Many of the world’s cities seem like mazes of glass and concrete. Everywhere you look, you find tall skyscrapers, roads teeming with cars, and a whole lot of noise associated with city living. Not very appealing if you’re someone who enjoys being somewhere more tranquil, with lots of green space. Some cities contain large proverbial oases of green space, in which people can enjoy the sights and sounds of wildlife, play a sport, have a picnic, or simply take a relaxing stroll. These oases are known as urban parks.
Some can be accessed from within the city, others are found just on the outskirts of city limits. Parks located inside or on the outskirts of cities exist so that local residents and tourists have a place to go and get away from the hustle and bustle that constitutes normality in a large metropolis. But of course, the parks aren’t just for people. In fact, many large urban parks were created, first and foremost, to protect vulnerable ecosystems and habitats from destructive human activity.
Here are the 20 largest urban parks in the world.
| Rank | Name | Country | Size |
| 1. | Chugach State Park | United States | 495,199.20 acres (200,400 ha) |
| 2. | Gatineau Park | Canada | 89,205 acres (36,100 ha) |
| 3. | Table Mountain National Park | South Africa | 54,610.30 acres (22,100 ha) |
| 4. | Margalla Hills National Park | Pakistan | 42,961.70 acres (17,386 ha) |
| 5. | Pedra Branca State Park | Brazil | 30,626.20 acres (12,394 ha) |
| 6. | McDowell Sonoran Preserve | United States | 30,394 acres (12,300 ha) |
| 7. | Losiny Ostrov National Park | Russia | 28,664.20 acres (11,600 ha) |
| 8. | Franklin Mountains State Park | United States | 24,246 acres (9,812 ha) |
| 9. | Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge | United States | 22,758.40 acres (9,210 ha) |
| 10. | Bukhansan National Park | South Korea | 19,748.70 acres (7,992 ha) |
| 11. | South Mountain Park | United States | 16,281.80 acres (6,589 ha) |
| 12. | Changa Manga | Pakistan | 12,515 acres (5,064.60 ha) |
| 13. | Rouge National Urban Park | Canada | 12,356 acres (5,000.30 ha) |
| 14. | Government Canyon State Natural Area | United States | 12,244 acres (4,955 ha) |
| 15. | Appian Way Regional Park | Italy | 11,317.40 acres (4,580 ha) |
| 16. | Lee Valley Park | United Kingdom | 10,000 acres (4,046.90 ha) |
| 17. | Phoenix Sonoran Preserve | United States | 9,612.40 acres (3,890 ha) |
| 18. | Cullen Park | United States | 9,270 acres (3,751.44 ha) |
| 19. | Ulsan Grand Park | South Korea | 8,995 acres (3,640.10 ha) |
| 20. | Topanga State Park | United States | 8,960 acres (3,626 ha) |
