The Serra dos rgaos National Park is sited in Terespolis, the sierra region of the state, at 90 km from Rio de Janeiro and has an area of 11,000 hectares.

The place is visited by thousands of guests that enjoy and make good use of the natural pool and the cascade during the southern hemisphere's summer.

The area is promising for hikes through rustic roads while admiring unique ecosystems in remote places.

The famous route Petrpolis - Terespolis is a 42 km long hike, a proposal that can take as much as 4 days.

Another option is a visit to the sub-site, situated along the highway joinning Guapimirim with Terespolis, a true heaven of waterfalls.

You need to be aware of a phenomenon called "head of water" only, which inundates the natural pits in an unexpected manner.

For those seeking a more radical experience, the park offers diverse mountains for the practice of scaling such as the Finger of God, emblematic of the region.

But you have to be cautious because there are many perilous ways due to the rotten staples. Apart from this, the tracks to access these rocks are very slippery and some even bear the risk of detaching.

Weather

The weather varies between hot and warm and is quite humid, with medium sub-dry days. The high part of the park has a climate called soft mid-thermal, with temperatures oscillating between 18 and 19 C.

Vegetation

The park has an Atlantic rain tropical forest rich in palm trees, Cip Cabeludo (Mikania hirsutissima), epiphytes and tall trees. In spite of its primitive look, the forest forms really are secondary and well evolved shrubs, with regards to the sequence of the forest.

The fauna of the park is like that of other parks in the region, with a great variety of small mammals. There are different bird species, among the menaced ones are the Vinaceous-breasted parrot (Amazona vinacea), the Large-billed Seed-Finch (Oryzoborus crassirostris) and the Black-fronted Piping Guan (Pipile jacutinga).

The Serra dos rgaos National Park is opened Tuesdays through Sundays and charges a US 3.00 dollar entrance fee to visitors, and offers a lodge inside with daily fees of US 18.00 dollars.