Beginning today, April 17th, it’s the national week for discovering National Parks around the country! Although I’ve visited a fair few, it’s been ages since I’ve explored the UK properly – and what better way to do so than visiting some of the top national parks? I thought I’d take a look and pick out five of the best. Even if we can’t visit them just yet, as lockdown restrictions continue to ease over the coming months, it looks like we’ll certainly get the chance come summer!
Snowdonia National Park
Snowdonia National Park covers a mountainous 823 square miles in North-western Wales. Founded in 1951, the park contains a huge array of outstanding spots – from Mount Snowdon itself, to magnificent castles and stunning lakes.
This National Park really has something for everyone and is a definite must-visit once things start to open up. Take massive hikes to the top of Mount Snowdon, or through the Llanberis Pass – surrounded by vast green nature and rolling hills!
Alternatively, visit the White Water Centre for an adrenaline-packed white-water rafting experience, or visit the Zip World Forest where you can experience the thrill of Europe’s highest five-person swing and the world’s first tandem drop experience.
For a more relaxed, sight-packed experience, visit some of the castles: Harlech, Conwy and Caernarfon are all stunning and impressive sights that are well worth a visit! The park is also home to a vast array of beautiful lakes, including Lake Bala, Llyn Padarn, Llyn Ogwen and Llyn Trawsfynydd (try pronouncing that one!).
The Lake District National Park
Also created in 1951, the Lake District National Park boasts 912 square miles of mountains and lakes. Situated in North-west England, this park is perfect for long hikes through some of the country’s most stunning nature!
Climb to the top of Scafell Pike, England’s tallest peak, or hike along Cat Bells High Ridge for some breath-taking views, and great exercise of course. At 978m and 451m high respectively, you’ll get a great panoramic view of the surrounding nature!
The Lake District is also home to – you guessed it – a large number of lakes! Some of the top lakes to visit include:
- Windermere – which offers great views, watersports, lake cruises and is England’s largest lake.
- Derwentwater – which offers stunning lakeside walks and is situated near to the friendly market town of Keswick.
- Ennerdale Water – which, although harder to access, makes up for it by being much quieter. It offers stunning lakeside walks and views.
- Wastwater – which is perhaps the hardest to access and explore due to a lack of roads, but again offers stunning views and some great walks.
- Ullswater – which offers a quieter environment than Windermere, yet is packed with all you could want: boats, water sports, great walks and amazing scenery.
The New Forest National Park
The New Forest became a National Park in 2005, however it has been home to idyllic villages and huge expanses of forest for almost 1,000 years. Full of wildlife, plant life, picturesque villages and lakes, it makes for a great weekend out in nature!
Take long hikes or bike rides through the forest for a brilliant outdoors day. The Northern Commons and Telegraph Hill are great places to spot wild animals – from free roaming wild ponies to cows. The large open areas also provide for a great sunset!
If you’re looking for interesting plant life, take a trip to the Ancient Woodlands – home to some of the oldest trees in the country and stunning all year round. The Exbury Gardens also host an array of plant life, with many different flower types, rare trees as well as small lakes with water plants.
The New Forest also boasts some brilliant coastal spots. Lepe Beach offers a nice stretch of sandy seaside with blue water – perfect for a summer getaway (hopefully one that we’ll actually get this year!). Or, visit Lymington, a picturesque seaside town and stroll through the cobbled roads and old English pubs!
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park covers over 240 square miles of the Western coast of Wales. From magnificent castles, to beautiful beaches and stunning walks, this National Park is definitely worth a trip.
Visit any of the old castles or cathedral to capture some of Wales’s oldest architecture, including Pembroke Castle, Manorbier Castle, Cilgerran Castle and St David’s Cathedral.
Alternatively, take a trip to any of the idyllic coastal towns situated within the National Park. Tenby, Goodwick and Fishguard are some of the most notable towns to visit, due to their old and historic feel. They are also surrounded by beautiful sandy beaches and stunning walks if you prefer to venture further than just the town centres.
For the ultimate Pembrokeshire experience, hike along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path which runs along 186 miles of the coast! Here you’ll see some of Britain’s most breath-taking coastal scenery with miles of beaches, cliffs and wildlife. Be sure to keep an eye out for seals along the way!
Last but certainly not least are the beaches of Pembrokeshire. These are some of Britain’s nicest beaches and provide for a great beach day in the summer. Some of the top beaches here include:
- Barafundle Bay
- Blue Lagoon
- Whitesands beach
- Freshwater West Beach
- North Beach
The Cairngorms National Park
The largest National Park in the UK, the Cairngorms National Park covers a huge 1750 square miles. The park is filled with mountainous terrain, forests, rivers, lochs and more. It also boasts a huge variety of wildlife, including a quarter of the UK’s rare and endangered species.
Take long hikes through the varying landscapes – moorlands, forests, mountains and glens. Keep your eye out for any of the amazing wildlife there, including birds of prey like the Osprey and Golden Eagle, deer, red squirrels, badgers and many more.
If the weather’s not so great (which can often be the case in Scotland!), spend your time visiting any of the distilleries in the area. Speyside, Scotland’s home of whiskey, contains over 40 distilleries! A great way to learn more about the process of whiskey making.
For the more adventurous, the Cairngorms National Park also offers an array of adrenaline-packed activities. Go white-water rafting on the River Feshie, or mountain biking at High Burnside or Laggan Wolftrax, or go climbing at Glenmore Lodge or the Northern Corries.
If you’d like to discover more on any of the national parks mentioned, check out their websites listed below! Although it’s unlikely that many of us will be able to experience the parks during Discover National Parks Week, it’s still a great opportunity to spread awareness of the stunning nature that we have right on our doorstep! And, with any luck, by the time summer comes around, we might get our chance to go exploring!
- Snowdonia National Park
- The Lake District National Park
- The New Forest National Park
- Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
- The Cairngorms National Park
Which of the national parks do you like the sound of the most? Leave your comments below!
