Penang National Park, National park in northwestern Penang Island, Malaysia
Penang National Park covers 1,213 hectares of land and sea at the northwestern tip of Penang Island, near Teluk Bahang. Its habitats range from dipterocarp forest and mangrove to sandy beaches, rocky shores, mudflats and a seasonal meromictic lake. Nine beaches line the coast, and a lighthouse built in 1883 stands at Muka Head.
The area was long managed as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve before being gazetted in April 2003 as Penang National Park. It was the first protected area legally gazetted under Malaysia's National Park Act of 1980. The park covers 1,213 hectares of land and sea at the northwestern tip of Penang Island.
The park's name comes from Penang Island, and its Malay name is Taman Negara Pulau Pinang. It is a place for jungle trekking and birdwatching; visitors watch green turtles nesting at Pantai Kerachut from April to August and olive ridley turtles from September to February. The park also has a lighthouse built in 1883.
Two main hiking trails lead to Monkey Beach and Kerachut Beach, with boat services available from the park entrance for easier access. Visitors can choose between walking or taking a boat depending on their preferences and energy levels.
The park's seasonal meromictic lake, near Pantai Kerachut, keeps its lower water layer oxygen-poor and unmixed for much of the year; only brackish-water Faunus ater snails are recorded living in it. The lake is one of five habitat types in the park found in no other major Malaysian nature reserve.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,673 contributors worldwide.