• Within the park, 9 reserves have been designated in order to preserve the biodiversity of the Central Balkan intact.

The Central Balkan National Park was declared on 31 October 1991 by order of the Minister of Environment as a people’s park with an area of 71 669.5 ha. In 1999 it was reclassified as a national park.

Within the park, 9 reserves have been designated with the aim to preserve intact the biodiversity of the Central Balkan. The total area of the nine reserves in the park ("Boatin", "Tsarichina", "Kozia Stena", "Steneto", "Stara Reka", "Jendema", "Severen Jendem", "Peeshti Skali", "Sokolna") is 20 019.6 ha, 28% of its area. In 2008, as a result of the use of more accurate methods in the designation of the Central Balkan protected area as part of the Natura 2000 network, the area of the park was calculated to amount to 72 021.1 ha.

The Central Balkan National Park is part of the European ecological network Natura 2000 as an area for the conservation of wild birds, natural habitats, and wild flora and fauna. The park is also a certified member of the Federation of European Nature and National Parks (EUROPARC Federation) and has been awarded the European Diploma for Protected Areas by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Due to its exceptional value, the most representative beech forests in the nine reserves of the park are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the series "Old and Primary Beech Forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe".

The national park and five of the municipalities around it - Troyan, Sevlievo, Pavel Banya, Karlovo, and Anton - have been designated by UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme as the Central Balkan Biosphere Park in recognition of the preserved nature and cultural identity of the region.