Drawa National Park (Polish: Drawieński Park Narodowy) is located in north-western Poland, near the borders of the Greater Poland, Lubusz, and West Pomeranian regions. It is part of the large Drawsko Forest (Puszcza Drawska) on the Drawsko Plain. The park is named after the River Drawa. The national park was established in 1990 and originally covered 86.91 square kilometers. Later, its area was expanded to 113.42 square kilometers (43.79 square miles). Forests cover 96.14 square kilometers, with 3.68 square kilometers designated as a special area for protection. Water bodies cover 9.37 square kilometers.

Geography

More than 80% of the area is covered by forests, including the large Drawa Forest, which extends from the Drawa Lake District to the Noteć River. Most of the trees in the forest are beech and pine.

The region has beautiful and deep valleys formed by the Drawa and Plociczna rivers, along with many water channels, lakes, and peat-bogs. In some areas, the land height can change by 30 meters over a distance of 500 meters. The highest hill in the area, which is 106 meters tall, is near Martew Lake in the northern part of the park. The soil in the park is not very rich and is mostly made of sand.

Protection needs

One of the main reasons for creating the park was to protect valuable areas along the Drawa and Plocziczna rivers. The Drawa river forms interesting valleys and hollows, and 40 kilometers of the river are inside the park. The river flows quickly, making it similar to rivers found in mountain areas. The Drawa kayaking trail is one of the most beautiful in Poland. The park includes lakes, such as the meromictic lake Czarne, which is 3.7 kilometers in size.

There are many interesting plant species in Drawski National Park, including 210 types of mushrooms and oak trees that are up to 400 years old. The oldest trees are protected by law in the Radecin Preserve. Trees that are older than 81 years make up 40% of the forested area in the park.

The park is home to 129 bird species, 40 mammal species, 7 reptile species, and 13 amphibian species. The high quality of water in the lakes and rivers allows many types of fish to live there.

Roe deer, red deer, and wild boar are common in the park. The park also has large numbers of Eurasian otter and beaver. Moose and gray wolves are sometimes seen in the area.

In the past, this area was on the border between Poland and Western Pomerania (later Prussia) and was considered not suitable for people to live in. Forests were cleared for settlement only starting in the 17th century.

The park has four popular tourist trails for walking and kayaking. There are camping areas and nearby hotels. The number of visitors to the park has been increasing each year.

The park’s headquarters is located in the town of Drawno, in Choszczno County.