[1][2] The park is located along the border of France and Spain along the Pyrenees Mountains, with a scenic landscape offering a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, skiing, mountain climbing and observing wildlife.

Tectonic uplift has created deep canyons, and, during the Quaternary, repeated glaciations carved cirques and large U-shaped valleys.

[5] The park was created in 1967 as a natural heritage site without barriers or fences where animals are totally free.

At least 124 plant species have been observed within the national park, including 25 that are endemic to the Pyrenees mountains.

[9] The eastern portion of the national park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997, forming part of the French section of the Pyrénées – Mont Perdu World Heritage Site that straddles the border between France and Spain.