Serra Azul State Park, State park in Barra do Garças, Brazil
Serra Azul State Park is a protected mountainous area in Mato Grosso covering 11,002 hectares with elevations ranging from 350 to 730 meters. The terrain includes caves decorated with ancient rock paintings and various natural formations across its landscape.
The Serra Azul State Park was created by state law 6.539 of 31 May 1994 and is administered by the Secretary of State for the Environment (Sema). On 10 August 2015 governor Pedro Taques signed an agreement with Barra do Garças municipality for infrastructure and staffing. A fire burned 80% of the vegetation in August–September 2014, closing the park; it reopened for paragliding in December 2015.
The Bororó people, who once lived in the area, called it Kieguereiral, "Place of Birds", after its many bird species. About 180 bird species have been recorded in the park's cerrado, gallery forests and rocky cerrado. The name is a reminder of the indigenous presence in the region before the park was created.
The park entrance sits at 350 m, with the highest points at 730 m and escarpments steeper than 45º. The dry season runs from April to September, when fires can break out; the rainy season is October to March. The Pezinhos Cave was closed as of 2015 until sustainable visitation could be arranged.
A marker inside the park stands for Brazil's geodetic centre, though the true location of that point is disputed. The Bororó, who once lived here, called the area Kieguereiral, "Place of Birds", after its many bird species.
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