The Pico Paraná State Park ( pt, Parque Estadual Pico Paraná) is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in the state of Paraná, Brazil. It protects a well-preserved area of

Atlantic Forest The Atlantic Forest ( pt, Mata Atlântica) is a South American forest that extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte state in the northeast to Rio Grande do Sul state in the south and inland as far as Paraguay and th ...

, and contains a massif that includes the highest peak in the south of Brazil. The environment is strictly protected, but visitors in good physical condition may climb the massif.

Location

The Pico Paraná State Park is in the municipalities of Campina Grande do Sul and Antonina, with an area of . It is part of the Lagamar Mosaic. The Pico Paraná is the highest point in the south of Brazil at above sea level in the Serra Ibitiraquire. It takes six to ten hours to walk from the park entrance to the summit. Visitors must be in good physical condition and should be in a group or with an experienced guide. The park protects a stretch of the best preserved

in Brazil. The park adjoins the Graciosa State Park to the south and the Roberto Ribas Lange State Park to the north. The forest is lush and dense, with trees up to high as well as shrubs, creepers and a great variety of bromeliads, orchids and ferns. Fauna include 71 species of mammals including howler monkey,

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

, paca, hedgehog, coati, common agouti,

ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southwes ...

and the endangered

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

and

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...

History

The Pico Paraná State Park was created by state governor decree 5769 of 5 June 2002 from two areas of vacant land in the Marumbi Special Area of Tourist Interest. The objectives are to conserve a sample of dense montane and high montane rainforest, the fauna, soil and interior waters, and to promote activities that do not affect the ecosystem and that make preservation sustainable. The park was to be administered by the Paraná Institute of the Environment (IAP), which was to prepare and approve a management plan within five years.

Notes

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pico Paraná State Park State parks of Brazil Protected areas of Paraná (state) 2002 establishments in Brazil