Rila National Park

Rila National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Panoramic view of Seven Rila Lakes, one of the prominent features of the national park
Location	Rila, Bulgaria
Nearest city	Dupnitsa, Samokov
Coordinates	42°11′N 23°35′E / 42.183°N 23.583°E / 42.183; 23.583Coordinates: 42°11′N 23°35′E / 42.183°N 23.583°E / 42.183; 23.583
Area	810.46 km²
Established	1992
Governing body	Ministry of Environment and Water of Bulgaria

Rila National Park (Bulgarian: Национален парк „Рила“) is the largest national park in Bulgaria spanning an area of 810.46 km² in the Rila mountain range in the south-west of the country. It was established on 24 February 1992 to protect several ecosystems of national importance. Its altitude varies from 800 m. near Blagoevgrad to 2925 m. at Musala Peak, the highest summit in the Balkan Peninsula. There are 120 glacial lakes, including the prominent Seven Rila Lakes. Many rivers have their source in the national park, including the longest river entirely in the Balkans, the Maritsa, and the longest river entirely in Bulgaria, the Iskar.

The national park occupies territory from 4 of the 28 provinces of the country: Sofia, Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad and Pazardzhik. It includes four nature reserves: Parangalitsa, Central Rila Reserve, Ibar and Skakavitsa.

Rila National Park is among the largest and most valuable protected areas in Europe. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the park as Category II. Two of the four nature reserves are included in the UN list of Representative Protected Areas, and four of the nature reserves are included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme.