Serra do Rola-Moça State Park Travel Guide

Serra do Rola-Moça State Park, created in 1994, spans across the municipalities of Belo Horizonte, Nova Lima, Ibirité, and Brumadinho, encompassing approximately 4,006 hectares. The park serves as a crucial protected area, safeguarding six essential springs that contribute to the water supply of the Belo Horizonte metropolitan area. These springs, including Rola-Moça, Taboões, Bálsamo, Catarina, Barreiro and Mutuca, are declared as Special Protection Areas.The park's landscape is a transition zone between the cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, featuring mountains, valleys and diverse flora and fauna. The rugged terrain offers various hiking trails for all skill levels, leading to stunning viewpoints such as Três Pedras, Planeta, Jatobá and Morro dos Veados. These lookouts provide panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and metropolitan area. Visitors can explore the Trilha do Cerrado, a 2.4 km self-guided trail that showcases the park's diverse ecosystems.The park is home to a variety of plant species, including orchids, bromeliads, and the park's symbol, canela-de-ema. It also provides refuge for endangered animals like the cougar, ocelot, maned wolf and Pampas deer. The park's name originates from a local legend, inspired by a poem by Mário de Andrade, about a newlywed couple who tragically fell to their deaths while crossing the mountains.