National parks of New Zealand facts for kids

Map of New Zealand with the national parks marked in green

A sign from the Department of Conservation in Abel Tasman National Park

Mount Tongariro in winter, Tongariro National Park

A satellite photo of Egmont National Park (the green area)

Tourists often visit Milford Sound, a famous fiord in Fiordland National Park

New Zealand's national parks are special natural places. The Department of Conservation (DOC) looks after them. At first, the parks were mostly about mountains. But since the 1980s, they have included many different types of New Zealand landscapes. These parks are important for their culture and history too. Tongariro National Park is a World Heritage Site because it's important for both its nature and culture. Four parks in the South Island together form Te Wahipounamu, which is another World Heritage Site.

Today, New Zealand has 13 national parks. There used to be 14, but Te Urewera National Park became a different kind of protected area in 2014. The Department of Conservation manages these parks so everyone can enjoy them. Many tourists from other countries visit at least one national park when they come to New Zealand.

Laws for National Parks

The National Parks Act of 1980 is a law that explains what national parks are for. It also says how they should be managed and chosen. The law says that national parks are places that are kept forever. They are important because of their beautiful scenery, unique plants and animals, or special natural features. Protecting these areas is good for the whole country.

Everyone can visit national parks. However, there are some rules to follow. These rules help protect the native plants and animals. They also keep the parks safe and healthy. Some very special areas, about 550 square kilometers, need a permit to enter.

What You Can Do in Parks

The National Parks Act says that the Department of Conservation can build things like huts, campgrounds, and walking tracks. They can also provide parking areas and roads. The department also offers some places to stay and transport near the park entrances. Other groups and businesses also offer services like guided walks or skiing lessons inside the parks. They need special permission from the department to do this.

Important Court Decision in 2018

In 2018, a Māori tribe called Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki won a case in the Supreme Court. This decision meant they could ask the Department of Conservation for special rights. These rights would allow them to run businesses on Motutapu and Rangitoto islands. The court's decision was based on the Treaty of Waitangi. It recognized that Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki traditionally owned these islands, even though the Department of Conservation manages them. This decision affected how the Department of Conservation plans for all protected areas, including national parks. Because of this, reviews of plans for Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park and Westland Tai Poutini National Park were paused.

List of National Parks

This table shows all the current and former national parks in New Zealand. They are listed in alphabetical order.   *   Green shading and asterisk – Parks that are part of a World Heritage Site

National Park	Image	Area		Established	Location	Number of DOC huts	Description
		km2	sq mi
Abel Tasman National Park		237	92	1942	40°50′S 172°54′E / 40.833°S 172.900°E / -40.833; 172.900	7	This is the smallest national park. It has many golden sand beaches and tidal inlets along Tasman Bay. Many people enjoy hiking or kayaking here.
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park*		722	279	1953	43°44′S 170°6′E / 43.733°S 170.100°E / -43.733; 170.100	16	This park is in the alpine mountains. It has New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki / Mount Cook (3,724 m). It also has the longest glacier, Haupapa / Tasman Glacier (29 km). It's a great place for mountaineering and scenic flights.
Arthur's Pass National Park		1,185	458	1929	42°57′S 171°34′E / 42.950°S 171.567°E / -42.950; 171.567	28	This is a rough and mountainous area. It crosses the main ridge of the Southern Alps.
Egmont National Park		342	132	1900	39°16′S 174°6′E / 39.267°S 174.100°E / -39.267; 174.100	8	This park covers the land around Mount Taranaki. The mountain is a dormant volcano with a perfect cone shape. It's a famous landmark in the area.
Fiordland National Park*		12,607	4,868	1952	45°25′S 167°43′E / 45.417°S 167.717°E / -45.417; 167.717	51	This is the largest national park in New Zealand. It's one of the biggest in the world. It covers the southwest part of the South Island. Its deep fiords, glacial lakes, mountains, and waterfalls make it a popular place to visit.
Kahurangi National Park		4,529	1,749	1996	41°15′S 172°7′E / 41.250°S 172.117°E / -41.250; 172.117	51	This park is in the northwest of the South Island. It has amazing and wild country, including the popular Heaphy Track. Old landforms and unique plants and animals make this New Zealand's second largest national park very special.
Mount Aspiring National Park*		3,562	1,375	1964	44°23′S 168°44′E / 44.383°S 168.733°E / -44.383; 168.733	19	This park has many mountains shaped by glaciers. It is centered around Mount Aspiring / Tititea (3,033 metres (9,951 ft)). This is New Zealand's highest peak outside of Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.
Nelson Lakes National Park		1,019	393	1956	41°49′9″S 172°50′15″E / 41.81917°S 172.83750°E / -41.81917; 172.83750	20	This is a rugged, mountainous area south of Nelson. It stretches from the forested shores of Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa to the Lewis Pass National Reserve.
Paparoa National Park		430	170	1987	42°5′S 171°30′E / 42.083°S 171.500°E / -42.083; 171.500	2	This park is on the West Coast of the South Island. It is located between Westport and Greymouth. It includes the famous Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki.
Rakiura National Park		1,400	540	2002	46°54′S 168°7′E / 46.900°S 168.117°E / -46.900; 168.117	24	This is the newest national park. It covers about 85% of Stewart Island / Rakiura.
Te Urewera National Park (disestablished 2014)		2,127	821	1954	38°45′S 177°9′E / 38.750°S 177.150°E / -38.750; 177.150	29	Te Urewera and the nearby Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park have the largest native forest in the North Island. Lake Waikaremoana is known for its beautiful shoreline. Since 2014, it's still a protected area. However, it's no longer a national park. It's now managed under a special agreement between the government and the Tūhoe iwi (Māori tribe).
Tongariro National Park*		786	303	1887	39°12′S 175°35′E / 39.200°S 175.583°E / -39.200; 175.583	10	This was New Zealand's first national park. It's a World Heritage Site because of its amazing nature and cultural importance. Te Heuheu Tūkino IV gave the land to the Crown. The park has several sacred Māori sites and three active volcanoes: Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro.
Westland Tai Poutini National Park*		1,320	510	1960	43°23′S 170°11′E / 43.383°S 170.183°E / -43.383; 170.183	12	This park stretches from the highest peaks of the Southern Alps to a wild coastline. It includes glaciers, beautiful lakes, and thick rainforest. You can also find remains of old gold mining towns along the coast.
Whanganui National Park		742	286	1986	39°35′S 175°5′E / 39.583°S 175.083°E / -39.583; 175.083	5	This park borders the Whanganui River. It includes areas of government land, old state forests, and several former reserves.

Timeline of National Parks

Future National Parks

There are ideas for new national parks. One idea is for a Kauri National Park around Waipoua Forest. This area has most of New Zealand's remaining kauri trees, including the giant Tāne Mahuta. These kauri forests are also safe homes for endangered animals like the North Island brown kiwi. The Department of Conservation is currently looking into this idea.

In 2014, a group called Forest and Bird started a campaign. They want Great Barrier Island (Aotea) to become a National Park. This was in response to a proposal from the Department of Conservation to give the island more protection.

In 2020, a political party announced that they would create two new national parks if they won the election. These would be Coromandel National Park and Catlins National Park.

Protecting Parks from Mining

In 2010, the New Zealand Government suggested allowing mining in some national park and conservation areas. These areas were protected by a law that stopped mining. However, many people disagreed with this idea. They sent in a lot of comments, mostly saying no to mining. Because of this, the government decided not to go ahead with the plan.