Pedra Branca State Park, State park in western Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca is a state park in western Rio de Janeiro that covers 12,494 hectares above the 100-meter elevation line and includes portions of 17 neighborhoods. The park protects Atlantic rainforest and several water sources that flow into the urban watershed.

State Law 2,377 on June 28, 1974 created this protected area to safeguard water sources and Atlantic Forest remnants from urban expansion. This decision marked an early phase of environmental protection in Rio de Janeiro.

Three urban quilombos – Camorim, Cafundá-Astrogilda, and Dona Bilina – farm community gardens within the park boundaries, using cultivation methods that trace back to the era of slavery. These communities continue to maintain their own social structures and produce food on small plots.

Visitors reach the area through several entrances such as Pau da Fome, Camorim, and Piraquara, each offering hiking trails of different lengths and difficulty levels. Sturdy footwear and enough water are recommended for all routes, as paths often climb steeply and cross uneven ground.

The summit is one of the most isolated points in Rio: few trails and almost no paved roads reach the foot of the peak, and the main access is via the Pau da Fome center in Jacarepaguá or the Rio da Prata center in Campo Grande. The name comes from the leuco-granite, pink to light in color, that forms the rock.