The Black Forest National Park () is a national park in the state of Baden-Württemberg in the southwest of Germany. It has an area of and is located on the main crest of the Northern Black Forest, mainly between the Black Forest High Road (Schwarzwaldhochstraße) and the valley of the Murg. It comprises two separate areas, roughly 3.5 kilometres apart, around Ruhestein (7,615 ha) and Hoher Ochsenkopf/Plättig (2,447 ha) and is part of the Central/North Black Forest Nature Park (Naturpark Schwarzwald Mitte/Nord). The park was officially opened on 3 May 2014 History The Black Forest National Park was created on 1 January 2014 and is the first national park in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The state parliament voted for its establishment on 28 November 2013. The establishment of the first national park in the Black Forest was politically controversial. In 2013, it was opposed by Baden-Württemberg's opposition parties (CDU and FDP), by representatives of the timber industry and by some of the affected population, whilst being supported by the SPD and Greens, the conservation associations and other parts of the populations of the Northern Black Forest. Location and extent The northern part of the area, the High Ochsenkopf / Plättig includes the upper Schwarzenbach valley and the regions around the High Ochsenkopf () in the centre, the Mehliskopf (1,008 m) in the west, the Badener Höhe (1,003 m) in the north and the Nägeliskopf (994 m) in the east. The lowest and most easterly point of this park is at the confluence of the Schwarzbach and Raumünzach streams, at a height of just below 500 m. Excluded are the village of Herrenwies as well as smaller areas around Plättig, Sand and the youth hostel of Badener Höhe. In the northeast, it borders to the Schwarzenbach Reservoir, and in the west to the Bühlerhöhe beyond the Black Forest High Road. Most of the state forest here belongs to the municipality of Forbach (in the county of Rastatt). The towns of Bühl (Rastatt) and Baden-Baden own other municipal forests in the area around Plättig. The greater part of the Ruhestein area extends reaches a height of approximately near Dreifürstenstein in the southeasternmost summit region of the Hornisgrinde, the highest mountain in the northern Black Forest. Other summits are the bird's head (Vogelskopf) (1,056 m) and the Schliffkopf (1,054 m) to the west, the Seekopf (1,054 m) in the northwest, the Riesenköpfle (1,001 m) in