The Norwegian Environment Agency's protected areas data lists 48 national parks, 41 on the mainland and 7 on Svalbard, the same number it gives on its website. The year shown is the date of each park's current protection regulation, which for many parks is later than when the area was first protected.12
Which national parks does the agency list?
The data has 48 areas of the two national park types: 41 national parks and 7 national parks under the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act.1 The agency's website says Norway had 48 national parks in 2024, including Svalbard.2
| National park (as the data names it) | Type in the data | Municipalities (as the data gives them) | Current protection regulation dated (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anárjohka | nasjonalpark | Guovdageaidnu - Kautokeino, Kárášjohka - Karasjok | 19751 |
| Blåfjella-Skjækerfjella | nasjonalpark | Steinkjer, Verdal, Snåase - Snåsa, Lierne, Grong | 20041 |
| Breheimen | nasjonalpark | Luster, Lom, Skjåk | 20091 |
| Børgefjell/Burkijen | nasjonalpark | Raarvihke - Røyrvik, Aarborte - Hattfjelldal, Grane, Namsskogan | 20031 |
| Dovre | nasjonalpark | Folldal, Dovre | 20031 |
| Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella | nasjonalpark | Molde, Lesja, Sunndal, Dovre, Oppdal | 20181 |
| Femundsmarka | nasjonalpark | Rosse - Røros, Engerdal | 20031 |
| Folgefonna | nasjonalpark | Kvinnherad, Etne, Ullensvang | 20051 |
| Forlandet | nasjonalpark (Svalbardmiljøloven) | Spitsbergen | 20141 |
| Forollhogna | nasjonalpark | Midtre Gauldal, Holtålen, Tolga, Rennebu, Os, Tynset | 20011 |
| Fulufjellet | nasjonalpark | Trysil | 20121 |
| Færder | nasjonalpark | Færder | 20131 |
| Gutulia | nasjonalpark | Engerdal | 20041 |
| Hallingskarvet | nasjonalpark | Ulvik, Aurland, Hol | 20061 |
| Hardangervidda | nasjonalpark | Vinje, Tinn, Hol, Eidfjord, Nore og Uvdal, Ullensvang | 19811 |
| Indre Wijdefjorden | nasjonalpark (Svalbardmiljøloven) | Spitsbergen | 20051 |
| Jomfruland | nasjonalpark | Kragerø | 20161 |
| Jostedalsbreen | nasjonalpark | Gloppen, Luster, Sunnfjord, Sogndal, Stryn | 19911 |
| Jotunheimen | nasjonalpark | Vågå, Luster, Lom, Vang, Årdal | 20141 |
| Junkerdal | nasjonalpark | Fauske - Fuossko, Saltdal | 20041 |
| Láhko | nasjonalpark | Beiarn, Meløy, Gildeskål | 20121 |
| Langsua | nasjonalpark | Nord-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Nord-Fron, Gausdal, Nordre Land, Sør-Fron | 20111 |
| Lierne | nasjonalpark | Lierne | 20041 |
| Lofotodden | nasjonalpark | Flakstad, Moskenes | 20181 |
| Lomsdal-Visten | nasjonalpark | Vefsn, Brønnøy, Vevelstad, Grane | 20091 |
| Møysalen | nasjonalpark | Hadsel, Sortland - Suortá, Lødingen, Kvæfjord | 20031 |
| Nordre Isfjorden | nasjonalpark (Svalbardmiljøloven) | Spitsbergen | 20031 |
| Nordvest-Spitsbergen | nasjonalpark (Svalbardmiljøloven) | Spitsbergen | 20141 |
| Raet | nasjonalpark | Tvedestrand, Grimstad, Arendal | 20161 |
| Rago | nasjonalpark | Sørfold | 19711 |
| Reinheimen | nasjonalpark | Vågå, Lesja, Rauma, Lom, Skjåk, Fjord | 20061 |
| Reisa | nasjonalpark | Nordreisa - Ráisa - Raisi | 19861 |
| Rohkunborri | nasjonalpark | Bardu | 20111 |
| Rondane | nasjonalpark | Folldal, Sel, Ringebu, Nord-Fron, Dovre, Stor-Elvdal, Sør-Fron | 20031 |
| Saltfjellet-Svartisen | nasjonalpark | Beiarn, Rødøy, Bodø, Meløy, Saltdal, Rana | 20201 |
| Sassen-Bünsow Land | nasjonalpark (Svalbardmiljøloven) | Spitsbergen | 20031 |
| Seiland | nasjonalpark | Alta, Hammerfest - Hámmerfeasta | 20061 |
| Sjunkhatten | nasjonalpark | Sørfold, Fauske - Fuossko, Bodø | 20101 |
| Skarvan og Roltdalen | nasjonalpark | Tydal, Stjørdal, Meråker, Selbu | 20041 |
| Stabbursdalen | nasjonalpark | Hammerfest - Hámmerfeasta, Porsanger - Porsáŋgu - Porsanki | 20021 |
| Sør-Spitsbergen | nasjonalpark (Svalbardmiljøloven) | Spitsbergen | 20141 |
| Van Mijenfjorden | nasjonalpark (Svalbardmiljøloven) | Spitsbergen | 20211 |
| Varangerhalvøya | nasjonalpark | Vardø, Vadsø, Båtsfjord, Unjárga - Nesseby | 20061 |
| Ytre Hvaler | nasjonalpark | Hvaler, Fredrikstad | 20091 |
| Østmarka | nasjonalpark | Lørenskog, Rælingen, Oslo, Nordre Follo, Enebakk | 20231 |
| Øvre Dividal | nasjonalpark | Målselv, Bardu | 20061 |
| Øvre Pasvik | nasjonalpark | Sør-Varanger | 20031 |
| Ånderdalen | nasjonalpark | Senja | 20181 |
Names are as the data gives them, with their diacritics; some parks also have a longer official name in the data, which we do not show.
What does the year mean?
It is the year of the protection date in the data, the date of the regulation in force now. Where a park was enlarged or protected again, this is later than its first protection: Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella, for example, has 2018, while the data gives a much earlier date for its first protection. Do not read it as a founding year.1
Can this list be reused?
The dataset's metadata names the licence as the Norwegian Licence for Open Government Data (NLOD) 2.0 and asks users to cite Miljødirektoratet.1 NLOD 2.0 lets the licensee use the information for any purpose, and asks for attribution, a reference to the licence and, where practical, links to the licence and the source.3
What this page cannot tell you
- Municipalities, not counties. The data gives municipalities; we have not added counties.
- The year is a regulation date. See above.
Related: National parks around the world · National parks of Japan · Officially recognised places.
Key takeaways
- The agency lists 48 national parks, 7 of them on Svalbard.
- The year is the date of the current protection regulation, not a founding year.
- Names are exactly as the data gives them.
- What we would skip: reading the list as a ranking or a travel guide. It records an official designation; it says nothing about opening, access or conditions, so check each park's own information before you go.
Sources
The list comes from Miljødirektoratet's dataset Naturvernområder; the count also from its website; the licence from NLOD 2.0. All read on 1 October 2026. See how we research.
- Miljødirektoratet (Norwegian Environment Agency), Naturvernområder (protected areas). Read the dataset in Miljødirektoratet's map catalogue. Accessed 1 October 2026.
- Miljødirektoratet, Norges verneområder. Read it on miljodirektoratet.no. Accessed 1 October 2026.
- Digitaliseringsdirektoratet, Norwegian Licence for Open Government Data (NLOD) 2.0. Read the licence. Accessed 1 October 2026.
Credit and licence. Contains data under the Norwegian licence for Open Government data (NLOD) 2.0 distributed by Miljødirektoratet (Naturvernområder, https://kartkatalog.miljodirektoratet.no/Dataset/Details/0). Source: Miljødirektoratet. NLOD 2.0. Changes made. List filtered to national parks and translated by Gallivanting Gadabout: we kept the name, type, municipalities and the year of the protection date. We use no logos or images from these sources. Gallivanting Gadabout is not connected with, or endorsed by, Miljødirektoratet.