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PAINANI · RUN / LOCAL

60 · Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, Brazil

Pico da Bandeira

Run from the Tronqueira road-end at 1,970 m to Brazil's third-highest summit at 2,892 m and back: 6.9 km each way on rock and altitude grassland, free, no reservation, in by 9:00.

Trail runningMountain runningOut and back
12.6 kmDistance900 mElevation gainHardSite gradeAlto CaparaóNearest base

Site grade

HardFeatured

900 m of gain in 6.9 km on loose rock to 2,892 m, then the same rock downhill. ICMBio calls the day trip eight hours; the altitude and the descent are the work, not the navigation.

The experience

From Tronqueira the trail climbs 900 m in 6.9 km on rock and altitude grassland to 2,892 m. The park estimates eight hours for the round trip; the return is on the same loose stone.

ICMBio ranks it the third-highest point in Brazil and the park's icon of mountaineering. The park is 31,800 hectares across two states, and the summit sits on the line between them.

The park is administered by ICMBio and the Alto Caparaó gate is its headquarters; 80% of the park lies in Espírito Santo, but the classic ascent starts from the Minas Gerais side. Full-moon nights in July are the traditional overnight ascent, and the busiest.

Where the sources disagreeThe day ascent has an entry window of 7:00 to 9:00 at the gate; after 9:00 staff stop you, with or without a reservation, and the park closes every Wednesday for maintenance. A torch is mandatory and a phone torch does not count. Overnighting at Tronqueira or Terreirão needs a confirmed ICMBio reservation, weekends only, 100 places per camp, and the reservations are contested in winter. Stoves are banned on the summit. The 12.6 km round-trip figure is a guidebook's; ICMBio's own one-way figures add to nearly 14 km. Water points on the trail can be dry in the winter dry season.

Trail path

The line
you follow.

StartTronqueira camping area, road-end above the Alto Caparaó gateFinishTronqueira camping areaDirectionUp through Terreirão to the summit, back the same way
  1. 01Tronqueira (1
  2. 02970 m)
  3. 03Terreirão (2
  4. 04370 m)
  5. 05Summit ridge
  6. 06Pico da Bandeira (2
  7. 07892 m)
  8. 08Terreirão
  9. 09Tronqueira

Route sections

01 · The Road TaxAlto Caparaó gate to Tronqueira
Six kilometres of park road from the gate to the Tronqueira lookout and camp at 1,970 m. Drive it, or run it and count it; the summit clock starts at the gate.02 · The Grassland RampTronqueira to Terreirão
A broad, steady path up open altitude grassland to the Terreirão camp at 2,370 m, with toilets and a water point. The only runnable climbing on the mountain.03 · The Yellow ArrowsTerreirão to Pico da Bandeira
Rock slabs and loose stone marked with yellow paint arrows to the summit at 2,892 m. Wind, cold and a metal tower you may not climb.04 · The Slab DescentSummit to Tronqueira
The same rock down, where most of the falls happen. Poles earn their weight here.

Weather profile

What the sky
is likely to do.

Tropical highland. ICMBio's best season is May to September: little rain, clearer sky, lowest temperatures, with frost possible at the summit. December to April brings daily rain and cloud on the ridge.

Season & timing

Managed seasonPark open 7:00 to 17:00, closed Wednesdays. Day summit entry 7:00 to 9:00 with no reservation. Camping entry 9:00 to 17:00 with reservation, weekends only. No entry fee and no camping fee at present.Best windowMay to September, a weekday, at the 7:00 gate opening. Avoid the July full moon if you want the trail to yourself.SurfaceRocky path with loose stone and rock slabs through altitude grassland, marked by yellow paint arrows and yellow-topped stakesDirectionUp through Terreirão to the summit, back the same way

Signature moments

What you will
remember afterwards.

01

The Tronqueira lookout over the Caparaó valley at 7:00

02

The Terreirão plateau at 2,370 m

03

Yellow arrows on bare rock above 2,600 m

04

The summit tower on the state line

ENTRY WINDOW

7-9

Two hours to get through the gate for the summit

ICMBio's visitor guide opens the day ascent to Pico da Bandeira only between 7:00 and 9:00, with no reservation and no fee. Arrive at 9:01 and the mountain is closed to you until tomorrow.

Access & logistics

AccessAlto Caparaó, Minas Gerais, is about 330 km from Belo Horizonte, 225 km from Vitória and 430 km from Rio. The gate is the park headquarters; lodgings in town sit 1.5 to 4 km from it. From the gate, 6 km of road to Tronqueira, by car or taxi.PermitsNone for the day ascent; enter between 7:00 and 9:00. Camping requires a reservation confirmed by ICMBio, requested by CPF on the park's guide page, with every group member's name and ID checked at the gate.BookingsCamping only, weekends, one night, 100 places each at Tronqueira and Terreirão. Reservations open a month ahead. Reservations: reservaspnc@icmbio.gov.br, WhatsApp +55 21 97895-7522.WaterWater points on the trail and at the camps; ICMBio warns they can dry in winter. Carry two litres from Tronqueira.FoodNothing on the mountain. Carry a day's food; no stoves outside the camps and none at all on the summit.Mobile coverageDo not count on it above the gate.DurationICMBio estimates 8 hours for the day round trip. Tronqueira to Terreirão takes 1 h 30 to 2 h without a pack by the park's own estimate.

Key hazards

  • ▲The 9:00 entry cut for the summit
  • ▲Cold and wind at 2,892 m
  • ▲Loose rock on the descent
  • ▲Dry water points in winter
  • ▲Altitude above 2,500 m
  • ▲Wednesday closure

SafetyOrientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance. Carry a real torch, a warm layer and rain shell, and be through the gate before 9:00.

Read the ICMBio visitor guide →Request this run →

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Official sources

Last verified 2026-09-16 · Record CETC-RUN-060 · Orientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance.

Photograph: TMbux · CC BY-SA 3.0