National parks aim primarily at the large-scale protection and free development of untouched nature. "Let nature be nature" is therefore the motto of these areas. By establishing such "wilderness areas," where locals and guests can experience nature in a very special way, national parks increase the tourist appeal of the region surrounding them. In other words, although there is no economic use of the natural assets in national parks, they also make an important contribution to the sustainable development of the region surrounding them.

National parks are usually zoned, usually designating a zone in which all economic use is prohibited and designating a buffer zone to protectively surround the unused areas. There are currently a total of 14 national parks in Germany (as of June 2008).

The Hainich National Park is the only national park in Thuringia. It was established in 1997 by the Thuringian Law on the Hainich National Park.