National parks

Protecting and presenting outstanding representative examples of natural landscapes and natural phenomena.

About national parks

There are 37 national parks and 11 national park reserves in Canada that represent 31 of Canada's 39 terrestrial natural regions and protect approximately 343,377 square kilometers of lands in Canada.

These wild places, located in every province and territory, range from mountains and plains, to boreal forests and tundra, to lakes and glaciers, and much more.

Parks Canada is responsible for protecting these areas, and for managing them for visitors to understand, appreciate, and enjoy in a way that doesn't compromise their ecological integrity.

National Parks System Plan

Working towards a system that represents each of Canada’s distinct natural regions.

Creating new national parks

Proposals and feasibility studies for new national parks and national park reserves.

Nature and science

How we and our partners are protecting species, habitats and ecosystems.

What is a national park reserve?

A national park reserve is an area that is managed like a national park but is subject to one or more Indigenous land claims. These land claims are being negotiated between the federal and Indigenous governments. Indigenous peoples continue to use the land for traditional hunting, fishing, and trapping. The Canada National Park Act applies to the national park reserve and provides the same protections to those of national parks. The resolution of the land claims finalizes the boundaries and establishment conditions, and the national park reserve can be brought under the Canada National Parks Act as a national park.