It is the native and migratory habitat of hundreds of species of birds, mammals, plants, and marine life, some of which are entirely endemic to the park and cannot be observed anywhere else in the world.

[5] For most of the area's existence, the lands from the Dilek Peninsula southwards to the end of the Büyük Menderes River's large delta were uninhabited by people or very sparsely settled, and were otherwise untouched by human influence.

Eventually, under Ancient Greek and especially Ionian influence, several settlements near Mount Mycale and the Büyük Menderes Delta were built, such as Priene and Miletus.

[citation needed] During modern times, and despite a significant increase in population and density in areas near the port town of Kuşadası, it was not until May 19, 1966 that the Turkish Ministry of Forest and Water Management declared Dilek Peninsula a government-protected national park.

Several decades later, in 1994, the Büyük Menderes river delta adjacent to the peninsula in the south was also promoted to national park status.

Debate continued for a short period of time, but the dispute was soon settled, as a representative of the Governor's Office of Aydın publicly asserted the provincial government's position on the matter.

At the very end of the peninsula appears its tallest mountain, Mycale (Turkish: Dilek Dağı), which looms over Samos and the strait of its namesake.

The Cave of Zeus is filled with clear subterranean spring water, making it another common tourist attraction near the national park.

[3] Its biodiversity is derived in part from the fertile lands and fresh waters of the delta, attracting numerous species to the area, including several migratory birds.

Therefore, different species of foliage and plants live at higher altitudes than those at ground level, and the same is true when comparing the southern face of the peninsula and areas of the river delta with those to the north.

The peninsula was shaped into its current form over several geological eras with the tectonic merging of Paleozoic schist formations, Mesozoic limestone and marble deposits, and finally the accretion of large clays and other sediments during the Neogene period.

[3] The most common and widely distributed plant species throughout the national park are Mediterranean maquis shrubs such as the Phoenician juniper (Juniperus phoenicea).

Other common vegetative species within the area include the oleaster-leafed pear (Pyrus elaeagnifolia), Turkish pine (Pinus brutia), and elm-leaved sumach (Rhus coriaria).

Some of the more common bird species observed here include pygmy cormorants (Microcarbo pygmeus), little egrets (Egretta garzetta), lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni), Kentish plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus), white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), and the Dalmatian pelicans (Pelecanus crispus), for which the park is a key nesting place.

Sea turtles and mammals, including monk seals, fin whales (only 1 sighting and 5 strandings have been documented in Turkish waters),[29][30] and dolphins are considered to reside in the park area, although regularity of occurrences are unclear.

Camping, lighting fires, or setting up overnight shelters are strictly forbidden within the limits of the national park in order to protect the surrounding ecosystem.

[13] The park can be reached from the city center of Kuşadası via several dolmuş (share taxis) that regularly shuttle the route to the closest town of Güzelçamlı.

Recently, there have also been ferry boat services operating back and forth between Kuşadası and Güzelçamlı, in turn providing easier access to the park for visitors.