Parque Estadual do Itacolomi, State park in Ouro Preto and Mariana, Brazil.
Parque Estadual do Itacolomi covers 7,543 hectares in the southern Serra do Espinhaço, within Ouro Preto and Mariana, between 700 and 1,772 m in altitude. About 60% of the area is high-altitude campo rupestre, the rest remnant Atlantic Forest. The Pico do Itacolomi, a quartzite rock formation, rises to 1,772 m and is reached by a 6 km trail from the visitor centre.
During the colonial gold exploration period in the 18th century, a Bandeirista residence functioned as a fiscal post within the park. This structure documents the economic activity of that era in the region.
The name Itacolomi comes from Tupi and is commonly rendered as "stone child", from ita (stone) and colomi (child); the peak was seen as the offspring of the mother mountain. The park also keeps the Casa Bandeirista, a 1706 fiscal post from the gold era, and the Museu do Chá, with machinery that processed black tea of the Edelweiss brand, part of it exported to Germany in the 20th century.
The park is accessible on several days per week and offers various trails for exploration. It is advisable to arrive early and wear sturdy footwear, since the mountain paths can be steep and rocky.
The park houses an endemic orchid species called Habenaria itaculumia, found exclusively within its boundaries. This rare plant makes the protected area a significant location for botanists and nature researchers.
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