Pyrénées National Park

Pyrénées National Park (Parc national des Pyrénées) is a French national park located within the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The park is located along the border of France and Spain along the Pyrenees Mountains, with a scenic landscape offering a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, skiing, mountain climbing and observing wildlife.

Description
Located in the Pyrenees mountains, Pyrenees National Park protects many limestone landforms, including karst valleys and caves. Repeated glaciations within the Quaternary created multiple cirques such as the immense Cirque de Gavarnie and large U-shaped valleys within the park. The limestone originated from the Cretaceous and Eocene periods. Tectonic uplift has created deep canyons, and, during the Quaternary, repeated glaciations carved cirques and large U-shaped valleys.

The park was created in 1967 as a natural heritage site without barriers or fences where animals are totally free. Devoted to preserving biodiversity and landscapes, as well as studying wildlife and plant species, the park is home to 70 different species of mammals. Threatened species found in the park include the lammergeier, Pyrenean desman, Pyrenean chamois, and capercaillie. A small population of bears also inhabit the park. At least 124 plant species have been observed within the national park, including 25 that are endemic to the Pyrenees mountains.

The eastern portion of the national park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997, forming part of the French section of the Pyrénées – Mont Perdu World Heritage Site that straddles the border between France and Spain. The park also borders on the Lacs de Carnau.