According to the rules of protection of the Lahemaa National Park, the aim of the national park is to preserve, protect, explore and introduce the nature and cultural heritage characteristic of Northern Estonia, including:

• landscape features, terrain patterns and individual landscape elements;
• protected species and their habitats;
• natural and heritage landscapes;
• agricultural land use; 
• traditional coastal fishing;
• balanced environmental use;
• the region's characteristic settlement structure, farm architecture and folk culture.

Lahemaa National Park is divided into three different types of protection zones:

• Nature reserve (0.1% of the area, Esku and Remnispea) where people are not allowed to stay;
• Conservation zone (23.8% of the area), where there is no economic activity, but where people are allowed to move and pick berries and mushrooms;
• Limited management zone, the rest of the national park, where activities that comply with the National Park's rules of protection are allowed.

Activities and restrictions in the zones of the national park are regulated by the Nature Conservation Act and Lahemaa National Park Rules of Protection (in Estonian). The works are planned on the basis of Lahemaa National Park's Management Plan (in Estonian).

The rules of conduct in the protected area and the current restrictions on movement can be found in more detail from the instructions for visitors section.