The national park, situated in Vahe-Eesti (aka Meso-Estonia), was created in 1993 to protect large raised bogs, flood plain grasslands, paludified forests, and meandering rivers.

The water flows over flood plain grasslands and forests, and covers roads, disrupting connection with the outer world.

Soomaa National Park is the most valuable part of the remaining extensive wilderness area in South-West Estonia.

The site regularly supports more than 1% of the individuals in relevant populations of Bewick's swan and common crane, and the composition of bird species in these bogs, especially Kuresoo, is one of the most representative in Estonia.

Soomaa National Park and its surroundings are one of the main research areas for large carnivores and herbivores in Estonia.

"In 2009 Soomaa receives PAN Parks certification" for its excellence in combining wilderness protection and sustainable tourism development.

Soomaa National Park area has faced dramatic changes due to the economic and political situation in the 20th century from what human habitation has decreased more than 10 times (87 people according to local municipalities in 2011).

Project carried out by local NGOs http://mardu.ee/ and Estonian Literary Museum has brought back several toponyms crucial for the area to reveal its past.

Due to its remote location, Soomaa is probably the only place in Europe where the tradition of making dugout canoes (Estonian haabjas) survived into the 20th and 21st centuries.

Building of the visitor centre was finished in 1998 and has been placed on the historical crossroad of ancient winter ways that were used up to the beginning of 20th century for transporting goods from Pärnu to Viljandi.

Guided trip on a traditional dugout canoes is an exclusive way of paddling, log-boat building camps are organised in summer.

In the year 2009 Soomaa National Park was awarded by European Commission as a supreme nature holiday destination.