


These game preserves evolved into landscaped parks set around mansions and country houses from the sixteenth century onwards. It was strictly forbidden for commoners to hunt animals in these deer parks. They had walls or thick hedges around them to keep game animals (e.g., stags) in and people out. There are also amusement parks that have live shows, fairground rides, refreshments, and games of chance or skill.ĭepiction of a medieval hunting park from a 15th-century manuscriptĮnglish deer parks were used by the aristocracy in medieval times for game hunting. Large parks may have areas for canoeing and hiking in the warmer months and, in some northern hemisphere countries, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in colder months. Large national and sub-national parks are typically overseen by a park ranger. rules against open fires or bringing in glass bottles). Many natural parks are protected by law, and users may have to follow restrictions (e.g. In many large parks, camping in tents is allowed with a permit. The largest parks can be vast natural areas of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers (or square miles), with abundant wildlife and natural features such as mountains and rivers.

Urban parks often have benches for sitting and may contain picnic tables and barbecue grills. Some parks are built adjacent to bodies of water or watercourses and may comprise a beach or boat dock area. Many parks have trails for walking, biking and other activities. Many parks have fields for playing sports such as baseball and football, and paved areas for games such as basketball. Parks may consist of grassy areas, rocks, soil and trees, but may also contain buildings and other artifacts such as monuments, fountains or playground structures. State parks and provincial parks are administered by sub-national government states and agencies. National parks and country parks are green spaces used for recreation in the countryside. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats.
