[1] The park is located in Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and is shared between ten municipalities: Aurano, Beura-Cardezza, Caprezzo, Cossogno, Valle Cannobina, Intragna, Malesco, Miazzina, Premosello-Chiovenda, San Bernardino Verbano, Santa Maria Maggiore, Trontano, and Vogogna.

These valleys join into Torrente San Bernardino, a tributary of Lake Maggiore.

The idea to create a national park in Val Grande dates back to 1953.

In 1974, the Association Italia Nostra developed a detailed plan to establish a national park, and, in the 1980s, the preparation started.

[1][4] As of 2012, the park had three visitor centers (located in Santa Maria Maggiore, Cossogno, and Premosello-Chiovenda), two museums,[5] and a number of nature itineraries, which should be followed accompanied by a guide.