Serra dos Órgãos National Park, National park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Serra dos Órgãos lies in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro state, stretching over four municipalities with towering rock walls, waterfalls and dense forest cover. The name refers to the jagged peaks that resemble the vertical pipes of a church organ, rising sharply above the canopy.
Created on 30 November 1939 by decree law 1822 under Getúlio Vargas, it was Brazil's third national park, covering about 9,000 hectares in Magé, Petrópolis and Teresópolis. Its aim was to protect the headwaters feeding the Fluminense basin and the mountain range itself. Decree 90023 of 2 August 1984 fixed the area at 10,527 hectares, and in 2006 the park joined the Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic.
The park's name comes from the resemblance of its vertical rock towers to the pipes of colonial Portuguese church organs. Since the 1940s, the mountain shelters on the Trilha do Sino have hosted climbers, and the 30 km Petrópolis-Teresópolis crossing is considered Brazil's most beautiful long-distance hike.
Entry requires a photo identification and a CPF number, with staff limiting the number of visitors each day at all access points on a first-come basis. Most trails cross wet forest and steep slopes, so closed shoes and drinking water are necessary.
The park protects the headwaters of rivers that flow into the Fluminense basin, and its streams supply drinking water to surrounding towns. The Dedo de Deus peak, 1,692 metres high, appears in the background of the flag of Rio de Janeiro state.
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