Travessia do Rancho Caído

Route

The traverse starts in the upper part of the PNI, at the Abrigo Rebouças, surrounded by some of the highest mountains in the country, such as Pico das Agulhas Negras and Morro do Couto. The hike lets you enjoy all the beauty of the high-altitude grasslands of the Serra da Mantiqueira and all the lushness of the Atlantic Forest in the lower part of the park. Along the way, a short detour to the beautiful Cachoeira do Aiuruoca is recommended. The overnight stay can be done by wild camping at Rancho Caído. The hike is made up of climbs and descents through valleys and ridges, forests and high-altitude grasslands, crossing rivers and taking in all the local beauty. Along the route, we pass rock formations known as Ovos de Galinha, the Pedra do Sino, and the Vale dos Dinossauros. After a long day full of discoveries, on the second day, the hike crosses more rivers. When leaving the upper part toward the end of the trail, it is time to face the famous Mata Cavalo descent, 9 km long. The good part of this section is that you walk in the shade of the Atlantic Forest and, at the end, we can take a refreshing dip in the Cachoeira do Escorrega or the Cachoeira da Santa Clara before returning to civilization.