Streams
Park geography
A comprehensive analysis of mountain relief, elevation ranges, and forest ecosystems.
Geography and Environmental Profile of Nationalpark Hunsrück-Hochwald in Germany
Nationalpark Hunsrück-Hochwald spans 101.2 square kilometers across the regions of Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland. This geographic profile details the park mountain terrain, which reaches a maximum elevation of 766 meters, alongside its diverse temperate forest habitats, wetlands, and stream systems.
Germany's sixteenth national park, a quietly recovering upland beech forest.
Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park
The Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park is a protected area in the western German uplands, spanning the high-elevation forests of the Hunsrück low mountain range across the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. It is Germany's sixteenth national park and was officially inaugurated in spring 2015, just a year after the Black Forest National Park and roughly eleven years after the nearby Eifel and Kellerwald-Edersee parks, which share a similar setting in the Rhenish Slate Mountains and the beech-forest zone. The park covers the two largest contiguous forest blocks of the Hunsrück, the Schwarzwälder Hochwald (usually just called Hochwald) and the Idarwald, and is intended to gradually return to a near-natural wilderness state. Roughly three-quarters of its area is designated as a nature zone where natural processes, including deadwood accumulation and wildlife dynamics, are allowed to unfold without active forestry intervention. Surrounding this core is a buffer or management zone that softens impacts with neighboring land uses and retains elements of the traditional cultural landscape, from orchard meadows to nutrient-poor grassland. The park's significance lies as much in process as in place. It joins the federal biotope network, aligns with the IUCN's National Park category, and is designed to qualify as both an EU Bird Protection Area and a Fauna-Flora-Habitat site. Set within the much larger Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park and crossed by the long-distance Saar-Hunsrück-Steig trail, it functions as both a refuge for forest wildlife and a quiet outdoor destination in the heart of the Hunsrück.
- Location
- Germany
- Park type
- National park
- Established
- 2015
- Area
- 101.2 km²
- Highest point
- 766 m
Location overview
Mapped across Germany with administrative reach in Saarland and Rheinland Pfalz
Nationalpark Hunsruck Hochwald Geographic Location and Regional Spread
Nationalpark Hunsruck Hochwald occupies recorded territories within Germany, specifically spanning Saarland and Rheinland Pfalz. Administrative records confirm its single country designation without transboundary, coastal, or island status.
- Countries
- Germany
- Regions
- Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland
- Primary location
- Rheinland-Pfalz
- Geographic setting
- Inland
Boundary and coordinates
Interactive spatial geometry and derived surface measurements
Nationalpark Hunsrück-Hochwald Boundary Map and Geographic Extent
Mapped boundary geometry provides reliable spatial context for evaluating the protected territory. Accompanying facts detail the recorded surface area, coordinate limits, and geographic span.
- Boundary area
- 101.9 km²
- Boundary perimeter
- 161.2 km
- Northernmost point
- 49.7923° N
- Southernmost point
- 49.6053° N
- Easternmost point
- 7.2891° E
- Westernmost point
- 6.975° E
- Geographic centre
- 49.6935° N, 7.0933° E
- North–south span
- 20.8 km
- East–west span
- 22.7 km
Elevation and terrain
Mountain relief summary and recorded natural features
Nationalpark Hunsrück-Hochwald Terrain and Elevation Geography
Recorded elevation ranges span from 400 meters to a high point of 766 meters across the mountain terrain. Linked feature cards provide names, types, measurements, and spatial relationships for streams, peaks, and cliffs.
- Minimum elevation
- 400 m
- Maximum elevation
- 766 m
- Highest point
- 766 m
Selected named natural features
Streams
Götzenbach
Streams
Traunbach
Cliffs
Beilfels
Peaks
Springenkopf
784.2 m
Peaks
Gefällberg
Environmental setting
Temperate mountain relief, extensive forest cover, and diverse hydrological networks
Nationalpark Hunsrück-Hochwald Environmental Classification and Habitat Settings
Recorded landscape features and habitat types combine to define the protected terrain across temperate mountain zones. Structured environmental categories link directly to broader atlas destinations.
- Relief
- Mountain
- Climate
- Temperate
- Water
- Minor water
- Forest cover
- Mostly forested
- Seasonality
- Year-round
Landscape features
Mountains · Forest · Wetland · Rivers · Cliffs
Habitat types
Temperate broadleaf forest · Temperate coniferous forest · Wetland · Riverine habitat
Park atlas
Compare adjacent upland forests and protected landscapes in the surrounding region.
Parks near Nationalpark Hunsrück-Hochwald and Regional Protected Areas
Browsing other protected areas near Nationalpark Hunsrück-Hochwald reveals broader ecological patterns across western German uplands. Comparing these nearby forest reserves provides valuable geographical context for medium-altitude mountain conservation landscapes.
National parkSaarland
Park boundaries overlap#1 closest
Southwest
Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park: Saarland Protected Area Atlas and Landscape Context
Explore the mapped terrain and protected geography of this German national park.
Delve into the specific geography and protected landscape of Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park in Saarland. This detail page provides an atlas-centric view of the park's mapped boundaries, regional context, and its role as a national park. It serves as a foundational point for understanding the park's landscape features and its placement within the broader geographic atlas.
- Area
- 100 km²
- Established
- 2015
- IUCN
- II
- Relief
- Mountain
Nature reserveRhineland-Palatinate
Mapped location lies within the park boundary#2 closest
Northeast
Mörschieder Burr Nature Reserve: Geological Identity and Protected Forest Boundaries in Rhineland-Palatinate
A mapped quartzite summit within the Hunsrück forest landscape.
Spanning nearly 20 hectares, Mörschieder Burr preserves a rare expanse of vegetation-free scree slopes and Taunus quartzite outcrops in western Germany. The reserve acts as a geological anchor within the Idarwald forest, offering a concentrated look at the unique rocky terrain that defines this part of the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park buffer zone.
- Area
- 0.197 km²
- Established
- 1940
Nature reserveSaarland
0.1 km away#3 closest
South
Wiesenkomplex bei Eisen Nature Reserve: Geography and Protected Habitat Mapping in Saarland
A mosaic of meadow and riparian stream ecosystems
Located in northern Saarland, Wiesenkomplex bei Eisen protects a mosaic of traditionally managed wet and semi-dry grasslands. The reserve, centered on the Krippbach stream, supports essential floodplain gallery forests and diverse meadow types. This mapping of four non-contiguous sites underscores the role of structured management in preserving remnant cultural landscape habitats within the region.
- Area
- 0.9 km²
- Established
- 2016
- IUCN
- IV
- Relief
- Lowland
Nature reserveRhineland-Palatinate
About 4.4 km away#4 closest
Northeast
Naturschutzgebiet Spring Nature Reserve: Protected Wetland and Headwater Landscape Geography
Mapped upland habitats in the Hunsrück, Rhineland-Palatinate
Naturschutzgebiet Spring protects a specialized wetland complex, featuring headwater streams and peatland formations within the Idarwald. This conservation area highlights the fragile, water-dependent ecology of the Hunsrück, providing a clear geographic view of preserved mire and swamp forest terrain within Rhineland-Palatinate.
- Area
- 0.74 km²
- Established
- 1988
- Relief
- Upland
- Scope
- Terrestrial
Nature reserveSaarland
6.7 km away#5 closest
Southwest
Wadrilltal Nature Reserve: Geographic Context and Mapped Protected Landscapes in Saarland
A protected stream valley habitat in the Hochwald region of Germany.
Wadrilltal represents a crucial nature reserve that shelters a near-natural stream valley system within the Saarland municipality of Wadern. The area preserves a structural diversity of wet meadows, montane mat-grass swards, and floodplain forests that form part of the Natura 2000 network. Gain geographic insight into the valley's slopes and river corridor, which extend across state boundaries to maintain significant regional biodiversity.
- Area
- 1.67 km²
- Established
- 2016
- Scope
- Terrestrial
- Water
- Major water bodies
Nature reserveSaarland
6.8 km away#6 closest
South
Südteil des Nohfeldener Rhyolith-Massivs: Saarland Nature Reserve and Volcanic Highland Terrain
Protected montane grasslands and rare bog woodland habitats.
This nature reserve protects 73 hectares of critical habitat within the Saarland uplands. Defined by the rhyolite massif geology between Losenberg and Leißberg, the protected area maintains rare montane mat-grass swards and fragile bryophyte communities. The site serves as a vital example of volcanic landscape conservation, highlighting the intersection of acidic silicate soils and specific ecological biodiversity in Germany.
- Area
- 0.73 km²
- Established
- 2017
- IUCN
- IV
Nature reserveSaarland
9.9 km away#7 closest
Southwest
Wiesenlandschaft bei Überroth: Nature Reserve Geography and Mapped Meadow Habitats
Essential protected land analysis in the Saarland region of Germany
Wiesenlandschaft bei Überroth functions as a core protected area for species-rich meadows in southwestern Germany. This detailed entry maps its two-part configuration and explains its role within the regional Saarland habitat network, providing a clear geographic perspective on its conservation status and semi-natural terrain characteristics.
- Area
- 2.87 km²
- Established
- 2015
- IUCN
- IV
- Relief
- Lowland
Protected areaRheinland-Pfalz
About 17 km away#8 closest
East
Truppenübungsplatz Baumholder: Protected Area and Geological Landmark in Rheinland-Pfalz
A vast military training ground and Natura 2000 ecological sanctuary.
Truppenübungsplatz Baumholder is a expansive protected landscape in Rheinland-Pfalz, functioning as both an active military installation and a preserved natural habitat. The terrain features a striking mix of dense deciduous forest, open firing corridors, and unusual volcanic geological remnants like rare lava flows and agate deposits. This site serves as a critical study in how restricted access shapes regional biodiversity.
- Area
- 116 km²
- Established
- 1937
- Relief
- Upland
- Access
- Highly restricted
MoriAtlas Explorer
Continue Exploring the Protected Landscapes of Nationalpark Hunsrück-Hochwald
Deepen your understanding of Nationalpark Hunsrück-Hochwald by examining its regional setting and forest-to-wilderness trajectory. MoriAtlas provides a structured view of this significant protected area, offering clear insights into its quartzite ridges, woodland habitats, and the broader geographic context of the Hunsrück mountain range.
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