The park is located in the north western corner of Penang Island, on what resembles an outline of a face. Many trails are sited on hilly terrain at heights of more than 75 metres where gradients exceed 18 degrees.

Challenging but interesting, these trails offer the visitor to Taman Negara Pulau Pinang an opportunity to experience the park's many facets and habitats, including wilderness areas.

There are five major trails with unique attractions. Small rivers flow from the granite dominated landscape into the sea and into a meromictic lake at Pantai Kerachut. Towards the east lies the heavily forested catchment area for the Teluk Bahang dam.

An array of flora and fauna greets visitors along the trails. Vegetation varies from beach coastal forest dominated by dipterocarps to commercial and medicinal species to ferns, palms, pitcher plants, meromictic flora, climbers, fungi, and mangrove.

Apart from fish, insects, mammals, and resident birds, migratory birds frequent the mangrove swamps and mudflats.