Georgia established its modern protected areas system in 1996 with the Law on the System of Protected Areas, creating a framework that by 2024 encompasses approximately 580,000 hectares across 14 protected landscapes, 8 national parks, 14 nature reserves, and 20 natural monuments. The Agency of Protected Areas, operating under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture since 2008, administers these territories. The system covers roughly 7.3 percent of Georgia's total land area, though this figure excludes the disputed territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia where protected area status remains unclear. The distribution reflects Georgia's position spanning multiple biogeographic zones, from Colchic temperate rainforests along the Black Sea coast to alpine meadows exceeding 3,500 meters in the Greater Caucasus range.
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park covers 85,083 hectares across the Lesser Caucasus range in central Georgia, making it the country's largest protected area and one of Europe's most extensive conservation territories. Established in 1995 with funding from the World Wide Fund for Nature and the German government's KfW Development Bank, the park extends across Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe, Khashuri, and Baghdati municipalities. The elevation ranges from 800 meters in the Borjomula Valley to 2,642 meters at Mount Sametskhvario. Nine marked trails totaling approximately 60 kilometers provide designated hiking routes, including a 54-kilometer traverse requiring four to five days. The park contains populations of brown bear, wolf, lynx, roe deer, and Caucasian red deer. Forest ecosystems comprise 93 percent of the territory, dominated by Nordmann fir, Oriental spruce, and Caucasian oak at lower elevations transitioning to subalpine birch forests above 1,800 meters. The park recorded 12,000 visitor entries in 2019 according to the Agency of Protected Areas annual report. Access points include Borjomi town on the eastern boundary and Marelisi village on the western edge, with the Likani Ranger Station serving as the primary visitor center.
Tusheti National Park and adjacent protected areas form a 113,660-hectare conservation complex in Georgia's remote northeastern mountains bordering Dagestan and Chechnya. The national park itself covers 83,453 hectares, established in 2003 to protect alpine and subalpine ecosystems in the Greater Caucasus. The protected landscape zone encompasses an additional 27,903 hectares. Elevations span from 900 meters in the Alazani Valley to 4,493 meters at Mount Tebulos. The park contains the villages of Omalo, Dartlo, Kvavlo, and Shenako, medieval stone settlements inhabited seasonally from May through October. Access requires crossing the 2,927-meter Abano Pass via a 70-kilometer unpaved road from Pshaveli that typically opens in late May and closes by mid-October due to snow. The park supports populations of East Caucasian tur, chamois, bezoar goat, brown bear, and Caucasian lynx. The Georgian government reported 4,200 tourists entering Tusheti in 2018, though this figure includes visitors to areas outside the national park boundaries. Omalo village at 1,880 meters serves as the primary settlement with guesthouses and a ranger station.
Vashlovani National Park covers 25,112 hectares in the Dedoplistskaro municipality of southeastern Kakheti, representing Georgia's primary steppe and semi-desert protected landscape. Established in 1935 as a zapovednik under the Soviet system and redesignated as a national park in 2003, Vashlovani protects ecosystems more characteristic of eastern Azerbaijan and Central Asia than typical Georgian landscapes. Annual precipitation averages 300-400 millimeters, creating arid conditions supporting pistachio woodlands, juniper groves, and sparse grasslands. The park contains mud volcanoes near the village of Chachuna, with approximately 60 active vents documented in a 2015 geological survey. Wildlife includes goitered gazelle, reintroduced in 2017-2019 with 36 individuals transported from Azerbaijan, striped hyena, and Caucasian viper. The Alazani River forms the eastern boundary separating the park from Azerbaijan's Shirvan National Park. The combined Vashlovani Protected Areas, including adjacent nature reserve and managed reserve zones, total 35,003 hectares. The park received 1,800 visitors in 2019 according to Agency of Protected Areas data. Access requires four-wheel-drive vehicles traveling 85 kilometers southeast from Dedoplistskaro on unpaved roads, with the visitor center located near Dedoplistskaro town.
Lagodekhi Protected Areas cover 24,451 hectares in the Greater Caucasus along Georgia's northeastern border with Dagestan and Azerbaijan. The reserve, established in 1912 during the Russian Imperial period, ranks among the Caucasus region's oldest protected territories. The complex includes a 17,688-hectare strict nature reserve closed to casual visitors and a 6,763-hectare managed reserve with marked hiking trails. Elevations range from 530 meters at the entrance near Lagodekhi town to 3,500 meters on the Caucasus main ridge. The territory protects the watersheds of the Lagodekhi, Shromiskhevi, and Matsimi rivers, tributaries of the Alazani. The reserve contains populations of East Caucasian tur, brown bear, lynx, and Caucasian black grouse. Four marked trails between 2 and 24 kilometers provide access to waterfalls and alpine lakes, with overnight camping permitted at designated sites requiring advance permits. The reserve administration reported 8,500 visitors in 2018. The visitor center operates in Lagodekhi town, 2 kilometers from the reserve entrance, providing trail maps and issuing permits.
Kolkheti National Park encompasses 28,940 hectares of wetlands along Georgia's Black Sea coast in the Samegrelo and Guria regions. Established in 1998 and designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 1996, the park protects remnant Colchic lowland ecosystems including peat bogs, alder swamps, and relict forests. The park includes 15,742 hectares of marine protected area extending 500 meters offshore from Pichori to Supsa. The wetlands serve as critical habitat for migrating waterfowl, with surveys documenting 194 bird species including white-headed duck, pygmy cormorant, and Dalmatian pelican. The park contains Colchic understory species dating to the Tertiary period, including Colchic holly, Caucasian bilberry, and Colchic wintergreen absent from other European ecosystems. A 3-kilometer boardwalk trail through alder swamp forest provides visitor access near Poti. The park received approximately 11,000 visitors in 2019 according to protected area statistics. The visitor center operates in the village of Maltakva, 5 kilometers south of Poti. Portions of the park remain closed during waterfowl nesting season from April through June.
Mtirala National Park covers 15,806 hectares in the Adjara region 25 kilometers inland from Batumi, protecting Colchic temperate rainforest receiving among the highest precipitation in the Caucasus. The park name derives from the Georgian word meaning "crying," referencing rainfall exceeding 4,500 millimeters annually at higher elevations. Established in 2006, the park ranges from 250 meters elevation at the Chakvistskali River to 1,761 meters at the Mtirala summit. The forests contain Caucasian whortleberry, Colchic ivy, Caucasian bilberry, and ferns forming understory layers rarely penetrated by sunlight. The park supports populations of brown bear, wolf, wildcat, and multiple amphibian species including Caucasian salamander. Three marked trails totaling 14 kilometers include a 5-kilometer loop to Mtirala peak and a 2-kilometer waterfall trail. The park recorded 16,000 visitors in 2019, primarily day visitors from Batumi. The visitor center and campground operate near the village of Chakvistskali, accessible via paved road from Kobuleti or Batumi. Park infrastructure includes a 25-meter canopy walkway completed in 2015 at 800 meters elevation.