Serra dos Órgãos National Park
Serra dos Órgãos National Park is a national park in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It protects the Serra dos Órgãos mountain range and the water sources in the range. It was the third national park to be created in Brazil.
Rock formations and the God's Finger peak in the background
Serra dos Órgãos as seen from Teresópolis, 1885. Oil on canvas by Georg Grimm
Landscape of the park as seen from the Castelo do Açu peak
Serra dos Órgãos main peaks (from left to right): Escalavrado (1 406 m), Dedo de Nossa Senhora (1 320 m), Dedo de Deus (1 692 m), Cabeça de Peixe (1 680 m) and Santo Antônio (1 990 m).
National Parks are a legally-defined type of protected area of Brazil.
The first parks were created in the 1930s with other parks being gradually added, typically protecting a natural monument such as a waterfall or gorge near to a coastal population centre.
At least two early parks were later submerged by hydroelectric reservoirs.
The first park in the Amazon rainforest was inaugurated in 1974. Today the national parks cover a huge area, particularly in the Amazon.
However, many of them suffer from outstanding claims for compensation from former owners or users of the land, and many lack the management plans, physical infrastructure and personnel needed to support public visits.
The responsible government agency does not have the capacity to provide services such as food and drink, souvenir sales and guided tours, and bureaucracy has delayed letting the private sector bid on providing such services.
Alto Cariri National Park, Bahia
Ilha Grande National Park
Pico das Agulhas Negras in the Itatiaia National Park
Visitors in the Iguaçu National Park