 The National Park , 71 % of which is in Somerset and 29 % in Devon , has a resident population of 10 @,@ 600 . It was designated a National Park in 1954 , under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act . About three quarters of the park is privately owned , made up of numerous private estates . The largest landowners are the National Trust , which owns over 10 % of the land , and the National Park Authority , which owns about 7 % . Other areas are owned by the Forestry Commission , Crown Estate and Water Companies . The largest private landowner is the <unk> Land Company , which represents hunting interests . 
