Statistics from the National Park Authority

In 1951 the Peak National Park became the first National Park in Britain. It covers 1,438 square kilometres (555 square miles) of beautiful and often wild countryside from the high (636m above sea level) moorlands in the north to the green farmland in the south. The great majority of the National Park is still in private ownership and most of it is farmed.

The earliest travellers to the Peak District did not appreciate the natural landscape of mountain and moorland. The 7 Wonders of the Peak were described first in 1636, but Daniel Defoe, travelling in 1725 described the moors above Chatsworth as a waste and a howling wilderness. Gradually the taste for wild scenery grew and Ruskin enjoyed the clefts, glens and dingles of the Peakland dales just as modern visitors do. The Peak District National Park is now one of the most visited areas in the world. There are up to 30 million visits to the Peak Park each year - only Mount Fuji National Park in Japan has more visits!

Why do People Visit?

Most people visit the Peak District to enjoy the spectacular landscape and also because of the peace and quiet they find there.

Reasons for Visiting the Peak District National Park (taken from All Parks Visitor Survey 1994)