São Joaquim National Park, National park in Santa Catarina, Brazil.
São Joaquim National Park protects about 49,300 hectares of very rugged terrain in Santa Catarina, from 300 to 1,826 metres in altitude. Its flat-topped cliffs of layered grey sandstone and basalt rise above valleys, with a natural arch, the Pedra Furada, piercing a rounded outcrop near the summit of Morro da Igreja. The park holds Atlantic Forest, Araucaria forests, cloud forests and high-altitude grasslands.
The park was created by decree on 6 July 1961 and is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. It was originally set aside to preserve remaining forests of Paraná pine, Araucaria angustifolia. In 1980 the neighbouring Serra Furada State Park was created, adjoining the national park.
Local communities surrounding the park maintain rural traditions tied to forestry, agriculture, and livestock, with regional cuisine featuring smoked meats, cheeses, and yerba mate that reflect mountain lifestyles and the cultural practices of Santa Catarina settlers and indigenous influences.
The park is accessible primarily through Urubici, with visitor centers, information panels, and guided tours available at entrance points, and visitors should prepare for variable weather conditions, especially during winter when temperatures drop below freezing and snow occurs.
The rock opening at Morro da Igreja is called Janela Furada or Pedra Furada, and is often confused with the Serra Furada, a sandstone cleft about 45 m high and 8 m wide in the neighbouring Serra Furada State Park, created in 1980 a few kilometres away.
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