Serra dos Órgãos National Park

Serra dos Órgãos National Park
Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos
IUCN category II (national park)
Rock formations and the God's Finger peak in the background
Nearest city	Teresópolis
Coordinates	22°27′40″S 42°59′49″W / 22.461°S 42.997°W / -22.461; -42.997Coordinates: 22°27′40″S 42°59′49″W / 22.461°S 42.997°W / -22.461; -42.997
Area	10,527 ha (40.64 sq mi)
Designation	National park (Brazil)
Created	1939
Administrator	Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation

Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos: "Organs Range") is a national park (Brazil) in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It protects the Serra dos Órgãos mountain range and the water sources in the range. It was the third national park to be created in Brazil.

The Serra dos Órgãos National Park is located about a one-hour drive from the city of Rio de Janeiro. The BR-116 highway leads through the park. The origin of the unusual name is credited to early Portuguese settlers who thought the ensemble of the hill tops resembled the pipes of organs in European cathedrals. The park is part of the larger Serra do Mar chain of mountains, and the most accepted theory about its origin is that it rose about 60 million years ago during earthquakes that caused the Andes to rise. That means it is located in a geologically unstable location, although no incident has ever been recorded in the area.

The Park's area is 10,527 hectares (26,010 acres). It has ten peaks higher than 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) and six other peaks over 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) high. The lowest point in the park is located in the relatively flat municipality of Magé, at 145 metres (476 ft). The highest peak is Pedra do Sino (Bell Rock), at 2,263 metres (7,425 ft). The most famous formation in the park is the Dedo de Deus (God's Finger) peak, which resembles a left hand with its index finger stretched, pointing towards the sky. It is 1,692 metres (5,551 ft) high and can be seen in the background of the flag of Rio de Janeiro state.

The Serra dos Órgãos National Park was created on 30 November 1939 as the third national park in Brazil. The purpose of the park was to protect the headwaters of the rivers that flow into the Fluminense basin, and to protect the spectacular mountains. The park was created by the government of Getúlio Vargas by decree law 1822 of 30 November 1939 with an area of about 9,000 hectares (22,000 acres). It covered parts of the municipalities of Magé, Petrópolis and Teresópolis.