Northeast Greenland National Park
Larger than France, monitored by 31 people.Covering 972,000 square kilometers of Arctic wilderness, this vast park is home to musk oxen, polar bears, and deep fjords beneath towering cliffs and ice fields.
Northeast Greenland National Park is the world's largest national park, covering 972,000 square kilometers of Arctic wilderness. Walk through ice-free valleys while watching musk oxen graze nearby, photograph massive icebergs in the Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjords, or track polar bear footprints along the frozen coastline. The park extends from the northern hemisphere's largest ice cap to the rugged mountains of the eastern coast.
Geography of the World's Largest Park
Northeast Greenland National Park spans an area larger than France and Spain combined, from Knud Rasmussen's Land in the north to Mestersvig in the east. Its 18,000-kilometer coastline runs along both bare ground and the Greenland Ice Sheet. During summer, you'll find ice-free valleys and mountain ranges near the coast, while the interior remains covered by vast ice fields year-round.
Wildlife in the Arctic Wilderness
About 40% of the world's musk oxen live near the park's coastline. You'll see polar bears hunting along the shore, and might spot Arctic wolves, foxes, and mountain hares in the inland areas. The coastal waters attract ringed, bearded, and hooded seals, along with narwhals and beluga whales. More than 60 bird species nest within the park, including snowy owls, ravens, and several types of geese.
Research Stations and Human Presence
The park has no permanent residents, but several research stations operate throughout the year. From Daneborg station, the Sirius Patrol monitors the territory by dogsled in winter and boat in summer. At Zackenberg Research Station, scientists study climate change effects, while teams at Danmarkshavn and Station Nord gather weather data. Around 31 people work at these stations during winter, with more researchers arriving in summer.
Access and Transportation
To visit the park, you must obtain special permits from the Greenlandic government. Most travelers join expedition cruises from Longyearbyen, Svalbard, or take organized tours from Ittoqqortoormiit. The best time to visit is during summer (June to August), when temperatures are mild and daylight extends through the night.
The Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjords
The fjord system cuts deep into the park's interior, with walls that rise hundreds of meters above the water. In summer, you can watch icebergs from nearby glaciers drift through the waters. The midnight sun lights up the red and brown sedimentary rocks of the fjord walls, and Arctic plants grow in the sheltered valleys between the cliffs.
