Outdoors · Planning Guide

National Parks in Türkiye

From trekking in the Kaçkar Mountains and rafting in Köprülü Kanyon to autumn forests, lakes and wetland birds: which of Türkiye's national parks to visit, and when to go.

Show Me Türkiye October 2026 8 min read

Field notes

National parks: what we tell friends.

01 Check the status, not the brochure. A lot of places sold as "national parks" are really nature parks, special protection areas or historical sites. If it matters for your plans, the official list from DKMP (General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks) is the one to trust.
02 Mountain parks have a short season. In Kaçkar, Aladağlar and Cilo-Sat, the high trails are really a summer and early-autumn affair, and snow can hang on the passes well into June.
03 Wetlands reward an early start. At Sultan Sazlığı and Kuşcenneti the birds are busiest in the first hours of the day, and spring and autumn migration are the best times. What you see depends on the season and on how much water there is that year.
04 Autumn belongs to the north. The forest parks of Artvin, Bolu and Kastamonu start turning colour in late September. Save the south for spring.
05 Fees and rules change. Entry fees, camping and vehicle access are set park by park, so a quick check with the park directorate or DKMP before you go saves surprises.
06 Drones. If you are bringing one, check the current DGCA (SHGM) rules and any local protected-area restrictions before you fly.

In this guide

8 chapters, one country.

01What counts as a national park, and what doesn't1 min
02High mountains: Kaçkar, Aladağlar and Cilo-Sat1 min
03Forests, lakes and the Black Sea hinterland1 min
04Canyons and the Mediterranean coast1 min
05Wetlands and wildlife1 min
06Geology, volcanoes and heritage parks1 min
07Which park is for me?1 min
08Before you go1 min

This guide is here to help you pick the one or two national parks in Türkiye that suit your trip, depending on what you want to do: trek, climb, raft, walk in autumn forest, watch birds or see ancient sites. Türkiye has 54 national parks (milli park) on the official list kept by DKMP, part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. We focus on the parks that fit best into an international itinerary, but many of the others are lovely stops if they happen to be on your road.

Timing matters more than you might think. The high mountain trails are only really open in summer, the northern forests are at their best in October, the wetlands peak during spring and autumn migration, and the Mediterranean parks are best for walking in spring and autumn, with summer the season for rafting and swimming.

The list also keeps changing. In 2026 Türkiye gained its first marine national parks, off Fethiye-Kaş and in the North Aegean, along with two new parks in the east: Nemrut Kalderası in Bitlis and the Deveboynu Peninsula on Lake Van. A few famous names have gone the other way, and the next chapter explains why.

If you want	Go to	Best time	Base
Multi-day trekking with villages	Kaçkar	Summer	Çamlıhemşin
Rock, altitude, climbing	Aladağlar	Summer to early autumn	Çamardı
Nature day from a beach holiday	Köprülü Kanyon or Beydağları	Spring–autumn; summer for rafting	Antalya or Kemer
Autumn forest and lakes	Karagöl-Sahara or Yedigöller	October	Şavşat or Bolu
Wetland birds near Mount Erciyes	Sultan Sazlığı	Spring and autumn migration; early morning	Kayseri or Cappadocia
Sunrise on ancient stone	Nemrut Dağı	Late spring to early autumn	Kahta or Malatya

01What counts as a park

What counts as a national park, and what doesn't.

1 min read

You will see almost everything in Türkiye described as a "national park" somewhere. Officially there are several categories, and the difference is worth knowing if you are planning around park rules, permits or a parks-only trip.

National park (milli park): the category this guide covers, managed by DKMP.

Historical national park: still on the DKMP list, but declared for a battle or a site, such as Troya (Troy). Think of these as heritage visits rather than nature.

Nature park (tabiat parkı): a smaller category. The Ayvalık Islands are a nature park, not a national park.

Göreme and Gallipoli: outside the national-park system. Göreme lost national-park status in 2019 and is now run by the Cappadocia Area Administration (Law 7174); Gallipoli is managed as a Historical Site.

UNESCO still lists "Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia", which is why you will still see the old name around. None of this makes Cappadocia any less worth the trip: our Cappadocia story and the Nevşehir and Cappadocia guide have everything you need.

Episode 1 of our national parks series, filmed with the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks.

Demirkazık at sunset, Aladağlar National Park.

02High mountains

High mountains: Kaçkar, Aladağlar and Cilo-Sat.

1 min read

These are the three parks that serious hikers plan whole trips around, and each one suits a very different kind of walker. Kaçkar is green, with villages and summer pastures along the way; Aladağlar is bare rock and altitude for climbers; Cilo-Sat is remote and needs a guide and careful planning.

Hiker below the Cilo-Sat peaks in Hakkari — Cilo-Sat: Türkiye’s most dramatic limestone peaks, for experienced trekkers only.

Kaçkar Mountains National Park rises above the eastern Black Sea, and you reach it from Rize (Ayder, Çamlıhemşin) or from Yusufeli in Artvin. Glacial lakes and granite ridges sit above forested valleys that often fill with mist, and the summer pastures (yayla) mean you are never far from a village or a cup of tea.

Best for: Multi-day trekking with villages, yayla culture and cloud-sea mornings
Best season: Summer for the high passes; valleys are green from late spring

Walker on a rocky ridge above a sea of clouds in the Kaçkar Mountains — Above a sea of clouds in the Kaçkar Mountains.

For the Fırtına valley side, have a look at our Rize guide and Rize story.

Aladağlar National Park sits in the central Taurus where Niğde, Kayseri and Adana meet, and the climbing side is reached from Çamardı. This is steep limestone and dolomite, cut by deep valleys such as Emli, with hardly a tree in sight.

Choose Aladağlar over Kaçkar if you are after rock, altitude and technical routes rather than villages, or if you would like a mountain park that combines easily with Cappadocia. Our Aladağlar guide walks you through the valleys and how to get there.

Evening light on the Aladağlar peaks above the farmland of the Emli side — The Aladağlar: bare limestone and altitude rather than meadows and forest.

Hakkari Cilo and Sat Mountains National Park, in the far south-east, has Türkiye's most dramatic high limestone peaks and the remains of its glaciers. It is a place for experienced trekkers in mid-summer, with a local guide and an up-to-date check on access. Before you go, read our Hakkari story and Hakkari guide.

Kaçkar is a mountain you walk through villages; Aladağlar is a mountain you climb.

Two more high parks call for a different approach. Ağrı Dağı National Park protects Mount Ararat, Türkiye's highest summit. Climbing it is regulated, so plan it as an expedition and confirm the current permit rules with an authorised operator. Uludağ, above Bursa, is the easiest high mountain to reach from Istanbul, though most people know it for skiing rather than wilderness; see our Bursa guide.

Our film from the Aladağlar and the Bolkar Mountains.

03Forests and lakes

Forests, lakes and the Black Sea hinterland.

1 min read

The northern parks are the greenest in the country, and autumn is when they really shine. You don't need to be a serious hiker for any of them; most are perfect for a road trip.

Aerial view of Karagöl lake ringed by forest in Şavşat, Artvin — Karagöl-Sahara: the northern forest park to prioritise in October.

Karagöl-Sahara National Park in Şavşat, Artvin, is the one we would put first: a forest lake that turns gold and red from late September into October, easy to reach and easy to stroll around. It pairs beautifully with Macahel and Borçka, and our Artvin guide covers the whole province.

Küre Mountains and Ilgaz Mountain national parks, both near Kastamonu, are an underrated forest pairing in the north. Küre has karst canyons such as Horma and Valla, while Ilgaz has fir and beech forest, summer walks and a small ski area in winter. Our Kastamonu guide covers both.

Wooden walkway along the forested walls of Horma Canyon in Küre Mountains National Park — Horma Canyon, Küre Mountains: an easy boardwalk walk through the gorge.

A few more northern parks are worth knowing about:

Yedigöller (Bolu): a string of small forest lakes and an easy autumn escape from Istanbul or Ankara. Go on a weekday if you can, as October weekends get busy.

Autumn forest reflected in one of the Yedigöller lakes in Bolu — Yedigöller in autumn: a chain of small forest lakes.

Hatila Valley (Artvin): a lovely half-day of canyon and forest from Artvin city, best enjoyed as part of a wider trip; see the Artvin story.

Altındere Valley (Trabzon): the forested setting of Sumela Monastery at Maçka. Most people come for the monastery rather than the hiking; see our Trabzon guide.

Sumela Monastery built into a cliff above the forest of the Altındere Valley — Sumela clings to the cliff above the Altındere Valley forest.

04Canyons and the Mediterranean

Canyons and the Mediterranean coast.

1 min read

If you are already on the Antalya or Fethiye coast, these are the parks you can reach without losing much of your holiday.

Köprülü Kanyon National Park, inland from Antalya on the Antalya-Isparta border, is the best single nature day you can have from the coast. The Köprüçay gorge is popular for rafting in the warmer months, Roman bridges still cross the river, and the ruins of Selge sit up above the valley. Summer is rafting season, and the river is the place to be on a hot day; for walking, spring and autumn are far more comfortable. Start with our Antalya guide.

Beydağları Coastal National Park runs between Kemer and Olympos, where pine-covered mountains drop straight into the sea around Phaselis and Olympos. Choose Beydağları over Köprülü if you would rather walk a stretch of coast than spend the day inland; it is one of the easiest national parks to fit into a beach holiday. If you are a walker, read our Lycian Way guide, and for Mount Tahtalı and the Kemer side, the Kemer story.

Aerial view of the ruins of Phaselis among pine forest above the Mediterranean — Phaselis, inside Beydağları Coastal National Park: ruins, pine forest and swimming coves.

Saklıkent, inland from Fethiye, is a narrow, ice-cold gorge you wade into, best in summer when the water is low; see our Muğla guide. Güllük Dağı-Termessos, just inland from Antalya, is a treat for history-minded walkers: an ancient city on a mountaintop, surrounded by forest.

05Wetlands and wildlife

Wetlands and wildlife.

1 min read

With wetland parks, timing matters more than distance: spring and autumn migration, and the first few hours after dawn.

Reeds and birds at Sultan Sazlığı with Mount Erciyes behind — Sultan Sazlığı at migration time, below Erciyes.

Sultan Sazlığı National Park, south of Kayseri, is the wetland we would put first. It sits where two major migration routes cross, and in a good water year flamingos and waders gather below the cone of Mount Erciyes. You don't need to be a birdwatcher to enjoy it, and it is an easy add-on to Cappadocia or Kayseri. When the marshes are low, numbers drop, so ask locally before making a special trip. See our Kayseri guide.

Best season: Spring and autumn migration
Best time of day: Dawn
When to skip: Midday in high summer, when activity and light both flatten

Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta, south of Kuşadası in Aydın, brings together clear coves, forest walks and delta birdlife in one park. Late spring and early autumn are the best times, and it is the nicest nature break on the central Aegean. Kuşcenneti on Lake Manyas in Balıkesir is a small bird reserve that makes a good stop between Istanbul or Bursa and the Aegean; see our Balıkesir guide.

If you are keen to go further, İğneada Longoz Forests in Kırklareli protects a rare flooded coastal forest near the Bulgarian border. Beyşehir Gölü (Konya) and Kovada Gölü (Isparta) are quieter lake parks that fit nicely into a road trip through the Lakes District.

06Geology, volcanoes and heritage

Geology, volcanoes and heritage parks.

1 min read

Nemrut Dağı National Park in Adıyaman and Malatya is the one heritage park truly worth a long detour. The giant stone heads on the summit tumulus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are at their best at sunrise or sunset, from late spring to early autumn; in winter, snow affects the road to the top. It combines well with our Şanlıurfa guide.

Don't mix it up with Nemrut Kalderası National Park, the crater lakes of a different Nemrut, a volcano near Tatvan in Bitlis. It was added in 2026, together with the nearby Deveboynu Peninsula on Lake Van.

Kazdağı (Mount Ida), Balıkesir: forest walks and springs on a mountain that rises almost straight from the sea. It pairs nicely with Ayvalık; see our Balıkesir guide.

Waterfall pouring into a clear turquoise pool in the forest of Kazdağı National Park — Kazdağı (Mount Ida): forest, springs and waterfalls close to the Aegean.

Munzur Valley, Tunceli: a wild river valley full of springs and wildlife, well worth it if you are already travelling in the east.

Troya and Boğazköy-Alacahöyük: historical national parks that you visit as archaeological sites; for Troy and Gallipoli, see our Çanakkale guide.

Aerial view of the Troy Museum and the wooden horse replica near the ancient site of Troy — Troy is a historical national park: a visit for the archaeology and the museum.

The Lycian coast, where the Taurus Mountains drop straight to the sea.

07Which park is for me?

Which park is for me?

1 min read

Choose Kaçkar if you want several days on foot, with villages and warm hospitality along the way. Choose Aladağlar if you want rock and altitude and are combining it with Cappadocia. Choose Cilo-Sat only if you are an experienced trekker travelling with a guide.

Wooden summer houses on the green Pokut plateau above a sea of cloud — Pokut, one of the summer plateaus on the Rize side of the Kaçkar.

Choose Köprülü Kanyon or Beydağları if you have a free day on the Antalya coast, in any season; in summer, go rafting in the canyon or walk early before the heat. Choose Sultan Sazlığı if you are staying in Cappadocia and don't mind an early alarm.

Choose Karagöl-Sahara, Yedigöller or Küre-Ilgaz if you are travelling in October and want autumn colour without a hard hike.

If you would like to link several parks, the Black Sea highlands from Trabzon to Artvin take in Altındere, Kaçkar, Karagöl-Sahara and Hatila in a single road trip. Our Black Sea Highlands route follows that line, and the Photographers' Türkiye route is a good companion if light is your priority. For timing, see when to visit Türkiye; for transport, getting around Türkiye.

08Before you go

Before you go.

1 min read

Every national park has its own directorate, and fees, camping, fire and vehicle rules vary from park to park and can change. In winter, the mountain areas often close or become impassable. Before you travel, it is worth checking the official DKMP national-park pages (tarimorman.gov.tr/DKMP) and getting in touch with the local directorate, especially for Ağrı Dağı, Cilo-Sat and the new marine parks, where visitor rules are still being worked out. Once you are there, stay on marked paths and take your rubbish home with you. And please never light a fire unless it is clearly allowed: seasonal fire bans are common, especially in the forests.

Plan the route

Link the parks into one road trip.

The Black Sea Highlands route strings Altındere, Kaçkar, Karagöl-Sahara and Hatila into a single drive.

See the route →

National parks: what we tell friends.

8 chapters, one country.

Link the parks into one road trip.

Plan the rest of the trip.

Hiking in Türkiye: which trail or region suits you.

Aladağlar: Demirkazık, Emli Valley and the Bolkar Mountains.

Kastamonu: konaks, canyons and the Küre Mountains.