In 1889 the primary forest above the Cibodas Botanical Gardens (established in 1830) was included in the gardens, in order to protect it is an example of the Javanese mountain flora and to facilitate research under the management of the Director of the Botanical Gardens. The area was approximately 240 ha. extending as far as the hot water springs, at 2,150 m. In 1919 a part of the protection forest on the southern slopes of Gunung Pangrango was declared as the Strict Nature Reserve Cimungkat (56 ha).

In 1925 the decree of 1889 was revoked and an area extending to the summits of G. Gede, Gemuruh and Pangrango, between the Ciwalen and Cibodas rivers, was declared as the Cibodas-Gunung Gede Nature Reserve (1,040 ha). In 1975 the lake Situgunung on the southern slopes of G. Pangrango and just east of Cimungkat together with a large area of secondary vegetation was declared as a Forest Recreation Area (120 ha).

On March 6, 1980; all the reserves and the surrounding protection forests were joined and declared as a national park. Then Gunung Gede Pangrango became one of the first national parks in Indonesia.