered species like Réunion Cuckooshrike, Réunion Marsh Harrier, and Barau’s Petrel.

Reunion National Park also offers trails and provides country walks for visitors so that they can enjoy these natural wonders.

Cévennes National Park

Blessed with excellent geography and climate, Cévennes National Park is approximately 90,000 hectares located between the department of Gard and Lozere.

This park has been protected since 1970. It also has trails that span 5,000 kilometers and the visitor can travel by foot, horseback, or bicycle.

Between May to October, the park holds a Nature Festival. It features more than 500 free activities that allow visitors to discover the natural wonders this park has to offer.

Écrins National Park

Photo by Mael Balland

Nestled between the North and South Alps, this park features up to 150 summits that are more than 3,000 meters above sea level. It also features up to 11,000 hectares of glaciers.

Some areas in the park are only accessible by foot, so it is also an excellent place to hike in the summer and winter.

Golden eagles, marmots, and ibexes make their homes here. Apart from that, the park offers guided excursions and significant places of interest, such as the La Grave town.

This is approximately a kilometer and a half from the Meije peak, known to be one of the most beautiful places the country has to offer.

Vanoise National Park

Photo by MR WONG  

Found between Tarentaise and Maurienne, Vanoise is France’s first national park, and one of the most popular national parks.

The park was first created in 1963 out of concern for the disappearing Ibex, whose numbers went down to 40. As of the present, these numbers were going up to 2,000.

The park extends to the Italian border and is known to be the Gran Paradiso National Park.

This park is also known to be a paradise for hikers who want to take guided walks. Visitors can also enjoy paragliding and biking here.

Port-Cros National Park

Port-Cros National Park is the country’s only Mediterranean marine park.

Established on the Port-Cros Island east of Toulon, you need to take the ferry to get there. Port-Cros National Park also offers two breathtaking trails, one underwater and one botanical.

In addition, you can also admire breathtaking landscapes, lush rainforests, sandy beaches, interesting shipwrecks, and historic Roman ruins.

There is also Moulin Fort that continues to entice tourists. Another activity that visitors can do in the park is to snorkel at the La Palud submarine trail.

Pyrénées National Park

Photo by Caleb Maxwell

Pyrénées National Park straddles the French and Spanish border and boasts magical waterfalls, lush forests, and sky-high mountains.

If you love hiking, then you’ll fall in love with this park.  Meanwhile, if you’re a beginner, you can sign up for a beginner’s climb in the park.

If you’re looking for a little more challenge, head to Etsaut’s visitor’s center. There, you can gain heaps of information about routes and trails and even come across stunning waterfalls like Cirque de Gavarnie.

Calanques National Park

Photo by Clément Griffet 

Calanques is known to be one of the country’s youngest national parks in the southern region.

Recently, it received a “national park” status. But it does not mean that this park is any less stunning than the others on this list!

The park encompasses a coastal stretch, including a marine area, and a couple of limestone rocks.

The best thing about it is that it is just a quick drive from Marseille, which means you can easily organize a trip filled with culture and nature.

Armorique Natural Regional Park

During summer, Brittany’s only regional, national park is often filled with tourists, seaweed gatherers, and crabbers.

Granite tors, marshes, moors, and three islands are included in the park. These islands are also part of the Unesco biosphere reserve and can be reached via ferry.

The Crozon peninsula that looks like a dragon’s head thrust in the sea is excellent for winding walks. The trail also features a stunning megalithic site of standing stones.

Over to You

If you go to France to only sample cheeses and tasting wines, I believe you risk missing out on so much of what the country has to offer.

In this post, we featured some of the most amazing French national parks in the country, each of them deserving of their own merit.

This proves that the country extends beyond its art, architecture, and theaters. France has surreal national parks that are worth visiting.

Finding these French National Parks