Caparaó National Park

Caparaó National Park
Parque Nacional do Caparaó
IUCN category II (national park)
View towards the southern side of the national park
Nearest city	Manhuaçu, Minas Gerais
Coordinates	20°25′52″S 41°47′20″W / 20.431°S 41.789°W / -20.431; -41.789Coordinates: 20°25′52″S 41°47′20″W / 20.431°S 41.789°W / -20.431; -41.789
Area	31,800 hectares (79,000 acres)
Designation	National park
Created	24 May 1961
Administrator	ICMBio

Caparaó National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional do Caparaó) is a national park created in 1961 to protect the Caparaó Mountains, located on the border between Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo states in Brazil. Pico da Bandeira, one of the highest mountains in Brazil, is located there.

The park was created by decree No. 50146 of 24 May 1961. It was created by President Jânio Quadros with an area of about 33,000 hectares (82,000 acres). The purpose was to protect the natural resources and support ecotourism activities. The park lies in the Serra do Caparaó on the border between the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. It has an area of about 31,800 hectares (79,000 acres), of which 80% is in Espírito Santo. It includes parts of the municipalities of Alto Caparaó, Alto Jequitibá, Caparaó and Espera Feliz in Minas Gerais, and of Dores do Rio Preto, Divino de São Lourenço, Ibitirama, Iúna and Irupi in Espírito Santo. It became part of the Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor, created in 2002.

Altitude ranges from 997 to 2,890 metres (3,271 to 9,482 ft). The park contains the third highest peak in Brazil, the 2,892 metres (9,488 ft) Pico da Bandeira. Ten other peaks are over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in altitude. It protects the watersheds of the Itabapoana, Itapemirim and Doce rivers. Annual rainfall is about 1,000 millimetres (39 in). Average temperatures range from 19 to 22 °C (66 to 72 °F), but in winter (June and July) it is common to have temperatures below freezing at the higher altitudes.