Swiss National Park Park

Website: https://www.nationalpark.ch

Hours: Open year-round (some trails closed in winter)

Admission: No general admission (national park free); visitor centre services may charge

Swiss National Park is a protected alpine area in the eastern Swiss Alps managed with strict conservation rules and minimal infrastructure. It is the country’s principal national park and conserves high-altitude habitats, wildlife and natural processes in a largely undisturbed condition.

Trails are maintained for visitors but activities such as camping, off-trail walking, bringing dogs and collecting plants are prohibited to protect the environment. The park supports populations of alpine flora and fauna and is used for scientific study and low-impact recreation.

The park was established in the early 20th century and has since been managed as a strict nature reserve with zoned use and regulated public access to preserve its ecological values. It forms part of the alpine protected-area network and serves as a reference area for natural processes.

The park is located in the canton of Grisons (Graubünden) in southeastern Switzerland, with trailheads and visitor facilities near mountain villages such as Zernez and links to the Engadin valley.

• Visitor regulations: Strict protection rules apply: visitors must keep to marked trails, camping and dogs are prohibited, and the park is managed primarily for conservation.

Swiss National Park is in the upper Engadine; the village of Zernez is the usual gateway and hosts the park’s visitor centre. You can reach Zernez by regional train or by car from other Engadine towns; PostBus services operate from surrounding valleys to Zernez and to trailheads.

From Zernez short walks or local buses take you to marked trailheads and the park centre where footpaths into the park begin.

• Begin at the Swiss National Park Visitor Centre in Zernez for up‑to‑date trail info and suggested routes; most marked trails radiate from Zernez and start early to avoid bus arrivals.
• Respect the park's strict rules (no off‑trail hiking, no dogs, no camping or fires) - these regulations are actively enforced and essential for wildlife protection, so plan routes on marked paths only.
• Choose shoulder seasons (late spring or early autumn) or weekday mornings for better wildlife‑watching chances and fewer hikers than peak summer weekends.