Aparados da Serra National Park Park

Address: Aparados da Serra National Park, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Website: http://www.icmbio.gov.br/parnaaparados/

Admission: Park entrance free; park activities and guided tours may charge.

Aparados da Serra National Park protects a section of the southern Brazilian plateau in Rio Grande do Sul notable for dramatic sandstone and basalt canyons. The park is best known for its steep-walled gorges carved into the Serra Geral escarpment.

The principal attractions are the park’s canyons, especially Itaimbezinho and Fortaleza, where rim trails and lookout platforms give views into deep, narrow valleys with vertical cliffs. Hiking, photography and canyon-edge viewpoints are the main visitor activities, with trails of varying length and exposure leading to different lookout points.

The landscape is the result of long-term erosion of basalt and sandstone layers on the Serra Geral escarpment; the canyons and surrounding plateau have been the focus of regional conservation efforts to protect native highland vegetation and watercourses. Over time the area has been managed to balance visitor access to viewpoints and trailheads with habitat protection.

The park is located on the border of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states in southern Brazil, on a high plateau region known as the Aparados da Serra. Access is generally from nearby towns and park entrance points that serve different canyons; the terrain around the park is a mix of plateau pasture and native grassland and forest.

• Viewing and trails: Rim trails and short walkways provide accessible viewpoints over the canyon floors; some trails are exposed and can be slippery after rain.

What to See#

• Itaimbezinho canyon: Itaimbezinho canyon, the park’s most visited gorge, features steep vertical walls and rim trails that provide viewpoints along the canyon edge.
• Fortaleza canyon: Fortaleza canyon, another deep gorge in the park with sheer cliffs and scenic lookouts reached by separate trails and access points.

Access is typically from cities like Porto Alegre or Pelotas; many visitors base themselves in nearby towns like Cambará do Sul, about 1-2 hours’ drive from the main park entrances.

• Visit viewpoints like Itaimbezinho early in the day for better light on the canyons.
• Some trails are steep and exposed - hire a local guide in shoulder seasons.
• Combine a hike with visits to local waterfalls that are less crowded than the main canyon rim.