The first idea for the Geopark emerged in the consultation studies held in 2017. The most concrete development in this context is the Project for the Development of Infrastructure for the Utilization of Zonguldak Geological Heritage for Tourism Purposes, supported by BAKKA in 2018, of which Zonguldak Special Provincial Administration is the applicant. Within the scope of the project, a series of field studies were carried out, research and investigations were carried out, meetings were held, potential geosites were identified and marking and orientation works were carried out in the field.

On March 9, 2020, within the scope of BAKKA project support, the report prepared under the name of Preparation of Feasibility Feasibility of Compliance of Zonguldak province with UNESCO Geopark Criteria was announced to the public at the launch meeting.

On April 4, 2021, meetings were held with Prof. Dr. Nizamettin Kazancı, Board Member of UNESCO Turkey National Commission, and it was decided to create an institutional structure for Zonguldak's participation in UNESCO's global geopark network.

On June 14, 2021, the bylaws of Zonguldak Tourism Infrastructure Service Union were amended in line with the decision taken.

On June 24, 2021, the Directive on the Establishment, Working Procedures and Principles was adopted, in which the name of the candidate geopark was determined as Zonguldak Coal Geopark.

On June 25, 2021, a letter of intent for the Zonguldak Coal Geopark Project was sent to the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO.

On July 14, 2021, Gülsüm Yılmaz, City Planner of Zonguldak Municipality, was appointed as the Director of Zonguldak Coal Geopark. The organizational structure of the Geopark was determined, boards, commissions and working groups were established.

Until the completion of the Geopark Visitor Center, Geopark Office and Geopark Museum in the Üzülmez Cultural Valley Project, it was decided that the Geopark Office would be temporarily located in the Western Black Sea Development Agency and the Zonguldak Coal Geopark Liaison Office started its activities on August 2, 2021.

On August 11, 2021, a meeting was held where the organizational structure and activities were announced to the public and the results of the logo survey were announced, and the work on the geoparkization process was announced to the whole public.

On September 10, 2021, it was stated that the letter of intent of Zonguldak Coal Geopark was approved by the UNESCO National Commission of Turkey with an official letter and forwarded to the UNESCO Secretariat.

On January 26, 2022, Zonguldak Mining Museum and Coal Experiment Furnace was included in the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH).

Zonguldak Coal Geopark was entitled to receive support from the Tourism Technical Support Program of the Western Black Sea Development Agency for 2022 for UNESCO Application File Preparation and Consultancy Service and the support contract was signed on August 16, 2022.

On October 10, 2022, an application file was sent to UNESCO for application to the Global Geopark Network.

On December 23, 2022, at the Board of Directors meeting of UNESCO Turkey National Commission on the establishment of National Geopark Forum, National Geopark Committee and National Geopark; UTMK Board of Directors decided that the candidates who have received or applied for a "Global Geopark" certificate from UNESCO before 2023 will be accepted and declared as "National Geopark" without the need to prepare additional files, and in this context, Zonguldak Coal Geopark was accepted and declared as "National Geopark".

Within the scope of the Western Black Sea Regional Development Program (BAKAP) of the Western Black Sea Development Agency for the year 2022, Zonguldak Coal Geopark's project titled "Zonguldak Coal Geopark on the Road to UNESCO" was entitled to receive support and the support contract was signed on March 22, 2023.  Within the scope of the project, signboards, panels, area arrangement, construction of observation terraces, promotion and training activities are carried out for the geopark and its elements.

Between April 29-May 1, 2023, a total of 56 guests, including 17 foreigners and 39 from our country, held the International Geopark Management Workshop under the auspices of Zonguldak Governorship, hosted by the National Zonguldak Coal Geopark.