Kampinos National Park

Kampinos National Park is a large protected area in the Masovian Voivodeship of Poland, created to conserve a mosaic of pine forest, dune ridges and wetlands. The park was established in 1959 and today covers an extensive area of lowland habitats immediately west of the Warsaw metropolitan area.

Visitors use a network of signed hiking and cycling trails, boardwalks and small visitor centres to explore pine woods, open dunes and marshes; the park is a popular recreational area for residents of Warsaw and surrounding towns. Wildlife includes ungulates and a range of wetland bird species, and the park is involved in species protection and habitat restoration efforts.

The protected area was later recognised under UNESCO Man and the Biosphere programmes for its landscape-scale conservation role adjacent to a major European capital. Management balances nature protection with high visitor numbers coming from Warsaw and the Masovian region.

Kampinos National Park lies to the west of Warsaw, with park boundaries starting on the outskirts of the city and extending across the Masovian plain into surrounding rural districts.

• Establishment and size: Established as a national park in 1959, covering roughly 385 square kilometres of forest, dunes and wetlands west of Warsaw.
• Biosphere status and wildlife: Part of a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere reserve, the park protects species including European bison and a range of marshland fauna.

What to See #

• Dunes and marshes: Large dune and marsh complexes that form distinctive ecological zones within the park, with trails running through both habitats.
• Visitor access and trails: Visitor centres and marked cycling and hiking routes providing access from the park edge near Warsaw and local towns.