Killarney National Park is a unique and special place. It was Ireland's first National Park and came into being in 1932 when the Muckross Estate (the core of the present day National Park)was  presented to the Nation by Senator Arthur Vincent and his parents-in-law Mr. and Mrs. William Bowers Bourn, in memory of his late wife Maud.  the National Park covers over 25,000 acres (10,000 hectares) of mountain, moorland, woodland, waterways, parks and gardens. A major geological boundary occurs within the Park, and this, in combination with the climatic influence of the gulf stream and the wide range of altitudes in the Park, gives rise to an unusual and varied ecology.

The mountainous old red sandstone uplands support large areas of blanket bog, and the remoteness and relative inaccessibility of some of these areas aids the continued survival of Ireland's only remaining wild herd of native Red Deer. In addition to this, the largest area of old-growth Oakwoods left in the country can be found on some of the lower mountain slopes, a remnant of the woodland that once covered much of Ireland.

The lowland limestone areas of the National Park also boast some rare habitats, notably a large stand of pure Yew woodland at Reenadinna on the Muckross Peninsula, which is thought to be one of only three pure Yew woods in Europe. Other significant woodlands include several large areas of swamp woodland (carr) on the shores of Lough Leane, which provide an important refuge for wildlife.